# 11 steps to safety!



## Kate1234 (Mar 26, 2017)

Hi!

I am posting this thread to express how important it is to take certain safety precautions when riding your horse. Mainly directed to people just beginning to learn how to horse ride.

1. Wear your helmet at all times when riding.
2. If you are riding in the dark wear a high viz jacket and make sure your horse wears at least something high viz too. Ideally a coat. You could also have lights.
3. Make sure your stirrups are adjusted to the right length.
4. Make sure the reins are the right length.
5. The bridal needs to fit properly to prevent any rubbing.
6. Ensure your horses metal shoes are on properly and none of the nails are coming loose, if so always carry a spare nail.
7. Your saddle needs to be tightened so it won't come off and not tight enough to cause pain.
8. Don't pull too hard on the bit.
9. Wear a hard jacket (like a coat that is hard and protects your ribs).
10. Don't strike the whip too hard as the horse may get spooked although this shouldn't be needed.
11. If your horse is scared of cars either buy a high viz with warning on the back. (Most considerate drivers go slow anyway.) Alternative is choose a route minimizing the amount of vehicle encounters.

Now you can ride safe.
Enjoy!

Kate
Xx


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Kate1234 said:


> Hi!
> 
> I am posting this thread to express how important it is to take certain safety precautions when riding your horse. Mainly directed to people just beginning to learn how to horse ride.
> 
> ...


Gosh are shoes screwed on nowadays instead of being nailed on?


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2017)

smokeybear said:


> Gosh are shoes screwed on nowadays instead of being nailed on?


I believe they are still nailed on.


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## Love2Help (Mar 12, 2017)

IMO,
@lymorelynn I think this thread would do people good if it was sticky. 
Max


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## Elles (Aug 15, 2011)

Too many mistakes in it for it to be a sticky. Shoes are nailed on, no idea what a hard jacket is. New riders shouldn't be out riding when it's dark, but if they are they need lights not just hi-viz and no-one sticks signs on their back, they buy hi-viz with a message printed on it. Full marks to the op for trying, but it's too green a post to be helpful really.


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## Kate1234 (Mar 26, 2017)

@smokeybear and @elise
I have perfected it now.


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Carry a spare nail? Do people really do DIY shoeing?

I wouldnt want to see untrained people hammering anything into a horses foot. Get that angle wrong....

Takes 4 years as an apprentice for a reason.


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## Guest (Apr 1, 2017)

Kate1234 said:


> @smokeybear and @elise
> I have perfected it now.


Sorry, but it still has far too many mistakes and just strangeness in it to be that helpful.
No one carries a spare nail. If a shoe comes off, one, it's not the end of the world, the horse can usually walk barefoot just fine. Two, one nail isn't going to do you any good. And three, no one should be driving nails in to their horse's hoof unless they know what their doing. Great way to really injure your horse and cause a painful foot abscess or worse.

I don't know why you need to even mention a whip, let alone striking it too hard, most riders don't bother carrying a whip. And in any case if it's being carried by the rider, isn't it called a crop, not a whip?

Where is Thelwell when you need him?


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## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

Yeah don't be driving nails into hooves without knowing what you're doing. That's a job for a farrier or equine vet.

Would 'body protector' be a better term for 'hard jacket'?


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## Elles (Aug 15, 2011)

Oh dear. Check your shoes to make sure the shoe isn't loose and the clenches risen by all means and don't ride out with loose shoes, but carrying a nail to nail it back on?? If your horse is shod that's a farrier's job, not yours. Where are you getting this from? You could advise carrying a hoof pick in case the horse picks up a stone I suppose, I carry a foldable one. 

A better way of talking about 'your saddle needs to be tightened' would be 'check your girth'. We don't tighten saddles. Bridle, not bridal. 

In the uk some people call it a whip, depending on what it is. One of those short things with a wrist strap/handle we'd call a crop, but I carry a schooling stick, lol. I carry it to 'encourage' drivers to give me a wide berth, not to hit my horse with. I also use it as a target, but that's getting into clicker training and wouldn't be normal. 

I agree, a body protector is probably what is meant by hard jacket.

If your horse is scared of traffic and evenmoreso if you're a new rider, don't go out on the roads and especially don't go out on the roads unaccompanied. No, just don't ride a horse that isn't traffic proof out on the roads, it's already dangerous even if you're riding a safe horse.. Wearing hi-viz is a given day or night, pink is very visible in sunny weather and shows under dapple shadows from trees that might hide a horse and rider. Otherwise orange is good for daytime sunshine, yellow when it's more dimpsy. My friend and I ride out in a combination of colours, we're not very colour co-ordinated, but at least we should be seen. :Hilarious 

Like Ouesi said, it's a strange post. We don't talk about making sure the reins are the right length, or striking a horse with a whip, or checking the saddle is tight, but not too tight. It's just odd.


