Horse safety is essential for a beginners, kids, adults, up to advanced equestrians. There are 5 levels of safety used in workplace safety that are easily transferred when working with/around horses to reduce risk and eliminate hazards. This hierarchy is in order from the highest level of effectiveness down to the last line of defence, which is safety gear. 1) Eliminate - physically remove hazards: Ask yourself, “Can I eliminate the risk of this task or potential situation completely? -dont put yourself on or around around dangerous horses and situations -get an experienced and qualified trai ..read more

A helmet is an important layer of protection for the Equestrian. The horseback ,riding helmet must be correctly measured, sized, fitted and secured to offer its full protection. 1) Measure Use a soft measuring tape to measure around the largest part of your head. This is 1 inch above the eyebrows, around the bump on the back of your head and just above the top of your ears. 2) Size Chart Use the size chart provided by the manufacturer of your preferred helmet brand. 3) Fit -If you have long hair, tie it in a low pony tail. -Don the helmet by placing the forehead into the front of the helmet a ..read more

Knowing your horses weight is important for deworming, feed rations, medication and getting a baseline for weight gain or loss. There are a few different methods of weighing a horse, some more accurate than others: Scale A livestock scale is the most accurate way to determine your horses weight. Your local large animal vet should have one. Weight Formula Calculation Using the girth and body length measurement in the calculation below may produce a more accurate measurement than using a weight tape. There are slight variations of the formula: Horse weight formula from Texas A&M University ..read more

When taking lessons, doing flatwork, attending clinics or doing a dressage test, a rider should know where the letters are situated in a riding arena. This will prevent the rider from looking for the letter around the arena while riding. This is distracting, especially if the rider is looking for an invisible letter. A dressage arena that is 20 metres by 60 meters has 12 visible letters around the outside and 5 invisible letters down the centreline. A dressage arena that is 20 meters by 40 meters has 8 visible letters around the outside and 3 invisible letters down the centreline. A is where t ..read more

A proper competition dressage riding arena has to have the appropriate arena size, footing, elevation difference, and letters. These aspects need to be considered when developing a dressage arena. Arena Size -the interior of the size of a dressage competition riding arena is 60 meters long by 20 meters wide (196.85 feet x 65.62 feet) -if there is public viewing, the audience must be a minimum of 10 meters from the arena -ideally, if the indoor arena is intended for dressage there should be a minimum of 2 meters from the wall to the low white fence Fédération Equestre Internationale. “Annex 6 ..read more

Tying a horse using the quick release knot is a skill that every horse person should know. Using a tie ring, like the Blocker Tie Ring is the safest way to tie a horse. However, in situations where you don’t have the tie ring, a quick release knot as a great back up. The quick release knot has the name “quick release” for the fact that when the tail of the rope is pulled it releases. How to tie a horse using the quick release knot: 1) Pass the tail of the lead rope through the safety string 2) make a loop or ‘bunny ear’ with the tail of the rope. Ensure the base of the ‘bunny ear’ has crosse ..read more

For horse and human safety there is tying do’s and don’ts. Tying a horse is an essential part of handling a horse. It is done on a regular basis, however tying can become dangerous and harmful to horses and people if not done correctly, especially if a horse is startled or has a history of pulling back. Below are horse tying do’s and don’ts for horse and human safety: Do’s 1. tie to a solid object 2. the knot should be higher than the horses withers 3. the length of lead should be apx 2 feet from the halter to the tie point, this can change based on the size of horse or pony and how claustrop ..read more

Helmets and protective riding vests are pieces of safety equipment. Helmets and protective riding vests can appear safe for use after a riding incident but the hidden damage potrays a false sense of safety which could have life altering affects on a person physically and mentally. Helmets When a helmet has endured a fall it can be very difficult to determine if it is damaged by looking it. The material under the shell, which offers the most protection is the most delicate. If it has sustained a fall, it will no longer offer the protection needed. The same applies to a helmet was stored in hot ..read more

Knowing the size of blanket needed to fit your horse is important for the safety and comfort of your horse. It’s important to note that horse blanket fit and sizing is not the same between all manufacturers. Methods to measure a horse for a horse blanket very from manufacture to manufacturer. The best tool to use is a soft measuring tape. Below is how to measure a horse for a horse blanket from the following horse blanket manufacturers: Weatherbeeta: For blankets made by WeatherBeeta, determine the body length by measuring the centre of the chest to the end of the rump. To determine the back ..read more

Protective horseback riding vests are a form of safety equipment. It is important to maintain and replace this piece of safety equipment to effectively protect the riders vital organs, chest, abdomen and ribs in the event of a riding incident. Manufacturers and body vest certifiers recommend to replace a riding body protector vest: 1) After 5 years from the date of purchase (less if there is frequent wear) 2) After a fall (the foam can be compressed) 3) With damage, wear or tear 4) If the vest is ill fitting (too small, big, loose, or tight) Why it’s important to replace a horseback riding bod ..read more