Accident prevention/ first aid in general
When handling horses, as escape animals weighing several 100 kg, special care is required to avoid accidents. The most sustainable accident prevention is first of all the expert education and training of humans in handling the horse. This training must be experienced by every person, no matter in which way a handling of the horse takes place.
The training goals of accident prevention are as follows:
- Understanding the peculiarities of a horse as a running, herding and escape animal.
- Understanding the body language of the horse.
- Safety aspects to be taken into account, such as tying a horse with a horse knot, correct attachment of the lead line/ bridle for leading a horse, safety distance of one horse length when riding/leading,...
- Training of the own behavior in the proximity of a horse like for example no hectic movements, not running, approaching the horse from the front and side, correct leading, ...
Another important aspect is the wearing of safety clothing or correct riding / stable clothing:
- Helmet obligation when riding. Helmet must comply with certain standards, fit perfectly and, if necessary, must also be put on when riding.
- Wearing a crash vest is obligatory for racing, eventing, marathon, etc. The safety vest must also comply with certain standards.
- Wear sturdy, closed shoes (with steel toecaps if necessary), never open shoes or sandals! For riding wear shoes with heels!
- Gloves (especially when lunging)
- Riding in breeches
In addition, every person at the stable should be trained in first aid to be able to help both rider and horse in case of an accident. In case of a riding accident, often not only the rider has to be taken care of, but if necessary the horse has to be caught and taken care of as well. A complete first aid kit should be available in every riding stable!
First aid measures:
- Determine the condition of the injured person: Check consciousness, check breathing, check pulse
- Take immediate life-saving measures if necessary: resuscitation, hemostasis, stable lateral position,...
- Make the emergency call as soon as possible: Where did it happen? What happened? How many injured? What kind of injuries? Wait for further inquiries!
- Secure the scene of the accident
