Horse Safety

Horse Safety Tip - Never wrap a lead rope around your hand, arm or body

When handling horses never wrap the lead rope around your hand, arm or any part of your body, you could get seriously injured if your horse runs off and you can't free yourself from the rope.

Barn / stable fire safety tip - check fire extinguishers at least annually and recharge as needed

Today's horse safety tip is another fire safety tip. Stables / barns should have fire extinguishers near doorways but they are no use in the event of a fire if they don't work so make sure they are checked at least annually and recharged if necessary.

More fire safety tips :

Enforce the NO SMOKING rule

Image: Rama licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 France

Using a quad bike on your equestrian premises - take a training course first

Quad bikes and other all terrain vehicles (ATV's) are often used on equestrian premises, although they are designed for use on a variety of terrains they can easily become unstable and overturn. All ATV users are advised to take a training course run by agricultural trainers, colleges, Lantra or The European All - Terrain Vehicle Safety Institute.

It's estimated that there are over a thousand serious injuries and two deaths a year in the UK as a result of quad bike /ATV accidents so make sure you don't become part of the statistics by taking a safety training course.

Image: © Copyright Miss Steel and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

A fire safety tip ~ Keep cobwebs at bay in your stable / barn

Did you know that cobwebs are a fire hazard?

Cobwebs are highly flammable and thay can act as pathways for fires, a small flame can travel  along cobwebs from one side of a stable to the other in seconds and while the cobwebs are burning flames can fall from the ceiling to hay, rugs etc even onto the horses themselves.

So keep cobwebs at bay in your stable or barn to help prevent fire spreading.

© Copyright Walter Baxter and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Staying safe around horses - Keep your tetanus vaccinations up to date

In the UK all children are offered the complete tetanus vaccine course of 5 doses as part of the NHS child vaccine program. The last dose is administered between the age of 13 and 18 along with top up's to prevent  diphtheria and polio it's the Td/IPV  a booster vaccine.

If you're unsure as to whether or not you had all 5 doses of vaccine you may need a booster.  Ask your doctor or practice nurse to advise. In addition it's recommended that you have a tetanus booster every  10 years.

A booster vaccination is also recommended if you sustain a deep wound  more than five years after your  last dose as protective antibodies can fall.

Tetanus is a very serious illness that can be fatal so make sure you are immunised.

Image: Grook Da Oger licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.

Cover any cuts and grazes

When working with horses it's a good idea to cover any cuts and grazes you may have with a waterproof dressing to prevent further infection and the transmission of a zoonotic disease.

Image via Wikimedia Commons licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Staying safe around horses -Tip- Keep long hair tied up so it doesn't get caught in equipment

To be safe it's always a good idea to tie long hair up when working with horses just to be sure that it doesn't get caught in any equipment.

Image: Mike Baird licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

How equestrians can avoid dehydration

Drink before you get thirsty, if you wait until after you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

Drink plenty of water before, during, and after.

Take a container of water or sports drink with you and try to drink at least every 15 to 20 minutes.

Wear light weight, light coloured clothing.

Avoid alcohol, colas, coffee and caffeinated drinks.

Stop working outdoors  if you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or very tired.

Worried about how your horse will cope in the heat ? Read Helping your horse to cope with the summertime heat

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Keep both you and your horse safe on the roads by wearing hi-viz

Wearing hi-viz gives drivers an extra THREE seconds ‘reaction time’, three seconds that could save you and your horse from a nasty road traffic accident.

The above photograph shows how car drivers see a horse and rider in sunlight coming through the trees into the shadows without hi-viz. Image source: Oz from Unicorn Leather

Stay safe - Don't drink and ride

Despite the tradition of the stirrup cup, a parting drink given to a guest when his foot was already in the stirrup or the drink served at a meet prior to a fox hunt, it's really not a good idea to combine the drinking of alcohol with horse riding. This is because alcohol affects the central nervous system causing impaired judgement, vision and reflexes it also delays messages to and from the brain and muscles, resulting in increased reaction times. And of course impaired judgement etc could lead to an accident when riding or working with horses on the ground.

Image: http://reptonix.awardspace.co.uk/photos/2012-03-11.htm licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License