|
Post by wildrover on Dec 23, 2005 0:06:55 GMT 1
The going behind the horse thread and a few other spin offs have been discussing safety - sometimes flippantly. Good to be able to take things casually and light hearted at times .....
On the other hand, nobody should be under the impression taking safety precautions is uncool.
I know of a girl who turned her horse out in a field and was found 2 hours later by another livery - dead in the field. She had been kicked in the head by a horse - nobody knows why - she could have been trying to protect her horse from another, or her own horse could have got a bit excited at being turned out and gave an excited buck and kick, etc etc.
Another case where a young mother was on board, about to hack out, was tightening up the girth when the horse spooked and went up and threw the rider and landed on her. Woman killed on the spot.
Nobody can make allowances for all possibilities - but it only takes a momentary lapse in concentration for potential serious accidents. I'm sure most people on here know of similar accidents, indeed these are just two of a number that I am aware of.
It may be that the above accidents could not have been avoided under any circumstances ..... but what is clear, two people lost their lives, a mother lost a daughter and two kids lost a mother ..... both in an instant.
Stay safe ........
|
|
|
Post by mudlark on Dec 23, 2005 1:28:52 GMT 1
that must have been very traumatising for you and no wonder you can be a bit (ahem) forceful in your posts about safety. I've personally been lucky enough so far never to have had to witness a serious injury that was horse-related but of course they do happen. my granddad ( rest his soul: a brilliant instinctive horseman and an incorrigable horse lover) was a great one for caution and he instilled that in me as a child. He used to talk a lot about 'cheap lessons' - if a pony I was handling reacted badly to what I was doing and scared me a bit, he would always talk me through where I had gone wrong and the signals I had missed. If I got mildly barged, stomped on or nipped he would gently explain that this was a 'cheap lesson' and with a different horse I might have been badly hurt. Of course he wouldn't let a truly dangerous animal anywhere within 20 acres of me! But he did educate me very well about my own limitations (still learning!) and how to become more proficient at predicting and avoiding trouble. I'm always grateful I learned these lessons early on. Don't know where exactly I'm going with this... but I'm sure lots of the people who took umbrage with your posts about safety just feel that the 'risks' they take are in fact carefully calculated and considered and based on experience.
If I'd known the two people you've talked about in this post, I'm sure I'd probably be equally evangelical about safety, but I wonder whether you might have been slightly too evangelical at times, when addressing people (and horses) you've never met.
I don't want a fight! I wish you the best of Christmases and many more happy, safe, horsey years to come.
|
|
tammy68
Grand Prix Poster
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 1,868
|
Post by tammy68 on Dec 23, 2005 1:37:29 GMT 1
I have always been taught to expect the unexpected. The man I learned most with was an old very experienced horseman who had grown up with horses in an era where horses were used for work as well as pleasure. He ploughed with them, drove them to market, broke them in, rebroke them for others, bred from them, travelled stallions throughout the area to cover mares and hunted. In all the time I worked with him, safety was paramount. Never once did I come off or get hurt and he did get sent a lot that nobody else would touch! He is still going today and I am proud to have had him as my mentor. He has written a book on schooking (self published) and when I read the words it is as though he is talking to me.
|
|
laura
Grand Prix Poster
going for a splash
Posts: 3,867
|
Post by laura on Dec 23, 2005 2:41:36 GMT 1
ok so less flippant or light hearted or whatever you wish to call it wildrover ........... NOONE has said that safety should not be important or that it is "cool" to ignore safety guidleines..... all anyone has said that when one knows ones own horses it may be a bit safer to take actions that with another horse would get you killed. Most of us taking these "risks" do so with great awareness of the potential for horses to react instincitvely...... but have assessed the risk and decided it is either acceptable for our own enjoyment or as part of the process to "train" our horses. You could classify ANY action involving an equine as risky ... so every piece of advice given by anyone advising any sort of contact with any equine could be perceived as encouraging risk taking !!!!!! ( except to not even go in the field and sell up now !!!!!!!!!) Levity is our attempt to lighten threads getting too serious .... and perhaps head off potential serious arguements situations .... where you have appeared to be perhaps "stirring it" or being provocative like starting this thread I think you can be a clever user of words and like setting up topics encouraging people to talk about themselves ... without ever saying anything much about YOU ..... your experiences etc . eg on the confidence thread you say you started in order to debate the topic you shared nothing about YOUR confidence or anything affecting it? in this thread .....did you actually personally know these two people killed or are they instances you have read about ? ( language you used is ambigous) Also you evade questions ... Do you actually own or have ever owned a horse? (or is it a potential horse ownership situation ;D) ... you have avoided this question on other threads I have seen. I am really interested as I think it would add credence to your views for all of us ..... most of us are serious about being here and partaking of is as a discussion board ....... and the vast majority of us actually SHARE our experiences rather than just express views. Please if you have honourable intentions do not take offense .... but those of us who have been here for many years have come across a few situations in the past where posters have been deliberatly provacative and the spirit of the DG has been affected. Not that we will allow that to happaenagain folks will we ....... ;D ;D ( moment of levity )
|
|
|
Post by jennyb on Dec 23, 2005 9:48:42 GMT 1
Good call WR, I have a friend who nearly died as a result of a head injury from a rotational fall out eventing, and another lady on our yard nearly lost her thumb in a fall at the opening meet this season. Accidents can and do happen with horses, it's not a bad thing at all to be reminded to go carefully every now and again.
