Karen at EasyCare warns us what can happen with vinyl fencing….
Equisearch has some tips for preventing barn fires…
PetLvr stresses the importance of a safe barn aisle…
Kathy’s (Of Horses and Art) daughters present Horse Safety 101…
Deanna has some tips on halter safety…
What’s your favourite (and possibly hard-earned) bit of safety advice?
Owning draft horses and participating in therapeutic riding, safety is always first on my mind. I have learned that the best accident prevention is good ground manners. We are very careful not to let our one-ton horses ever do anything that might hurt a human. They have learned to not step on us, squish us against anything, or pull back when tied, and to “spook in place.” We also insist that they learn how to lead properly, move both hind and forequarters independantly, and to reverse with enthusiasm. It takes time, but it is well worth it. Careful and precise ground work training has given us calm, sane, trustworthy, wonderfully behaved horses, and it transfers beautifully to saddle and harness work.
Learned the hard way to be careful about ropes and lines. A friend and I were going to go riding bareback. I boosted her onto her horse, then had to go back to the barn quickly for something, so she held the horse I was going to ride. I think he walked around her horse and goosed him with the rope; her horse bolted, she fell off, and was dragged a good fifty yards or so on her stomach behind him. Yikes!