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## Kate1234 (Mar 26, 2017)

Sorry if I am being totally unsympathetic,
Don't get me wrong I see your point. But allow me a little leeway on this subject I was just trying to help. Obviously extremely unsuccessfully but I don't think it couth to pile on the dislikes.
Anyway I am a person that likes to see other people's point of view and I think you are probably thinking, :Meh huh but we are just trying to help too! Therefore it is for that reason I would like to point out that it was not me who suggested the thread should become sticky but *Love2Help*. I perfected it so that maybe I wouldn't have to be such as embarrassed at the thought of my many mistakes.
Elles, do you ever get a time when you have a mind blank and for the life of you, you can't think of what something is called? This is the annoying thing that happened to me so I just put down a hard jacket thingy that protects your ribs lol. And yes; I did mean a body protector.
Hope you can see my side of the story,
Kate
Xx


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## Elles (Aug 15, 2011)

I gave you full marks for effort in my first reply, but I still think it's an odd thing to do. Where are you getting these tips from? 

Luckily this is a quiet forum, you'd have been absolutely slaughtered for your post on some of the more busy equine ones.


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## Kate1234 (Mar 26, 2017)

Hello,
I am getting these tips from my own personal experience as a horse riding instructor. (A Saturday job when I was at university.) That was a long time ago my brain has become rusty. 
And for your last comment that is why I wouldn't dream of joining one of them unless I was absolutely up to date and had unconditional experience. I think I will leave this certain reply here before I begin to act like a jerk.
Thanks
Kate
Xx
P.S. I am thankful that this is not a busy forum. I would have started acting all defensive if people had slaughtered me.


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2017)

Kate1234 said:


> my own personal experience as a horse riding instructor.


As a riding instructor you should know not to advise people to carry spare nails to hammer in to their horse's hooves!!


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## Kate1234 (Mar 26, 2017)

Hello,
I was directing this at people who are just learning how to ride and if they are they should really be accompanied by an instructor, who would know how to do this. I once had to do this in a emergency because it would have caused more harm to leave the shoe loose than have the risk of a bacterial infection that can be cured by antibiotics.
Kate
Xx


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Kate1234 said:


> Hello,
> I was directing this at people who are just learning how to ride and if they are they should really be accompanied by an instructor, who would know how to do this. I once had to do this in a emergency because it would have caused more harm to leave the shoe loose than have the risk of a bacterial infection that can be cured by antibiotics.
> Kate
> Xx


Err, have you ever actually dealt with an infection in a horses foot?

Im not convinced you know much about horses at all tbh. As for being an instructor....

Its been 20 years since ive been near a horse, and even i know more than you.


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2017)

Kate1234 said:


> Hello,
> I was directing this at people who are just learning how to ride and if they are they should really be accompanied by an instructor, who would know how to do this. I once had to do this in a emergency because it would have caused more harm to leave the shoe loose than have the risk of a bacterial infection that can be cured by antibiotics.
> Kate
> Xx


Wait, what?
For one, loose shoes rarely cause harm. Anyone who has ridden for any length of time is familiar with the clink clink of a loose shoe and knows it's a total non emergency. Call the farrier or if it's really bad help it off. Done.

No one tries to nail a loose shoe back on. For one, it's never just one nail that causes a shoe to be loose. And two, dealing with hoof abscesses is a hell of a lot more involved than a course of antibiotics. Sheesh.


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## Elles (Aug 15, 2011)

Blimey oh riley. You didn't really hammer a nail into a horse's hoof did you? It would be impossible. You don't just hammer a nail in, it has to be a specific nail of a specific size, accurately driven into a specific part of the hoof and then the hoof and clenches finished off with a number of different farrier specific tools. In the UK what you're saying is illegal. Only qualified farriers (and their supervised apprentices) are permitted to nail shoes onto a horse. An instructor isn't even permitted to prepare a bare hoof for a shoe, let alone drive nails in it and if a beginner rider did it, they could be in serious trouble, let alone the trouble they could cause their poor horse. Even a vet wouldn't shoe a horse, unless they were also a qualified farrier.

I was expecting you to say that you'd just started at a riding school and got confused, not that you were a riding instructor. :Jawdrop


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## Kate1234 (Mar 26, 2017)

Ok easy there,
I am not quite telling you the whole story. I do not mean to say I nailed the horses shoe but tightened the loose nail. As it was only a temporary job I was accompanied by a permanent coach. I don't know whether tightening it is just as worse, all I was doing was trying my hardest to follow the instructions of the so called experienced coach. Was he acting illegally by asking me to do this? 
You are probably thinking hey wait a minute I thought she just said...?? I do not mean to confuse you and I am hopeful that man wasn't making me do illegal stuff. Now I think about it a year later I heard the riding school had been closed. I asked around but no-one disclosed why! I should have thought it dodgy at the time; but for some reason I didn't bat an eyelid at the scenario! Now, probably you will say in these circumstances I was in no position to post in this section on this topic, based on the rules of a potentially illegally acting riding school!! :Jawdrop
Going back to my previous comments when I said always carry a spare nail I assumed that being alright to tighten meant alright to nail??:Chicken I was thinking totally illogically and have acted without caution I hope no new comer reads this post and then decides to not read the comments... :Banghead Should I ask a mod to close or delete it. Probably the latter would be best.
Sorry for all the trouble,
Kate
Xx


