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Not all equestrian accidents happen while you’re riding. Routine daily horse care chores like grooming, tacking and feeding can result in an injury. Be prepared, be aware and be safe!
1. Rope Wrap: Don’t wrap your lead line around your hand (or any other body part). If your horse spooks or shys, you can get a rope burn, a sprain…even some broken bones.
2. Tack Troubles: Use caution when tacking a horse, especially an unknown horse. When you’re tightening the girth some horses will bite at anything they can reach. If the horse is in cross ties, be sure no one is standing within striking distance. If your horse isn’t in cross ties, keep an even wider perimeter.
3. Bridle Knockout: Keep your wits about you when bridling a horse. Some horses will shake their heads before accepting the bridle. If you’re not paying attention, you can get hit in the head. Hard.
4. Not So Tranquilizing: Some horses can become aggressive when tranquilized. Don’t assume your horse will be putty in your hands! Use of prescription drugs should always be under your veterinarian’s direction.
5. Eyes On The Flies: Be aware of the environment in which you’re going to work or ride. If the flies are plentiful and biting, your horse may bolt in an effort to get away from them. You can use fly sprays, but keep in mind that the sprays wear off. You may need to reapply during a long ride.
6. Try A Little Tenderness: Check your horse for injuries or sore spots before grooming. Inadvertently running a comb over a tender spot can cause a dangerous bite or kick.
7. The Trick Of Treats: Horses love treats, and sometimes they show their love by shoving and kicking their pasture mates. There is a pecking order in the herd, and horses take it very seriously. As they jockey optimum treat distribution, you may suffer collateral damage. Feed treats from the safe side of a fence, tossing some treats to the lower status herd members. For the safest possible treat feeding, just put them in their feed buckets. You’ll get fewer brownie points with your horses, but you’ll stay in one piece.
8. Fit That Tack: Poor fitting tack can cause discomfort to your horse. This, in turn, can cause discomfort to you when he tries to buck you off. Be sure your tack is correctly fitted to your horse.
9. Dress For Success: Wear appropriate footwear. A properly fitted boot/stirrup combination is also very important. Release catches are available on some saddles to prevent dragging if your foot is caught in the stirrup.
10. Plan For A Quick Retreat: Don’t enter a stall without planning how you’ll get OUT of the stall. If the stall doesn’t have stall guards (allowing you to duck under) and you must close the door, be sure someone is available to open the door quickly in the event of trouble. In an emergency, reaching over to fiddle with the stall door latch may not be feasible.
