Safety Checks
4 February 2010
Wednesday’s Horsemanship was all about Safety Checks: around the stable and before riding for tack, riding area and rider. Here is what Sherman ably demonstrated with Bella and Josie…
Around the stable be sure you keep tools put away, first aid kits (human and equine) handy, emergency numbers posted. Secure your horse in a safe way with break away cross ties or a quick release knot if tying to a fence post (never to a rail!).
Your tack keeps you safe and in the saddle when you ride, so be sure the stitching and leather are sound on your billets, your girth is snug and comfy on your pony, the saddle pad is even, and that your stirrup leathers are safe. Every time you tack up and mount take a look at all these things! Make sure the bridle fits and is well adjusted for your pony – no pinched lips or ears, 4 fingers fit beneath the throat latch and 2 fingers under the caveson. A comfy bridle makes for a good ride for you and your pony!
How do you find out if your riding area is safe? Check the footing – it’s the only thing the pony touches (other than you and the tack) while you’re riding, and you want to make sure it’s not slippery or rocky. Empty jump cups should be removed from standards. Jump rails and other jump components should be stacked in one spot or removed. If you’re going out on the trail, be sure to look ahead if you doubt the safety of the ground – too many rocks? mud? giant puddles that may be deep and sticky? Turn around and go home if you worry about anything on the trail. One last obvious one: don’t ride alone! Someone should be around, in case you need help.
Check yourself out from head to toe to have a safe, fun ride each time you get on! Helmet: harness adjusted to just below your ears, fit is snug but not tight, chinstrap is 1-2 fingers beneath your chin. Wear layers that zip/button in front so you can peel like a banana as you get warm – be comfotable from start to finish. No hoods – they can catch on things and be really dangerous. Hoods are great until you get on. Pants should be comfy and cover you down to your boots. Boots must have a heel, and you should always wear sox! Some riders come to lessons without sox and they’ll get rubs on their legs from the stirrup leathers. This drives Emily crazy and she’s going to have to get some tube sox for riders to borrow!
When you prepare to ride safely from the ground to the horse to you, you’ll have fun and be comfortable! Did you notice how many times my big hooves typed “comfy” and “comfortable” in this posting? This is Biscuit the Fjord Horse, wrapping up our Safety Check topic. See you next time!
Hair and Safety Checks
3 February 2010
Every winter the school horses, including me, Biscuit, get time off for vacation. We don’t get ridden very much, if at all, between November 1st and February, and Emily lets our manes grow out and of course we get very fuzzy winter coats. February is the month to get ready to go back to work in March! We get haircuts, a lot of grooming, and we are longed and ridden in preparation for the students to ride us when lessons begin again.
Yesterday was one of the Fish Bowl Horsemanship Club days, and I was the POTD (pony of the day)! Julia was here, and it was so fun to see her and play with her! She and Emily clipped off my crazy long mane and groomed me thoroughly. Julia picked out my feet, led me between the field and the grooming shed, and picked clumps of grass to feed me. Isn’t she nice?! Julia and Emily were amazed at how much I’m shedding, as most of the other horses have just begun to shed a little. But most of the other horses don’t have a winter coat like I do, so they don’t need to begin shedding this early! If I don’t start now, I’ll still have a thick fur coat when it’s warm every day, so the grooming shed was covered in a carpet of my brown dun colored hair! The bunch of hair Julia is holding in this photo is mane hair – can you believe how long my mane has gotten since last being trimmed in early October? Healthy living makes for good hair growth, I think!
Our topic at Horsemanship was Safety Checks, and boy did they talk about safety! They tacked me up and talked about all the things to looks at before having a safe ride: stirrup bars open, stirrup leather stitching ok, billet straps and stitching ok, girth snug but not too tight, saddle pad ok and not tight or bunched up, bridle adjusted and fitted well. That was just the tack portion of the discussion! After they put me back in the pasture with my buddies Buttercup (who whinnied at me while I was gone), Sherman and Molly, they went in the tack room and did something else. I’m not sure what, but I bet they talked about helmet fitting. Super important, right? Right!!! Maybe a little about knowing the location of the first aid kits (one for my rider and one for me), general stable safety (put those forks away!), and having a list of phone numbers on hand in case you need to call the vet, the medics, the farrier or your parents. And don’t forget to have a phone handy too! See you next time!