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## Elles (Aug 15, 2011)

I wouldn't think a newcomer would have access to the tools or the nails. As initially you thought it was screws, maybe you were being told to tighten studs. Let's give you and your riding school the benefit of the doubt.


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## Kate1234 (Mar 26, 2017)

Thanks,
Don't worry if I do something bad next time. I think I deserve a big telling off. Lol. 
I am soooo glad I didn't post like you said on a forum committed to horses. You would have never seen me again with the comments!!
Kate
Xx


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## Love2Help (Mar 12, 2017)

Not been online for a while...
Just to say excuse me Kate who is just trying to help now??? 
ME!
By trying to make you have the glory of having a sticky thread on your name. God, why are you blaming me? I smell a sense of troll.


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## Kate1234 (Mar 26, 2017)

Excuse me,
I am trying my best to reply politely here. I appreciate your attempt to help me, but if you think making a thread worthy of being sticky is just so you can receive so called glory. Your priorities are fairly wrong. You create threads to help out and answer people's wanted questions, not so you can feel glory!! Just saying I am not blaming you but only pointing out I did not suggest the thread should become sticky. Why does the truth hurt so much to you in this situation? Adding to the awkward matter, you have no reason to say I am a troll. This is quite offending and should only be kept to one's self. I'd like to know whether this is just me or others agree. If you don't mind I would like to not make a massive deal of the matter.
Sorry for any inconvenience,
Kate
Xx


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## Love2Help (Mar 12, 2017)

Huh,
Well by asking other people their opinions for back up, is that trying to keep the situation from blowing up? I really don't know what you are saying from one minute to the next. Make your mind up.
Lordy.


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Kate1234 said:


> Hello,
> I am getting these tips from my own personal experience as a horse riding instructor. (A Saturday job when I was at university.) That was a long time ago my brain has become rusty.
> And for your last comment that is why I wouldn't dream of joining one of them unless I was absolutely up to date and had unconditional experience. I think I will leave this certain reply here before I begin to act like a jerk.
> Thanks
> ...


If you were a qualified riding instructor eg you had your BHSAI as a bare minimum, you would have had to pass Stages 1 - 3 plus your instructors exam and riding and road safety etc

You would have learned during this time that nobody is legally permitted to shoe a horse in the UK bar a qualified farrier which includes sticking a nail in.

I would strongly advise you to review some of your claims which quite frankly belong in the realms of fantasy..............


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## Kate1234 (Mar 26, 2017)

smokeybear said:


> If you were a qualified riding instructor eg you had your BHSAI as a bare minimum, you would have had to pass Stages 1 - 3 plus your instructors exam and riding and road safety etc
> 
> You would have learned during this time that nobody is legally permitted to shoe a horse in the UK bar a qualified farrier which includes sticking a nail in.
> 
> I would strongly advise you to review some of your claims which quite frankly belong in the realms of fantasy..............


Hi,
I think you have got the wrong end of the stick. I clearly stated it was only a Saturday job (getting paid to help out.) I was not a qualified riding instructor. That is why I was accompanied with someone who was a qualified one.Though if he had, had his B.H.S.A.I. I have no idea why he thought it acceptable to ask me to tighten the nail. Obviously, he was talking me through it... I wasn't just doing what I thought was the right way to tighten it. Puzzling scenario, IMO a bit of a dodgy riding school.
Thanks
Kate
Xx


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## Kate1234 (Mar 26, 2017)

Love2Help said:


> Huh,
> Well by asking other people their opinions for back up, is that trying to keep the situation from blowing up? I really don't know what you are saying from one minute to the next. Make your mind up.
> Lordy.


Max,
Please don't make this blown up like you do most of the time. Its not inhumane to ask for assistance. And don't say to me I can't sort things out by yourself. I am a mother it is what I do every day. So if you were going to say that I guess you don't have kids of your own.
Thank you,
Kate
Xx


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## Guest (Apr 6, 2017)

Weirdest thread ever....


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

Is this going anywhere useful .....?


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## Guest (Apr 6, 2017)

SusieRainbow said:


> Is this going anywhere useful .....?


I don't think so... 
It almost seems like two new members bringing drama from elsewhere? Who knows. But yeah, the whole thing is strange, and not really anything helpful in any of the thread...


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

Agreed. Closing.:Locktopic


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