Conference noted::equitation

    Good idea for a topic!
    
    The first thing that comes to my mind is 'use common sense'. No matter
    how long you have your horse, no matter how many years experience you
    have around them; they are still very large animals with minds of their
    own.  They outweight humans by a considerable amount.  Their first
    'danger reaction' is flight.  A horse that maliciously causes harm is
    rare - but ALL horses are capable of it, and when scared will NOT stop
    to think about what they are doing first. Don't ever forget that fact, 
    and you will in all likelihood never run into problems!
    
    
    Mounted:
    
    Of course, the number 1 rule (IMO) is - ALWAYS wear a helmet when 
    mounted.  Not everyone agrees, but it makes good, common sense to me.
    It's also a good idea to always wear boots, or some other substantial
    foot gear with a heel.  If you don't like boots (personally, I hate
    the traditional hunt boots), there are several varieties of 'riding
    sneakers' on the market that are wonderful! I have a pair of Mountain
    Horse, and they are the most comfortable shoes I can imagine - they
    have heels, lots of cushioning and support, and grips on the bottoms,
    and are lightweight.
    
    Something else to consider in the 'mounted' category is not to OVER
    mount yourself.  If you are unsure that you can handle the horse you
    are about to get on, your nervousness will be easily picked up on (by
    the horse) and cause the horse to start worrying....it's a vicious
    circle that can, at times, put your personal safety at risk.
    
    On the ground:
    
    When tying your horse, do so with either the quick-release snaps or
    a quick-release knot.
    
    Never leave a halter on an unattended horse.  If you MUST, there are
    safety halters available that are supposed to break easily if they
    catch on something.
    
    When leading, never wrap the loose end of the lead rope around your
    hand - fold it into your palm in such a way that if the horse pulls
    suddenly, no part of your anatomy will get caught in the rope.
    
    Take the time to teach your horse to turn and face you when something
    frightens him/her.  This can be done through round pen work, and most
    horses seem to pick it up very quickly.
    
    When going behind the horse, either go far enough back to be out of
    striking range, or right up close, where a kick would not have much
    power in it. 
    
    Teach your horse to turn and face you, then stay still until you move
    back from him/her, when you turn them out.  Many horses like to run
    off bucking and kicking (out of good spirits) when first turned out
    and could easily accidently nail you.
    
    Get your horse used to ropes, etc around their legs - if you fall off,
    a horse that is panicky about things around their feet isn't going to
    stop and say "wait, that's mom down there" (nice as it would be!).
    
    

Safety on the ground:

Avoid standing directly in front of your horse - whether you are holding
him while you are standing -> a horse that is suddenly startled or has decided
to exit without your say-so can knock you down or step on you. My vet mistakenly
stood directly in front of one of my horses when he was floating his teeth -
another horse  goosed the patient and my vet got jumped on (broke his foot too
-he was wearing *sneakers* another safety faux-pas) - - or squatting examining
a leg or hoof - (I had my mare nearly knock my 2 front teeth out when she
innocently lifted her knee into my face one day while I was examining her
coronary band)

Also be careful when standing with your horse that you don't have any of your
valuable body parts in the way of a possible flying horse head - this can be
like being clobbered with a cement block. Here is the scenario - your are
standing there - and your friend has his/her head down nibbling hay or in
position for you to do some ear scratching. You are looking down at/the top of
his head- taking note of the fact that the bridle path needs to be trimmed.
Suddenly someone enters the barn, you glance at the door and WHAM - your
friend's head bolts upright and clobbers anything in it's vertical path - in
this case your chin, head or what-have-you.

RE: walking behind horses - I have had horses for 25 years and whether I have
ever seen them kick or not - I do not ever walk behind them. It is a matter of
programming - if I don't walk behind mine - I won't be tempted to walk behind
anyone elses (I haven't been kicked since I was 7 - this may or may not be
attributable to this behavior ;-))

In the saddle:

The best safety lesson that I ever learned was as a child - my riding instructor
taught me how to emergency dismount, and what to do if you fall off (how to get
out of the way of the animal quickly). I have used this many times, I have
fallen off, or had to unload, more times that I'd like to recall - but being
comfortable with getting off in a hurry - and not getting too disoriented when
you fall off is really valuable. Odds are - you are going to go off at some
point - the better prepared you are - the less likely you are to get seriously
hurt!

Always know where your horse is - don't leave your back turned for long. It's
when you get too comfortable and less vigilant that accidents happen. PAY
ATTENTION!!!

    A comment in the previous note promts me to reply.  I've found that,
    when the vet is in to do his stuff, it's much easier, safer and less
    stressful to work in the horse's own stall where he feel safer and
    more relaxed.  Our stalls all have bars between them so the horses
    can see everyone else and touch noses (and make faces).  But if you're
    in a situation where one horse could potentially interfere with
    another from stall to stall, I would think the safe thing to do would
    be put an empty stall between patient and trouble.
    
    gwen
    

when picking hooves run your hand along the horse
when moving from the front to the back

talk to the horse when you approach from behind

do not tie a horse by it's reins

do not raise your hand directly in front of a horse's
face since they have a blind spot there

do not put your face too close to the horse's, even 
well known horse's have bitten their owners for no 
apparent reason

use a lead line when walking a horse, walk
beside the horse's head, not in front of it

be careful not to put yourself between your horse
and a tree, pole or corner of a barn, horses will 
cut you off against such objects

learn the proper emergency dismount technique

watch out for mares in heat ;)

when you meet a new horse that seems friendly, 
talk gently, or blow gently into it's nostrils
to introduce yourself

close the barn door before mounting, do not ride
near an open barn door

spend time grooming since this promotes a good
horse/rider relationship as well as a good
horse attitude

do not smack a horse's hind quarters carelessly!

