By HOLLY HUGO-VIDAL
I will admit, I’m a safety nut! Over the years, I have developed what I think are very good habits in an effort to avoid an accident. It is very easy to become a little too casual about the way we do things, however, if you are diligent about details, they will become a good habit. We are working with 1,000 pound animals that can easily become startled or frightened in a matter of seconds. For that reason it is extremely important to form good safety habits in an effort to prevent an injury to ourselves and the horses. Even an older veteran can surprise you, when the barn cat out of nowhere jumps up on top of a bale of hay right next to your horse!
I could literally write a book about safety, but for this particular article, I am going to be touching on topics that I think are key to our everyday work patterns as well as areas where we could get lax.
Let’s get ready to ride!
I’m going to start at the beginning with a horse in the stall. Enter the stall and put the halter on and use a lead shank. Do this to avoid a hand injury, and possibly the horse getting away from you. Don’t omit the lead shank. I’ve seen many hand injuries due to this casual/lazy approach! Even if the grooming stall is close to the horse’s stall, attach the lead shank. If the horse suddenly pulls away from you, you’ll reflexively hang onto the halter, and you could easily seriously hurt your hand as well as the horse getting away from you! \
Once the horse is in the crossties, it’s time to remove the blanket. Unbuckling the straps in the front seems the most logical and is what the majority of people do, but there’s safety concerns, should a horse spook. Always start with the leg straps if you have them, then the surcingles, followed by the buckles on the chest. In other words, go back to front. That order avoids the blanket slipping back with the surcingles still attached and becoming a virtual bucking strap. This could happen if the horse is spooked, and I have seen it happen!
There was a very famous junior hunter called Dillon, who was a great horse, but a little spooky and quirky. Right before indoors one year, the groom went into the stall, unbuckled the chest straps first, then something scared Dillon, and he shot forward past the groom, out of the stall out of the barn and ran down the road with the blanket three-quarters of the way off. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt and was still able to make it to the horse shows. Even though this was an isolated incident, it could happen again!
Another advantage for doing it correctly would be if you wanted to remove the blanket from a horse that was turned out. It’s noon and the temperature has risen and you want to go out to the paddock and take the blanket off. You think your horse is quiet enough to just walk up to him and take it off. What if…suddenly your dog runs into the paddock and spooks your normally quiet horse? That’s when you will be glad that only a surcingle was undone!
Tacking/Untacking
● If the horse is in the crossties, be sure to loosely attach the girth on the near side. Making the girth really tight at first can cause the horse to react in a dramatic negative way. You can tighten it again prior to mounting and again once mounted. Doing this in increments is less obtrusive to the horse.
● If you have a young horse or one that doesn’t stand well, you can attach the cross ties in front of the horse, as well as slip the halter back so it’s around the horse’s neck.
● Do put the bridle on first if the horse is in an open area to avoid him getting away from you and running around with a saddle on his back! You can have the halter around his neck, for safety until the bridle is on. Make sure to put the reins over his neck.
● When untacking, if you are in a grooming stall, remove the bridle and put the halter on, attach the crossties then remove the saddle. Don’t remove the bridle first in an open area. In that situation, bring the reins over his head and hold them in your hand while you remove the saddle. Then remove the bridle after returning the reins back over the horse’s head. If he moves away from you, you still have control with the reins around his neck. When leading a tacked up horse, put the reins over the head ( holding them in your hand) and run the stirrups up.
Mounting
● I prefer the horse to stand while I mount as opposed to allowing him to walk away. I think it is good training as well as safer. The inexperienced rider could easily lose their balance if the horse moves while mounting. You are in a very precarious moment when you mount.
● Be careful to swing your leg up over the hindquarters without touching the horse. Some horses don’t object, some do! There’s no reason to risk it.
● Sit down lightly (horse’s backs are sensitive ) and adjust your girth if necessary as well as your stirrups as needed. Then walk off.
● If you need to adjust your girth, keep your left foot in the stirrup and raise your leg up over the side of the saddle using your left hand to make the adjustment and your right hand to hold the reins. I see far too many riders take their foot out of the stirrup, and use both hands to adjust the girth, leaving the reins on the horse’s neck. Again if the horse spooks you have no control and can lose your balance as well as having the stirrup fly around.
● The correct way to adjust your stirrups, while keeping your foot in the stirrup, is to use one hand holding the reins in the other hand making the adjustment. The difficulty with this method is the lack of ability to pull the leather out because today’s leathers are usually double stitched making it hard to do. In this case, it is better to have someone on the ground to do it for you or make adjustments before you get on. If you use both hands without holding the reins, and the horse moves, you are in a very vulnerable unsafe position and could easily fall off. Especially if you have taken your foot completely out of the stirrup!
Turning out in the Paddock
● Walk the horse out to the paddock keeping him at your side, not behind you. You don’t want him to run over you. You can push him away from you if he gets too close while at your side.
● Walk him into the paddock and turn him around so he’s facing you and then unsnap your shank and quietly walk away. It is safer to turn your horse around so he is facing you after you walk into the paddock. If you just walk in and turn him loose, he could buck and kick out and accidentally kick you in the process.
Stall Safety
● If you have a hay net, make sure it is high enough off the floor (about horse nose level or higher). You don’t want him to get his foot caught in it. I have seen many empty hay nets close to the ground, inviting an accident!
● The same with the buckets, hang it high enough off the ground to avoid a hoof getting impaled in it.
● Turn the snap inward so that the smooth side is exposed. That way nothing can get caught on it.
● If you are at a horse show make sure the stall door is secured at night. A double end snap will ensure the door stays closed.
Riding
● While riding in company, always pass oncoming riders on the left shoulder ( left shoulder to left shoulder). That is ring etiquette and predictable.
● If you hit your horse with a stick, to tell him to wake up or listen to your leg, never do it close to another horse or a person standing on the ground in case he kicks out from the stick and kicks another horse or a person! I’ve seen that happen, too!
● Wear a properly fitted helmet! It should stay on when you bend forward without the strap. Test it! Buy a safe helmet, not some inexpensive one from Walmart.
● Make sure the stirrup irons are an inch wider than your foot! You want your foot to come out easily. Wear leather soled shoes or boots. Rubber shoes can stick to the stirrups and if you fall off you want your foot to easily come out of the stirrup!
● If you are dressing in layers, make sure you can remove a layer without taking it over your head. Wear something that zips up the front which will make it seamless to remove. I see riders having to take their helmet off in order to take a sweatshirt or sweater off over their head, and it involves holding the helmet in their lap while they have to use two hands to take the sweater off, abandoning the reins. You’re putting yourself in an extremely vulnerable position if the horse suddenly spooks. Better to either dismount and do that or avoid it altogether.
Holly Hugo-Vidal is a nationally respected equestrian professional, trainer, clinician, judge, and author based in Milton, Georgia. Originally from Bedford, New York, she operates Pacific Blue Training Stable and also teaches at Michael Britt-Leon’s Windsor Stables. With decades of experience in the hunter, equitation, and jumper disciplines, Holly is known for developing confident, well-rounded riders through correct fundamentals and a thoughtful, horse-first approach.
A sought-after clinician, Holly has taught throughout the United States as well as internationally in New Zealand and Panama. She is also an accomplished judge and the author of Build Confidence Over Fences, a sellout book praised for its practical guidance and focus on mental strength and partnership.
For clinic bookings, judging inquiries, or teaching opportunities:
828-674-7983
pacificblue2020@gmail.com