|
|
|
Post by gem on Dec 23, 2005 9:56:28 GMT 1
On the riding school I grew up on the yard owners daughter was a brilliant rider, she was riding her 100% proof horse with her hat on but undone going threw a gate. Her horse spooked at a rabbit coming out of the hedge she fell off hat fell off she was kicked in the head. She did not die but had the mental age of 3/4 for the rest of her life, she was such a wonderful rider.
I do think Safety is so important and I know at times I take it for granted, still an important message for all !!
|
|
sharon
Elementary Poster
Posts: 62
|
Post by sharon on Dec 23, 2005 10:01:55 GMT 1
Yep, a good wake up call Wildrover, a gentle reminder just might save someones life. I have obviously missed something somewhere regarding Laura's post?!?
|
|
|
Post by Yann on Dec 23, 2005 10:27:40 GMT 1
You have, read the thread 'Going Behind Horse' Echo what Laura says - I doubt any single one of us takes anything for granted round our horses and none of us need to be lectured about it. The incidents described, whilst terrible, are thankfully incredibly rare. With horses, as with many other things in life.
|
|
|
Post by holi on Dec 23, 2005 10:40:00 GMT 1
Our vet got kicked in the head and has now retired - it can happen to anyone - I never underestimate any animal (its caused so many rows with OH as he, like a lot of men I am sure, is very gung ho). My personal fear is the trailer back ramp - I did hear of a girl that was killed as she raised the ramp and the horse kicked it back down on her head - it makes ne shudder just to think of it.
|
|
|
Post by mickeymoo on Dec 23, 2005 10:50:05 GMT 1
I was silly last year - washing Mick's legs on a dark windy night - wind he does not like. Instead of going round the other side of him with the hose, I popped my head underneath his belly and hosed round a corner. Needless to say he jumped at something and hit me on the head - with either his leg or hoof - I don't know. I was not knocked out but was dizzy and shocked and I was on the yard on my own, so could have been a bad accident.
I trust my horse completely, and sometimes forget - he is a horse.
|
|
|
Post by wildrover on Dec 23, 2005 11:31:28 GMT 1
Laura - remove 'me' and anything about me from the original message and you will see its just a simple reminder and message for people to stay safe ............ not open for debate really.
|
|
|
Post by Francis Burton on Dec 23, 2005 11:37:59 GMT 1
Wildrover - I am sure we are all very grateful for you contribution. Have a safe and happy Christmas!
|
|
shep
Grand Prix Poster
Just like the butterfly, I too will awaken in my own time.
Posts: 2,062
|
Post by shep on Dec 26, 2005 20:43:16 GMT 1
I enjoyed the other thread about 'going behind the horse' as it gave a great deal of insight into different ideas and thoughts; I know sometimes we can get flippant and not take safety seriously enough; I have also had experiences when I have cringed and winced at the things I have seen people do; ie a relative of mine had her grandchild aged five wandering around between and behind a few young ponies in the field. I was just holding my breath. I was expecting the worst. My relative thought I was being over cautious when I voiced my fears! But I saw a dear freind of mine, who had had her horse for eight years, and who had a great bond with this horse, get her fingers almost wrenched off when he horse spooked uncharacteristically while her owner was holding only the head collar; my friend has never regained use of those fingers. So these things do happen, and I try to keep safety in the very front of my mind, no matter how much I love my horse and how much I trust her.
|
|
|
Post by mellymoo on Dec 26, 2005 21:04:49 GMT 1
I know we should all be saftey conscious, but threads like this make me lose my nerve completely for a while! The going behind horse one made me unable to ge near Hamish's bum for days! I take solace in the fact that I'm more likely to be killed when I'm out in my car.... what a comforting thing to bring up at xmas time
|
|
|
Post by wildrover on Dec 27, 2005 20:09:38 GMT 1
Melly - the thread was certainly not intended to get anyone to lose their nerve completely - and I'm not sure such a thread would be comforting anytime, Xmas or not.
More a case of continue to enjoy and .... you may have heard the saying ... forewarned is forearmed.....
|
|