Rob

    
    we to have the vet do the horses in their own stalls.  We've found it 
    much safer for everyone.
    
    Louisa

    There are a couple of things I do that seem to help in the safety
    area.
    
    I always put my helmet on before I approach the horse.  I've been
    knocked in the head before (I believe another noter referred to this
    already).  It cushions the blow should it ever happen.  I've also
    found it a help when I'm in the stall with a horse, and another
    pokes his head over the wall (in my case, the horse in the next
    stall HATES other horses, and bites every chance he gets, so
    I like to protect the top of my head!)
    
    I make it a practice not to get too close to other horses, whether
    I am mounted or have the horse on a lead line.  They are moody
    animals and I never know when a little scuffle will occur (I
    would hate to get into the middle of that!)
    
    One important thing I learned immediately upon going back to 
    riding (after 17 years) was to "set my hands" - meaning that
    when you are riding, and the horse decides he wants to put
    his head down for whatever reason (to buck, to graze, to pull
    you forward...) to keep your elbows bent at the waist, and not
    let your arms be pulled forward (and the rest of you to follow).
    The horse I ride has tried this a few times, but once he got
    the idea that he couldn't get me forward, he stopped trying.
    
    Best thing to remember, along with all the other good safety
    rules in these replies,  is that horses are alot like little
    kids - they'll get away with whatever they can, and you need
    to patiently (but FIRMLY) correct them and let them know who's
    in charge.
    
    g.

    Wear shoes, preferably boots or shoes that are smooth on top (not like
    a penny loafer) so that you may extract your foot more easily if
    accidently stepped upon.
    
    Never approach a horse while you are barefooted or wearing sandals, flip-
    flops, etc.

    Some tips for riding in a group:
    
    -Do not ride to close to the other horse(s) incase your horse or the
    other horse(s) decide to kick or bite.
    
    -If you are the leader of the group never run off unless you check with
    the other riders in the group.
    
    -Also, if you are the leader of the group and everyone decides to run
    it is a good idea to signal when you are about to stop.
    
    -Never run past another horse, because some horses are very competative
    and you may find yourself in a race.
    
    -Do not become too comfortable or confident, because you never know
    when your horse may decide to spook at something.
    
    -If trail riding alone try to let someone know where you are going any
    when you plan to return.
    

    I have a slightly different approach when working on the ground with my
    horse.  I will always walk around them, touch them everywhere, and
    constantly talk with them.  I want my guys to always be aware that I am
    there, and that I'm the boss, and can touch them, and they don't get
    scared.  So if something else does spook them, they have to keep in
    mind that I'm there with them and they can't react by stepping or
    kicking me.  

    Another small safety tip - alot of horses like to "scratch" themselves
    on you (by vigorously rubbing their head/neck/shoulder area on whatever
    part of you is handy, which is usually most of you if your standing
    close enough!)  Although they don't mean harm, you can get hurt.
    A large horse that does this can knock you down or pin you in a 
    stall.  It's best not to let a horse do this - step away slightly,
    say NO!, while holding his head (underneath, by the halter), away
    from you.  
    
    Although it's seemingly kind of cute, it's not a good habit to
    allow.
    
    g

continued from .-1

particularly if they are still tacked up and are wearing a full cheek
snaffle.....

I have been sporting a fine hematoma on my left forearm for about a week. My
mare decided to charge out the door and knock me into the door jam (I thought I
was prepared but I was mistaken). Needless to say we spent a fair amount of the
rest of that schooling session practicing walking through the door politely....

    Well, I have to agree with the last two about head-scratching, although
    I do allow it.  I do not allow it when the horse is wearing a bridle
    however - I have had the odd experience of having a full cheek snaffle
    catch in my belt loop and lift me a good 1.5 feet off the ground.  My
    mare is good, and very well-mannered, and knows the rules: when she's
    loose in her stall or the paddock is allowed, but not when she's
    wearing headgear (she only wears a halter when being handled and
    even then not all the time).  After a long ride, she begs me to
    unbridle her so she can get her scratches! My new pony hasn't figured
    out yet that this can be done; heck, it was only about a week ago
    that she realized that mom has the remarkable ability to get the deer
    flies off her face if she shows them to me. You should have *seen* the
    look on her face when it dawned on her! :-)
    
    As an aside: one thing I've found to help relieve face-itching this 
    time of year is a cool sponging with water and Absorbine Refreshmint -
    she seems to love it!
    

    Like Linda, I permit head rubbing under certain conditions. Over the
    years, I've taught my mare to rub her head on a towel that I hold up on
    both sides of her muzzle after I take off the bridle at the end of a
    ride. This started out by me rubbing her head with the towel to remove
    sweat marks after the bridle was removed. She soon started to 
    anticipate this and tried to rub on me. I discouraged that but let her
    rub on the towel all she wanted. Twenty years later, she hasn't ever
    tried to rub her head on me or any other human...unless we were holding
    the towel

	Scratching and face itching...I sit here now with a broken arm because, 
    after exercising a gelding at our barn over fences, while cooling out, I
    went on the buckle and he put his face down to scratch. Before I knew it,
    he had his back foot tangled in the reins and snapped them. He took off
    running and bucking.

        If I had thought about it, I would have known it was dangerous. Always
    be on the alert - not just when working, but when relaxing, too!

    -j