Safety Rules

Safety rules are mandatory not only for children learning to ride horses, but also for everyone who is in the stable or at competitions - for trainers, grooms, parents, anyone.

Compliance with safety rules and proper riding ensure the safety of the rider, the horse, and everyone around.

Main principles:

Human safety comes first.
The safety of the horse comes second.
Everything else is the third.

Content

General rules
Rules for Leading and Turnout the horse
Rules for Tying the horse
Rules for Bridling
Rules for Saddling
Mounting and Dismounting
Arena Etiquette
Trailering
Facility
Fences and Gates

General Rules
General rules outline the behavior of people who work with horses or visit the stable
1. You need to wear a helmet and sturdy boots with heels whenever you are working around horses or riding them.
2. When approaching a horse, you should always warn him about it with your voice. You need to make sure that the horse knows about your approach.
3. Approach the horse always from an angle, while communicating with him by voice and stroking him.
4. You need to speak and move quietly. Do not run or make sudden movements, do not shout or whisper. Anything that can scare the animal is prohibited.
5. When working with a horse, you need to remember that there is no absolutely safe place within a radius of 4 m. At the same time, you need to stay calm and confident.
6. The instructor-trainer must personally ride the horses before offering them to the students.
7. Before you do anything to the horse, warn him about it. For example, to lift his leg, first touch the leg at the point of capture.
8. Tying or holding the head of the horse provide the most safety when working around the horse.
9. During any work with the horse, call him and stroke him from time to time. This is to ensure that he does not accidentally fall asleep and does not get scared when he suddenly wakes up.
10. Always tie with a quick-release knot. Keep a knife handy so that you can cut the rope easily in case of emergency.
11. Stay as close to the horse's shoulder as possible. If the horse unexpectedly kicks in this way, the impact will be less heavy.
12. Never stand directly in front of the horse because he can’t see you well. When the horse can’t see you, he may feel threatened.
13. Never stand directly behind the horse. This way the horse does not see you and can kick off. When you are doing something behind the horse, have someone hold it or watch the movement of its ears.
14. Never touch the horse's nose or head while standing in front of him. Your hand may suddenly appear in his field of vision to startle him.
15. Never walk under or over a rope with which a horse is tied.
16. Never stand on your knees while putting on the horse's boots. Squat down. It is more convenient to bounce from this position.
17. Don't hand feed your horses, feed from a bucket!
18. If the horse is tied, stay with it. If you can't be around - don't tie the horse.
19. When working with a horse, learn about his habits and preferences. The instructor should let you know the relevant things.
20. Do not tease the horses and do not develop bad habits in them. Horses with bad habits rarely live long and happily.
21. If the horse misbehaves, do not punish him in anger. Try to distract him. Distinguish between discipline and cruelty.
22. If you need to punish a horse, you have a couple of seconds to do it. Later, the horse will not associate punishment with guilt. Never hit the horse on the head or anywhere in front of the shoulders.
23. Horses must not be on a halter while grazing.
24. Club students and stable children should not be left alone without care.
25. Club students must not handle horses or ride without the presence of staff. A student can do something independently if the staff knows exactly what and where he is doing and trusts him.
Rules for Leading and Turnout.
1. Hold your lead rope with the right hand immediately under the halter, but not on the snap. A knot at the end of the rope will prevent it from slipping out of your hands. Hold the free end of the rope with your left hand, do not let it drag on the ground.
2. Do not make a loop or insert your hand into the loop. This applies to longe lines.
3. The horse should walk beside you - not behind and not in front. The best place for the handler is between the horse's head and shoulder. And remember that there is no completely safe place anywhere near the horse. A horse can suddenly jump, bite, kick at a fly and hit the handler. Be alert.
4. If it is necessary to change the direction, try to turn to the right, circling the horse in the outer circle. Try not to get in the range of his front hooves. If he spooks, he needs a space to go by you, not over you.
5. If you need to push the horse away, do it with your elbow.
6. Children are not allowed to lead horses on their own without the supervision.
7. If the horse wants to go ahead and insists on it, do not try to force him. He can only be persuaded. Horses with leadership tendencies should be managed by experienced trainers.
8. If the horse tries to break away, don't hang onto him or let him drag you. Catch him later.
9. Do not tie the leading rope to yourself!
10. When tying the loop, do not insert your fingers into it.
11. A person must enter and exit the stable gate first, the horse must stop and let the person pass.
12. Enter the horse's stall only if his head is facing the entrance and the horse can see you. Do not enter the stall if he is standing backwards and his ears are pressed.
13. When removing the halter from the horse and letting him loose in the stall or in the pasture, turn his head towards you and towards the exit to avoid the horse galloping away from you, catching your head with his hind hooves (even if you are wearing a helmet).
14. Train the horse to be let loose calmly. If he tries to escape, give him something tasty at the end, then he will take his time. However, don't do it every time - let him not get used to it, but leave him hope.
15. The door/gate through which you pass with the horse must be fully open.
16. You cannot clean the stall if there is a horse in it. Sometimes, horses jump over wheelbarrows and are injured by manure forks.

Rules for Tying
1. Good rule: eye level and arm’s length. The horse is tied at the level of its eyes and at the length of a person's arm. The rope should not be too long so that the horse cannot get tangled in it or step on it.
2. Always tie the rope with a knot that is easy to untie. Keep a knife nearby so that you can cut the rope at any moment.
3. Never tie a horse by the bridle reins. Jerking, the horse can dislocate his jaw or damage his lips.
4. Tie the horse only to something strong and fixed.
5. Keep your tied horse away from other horses, sharp objects and obstacles.
6. Do not tie a horse to a carriage that is not attached to a car. A horse will easily move an empty cart that is not attached to anything, if the animal is bitten by a wasp, for example. At the same time, not only the horse carriage can suffer, but also the horse itself and, what is even worse, a person.
7. Do not leave a horse tied in a carriage unattended. Horses that are not used to long transports can feel claustrophobic and start to get nervous.
Rules for Bridling
1. When putting the bridle on the horse, stand to the side of the animal's head, do not step in front.
2. Before being put on, the bridle should be carefully inspected for damage.
3. To insert the bridle, you need to press the thumb of the right hand on the place in the horse's mouth where there are no teeth.
Rules for Saddling
The trainer will explain the saddling procedure to you. But at the same time, you should remember several things:
1. When correcting the saddle on the horse's back, you need to move it in the direction of the hair growth, otherwise there is a risk of back sore
2. When fastening the girth, fasten the front buckle first, and then the rear buckle. Do the opposite when unsaddling.
3. The trainer must check the girth three times - before the rider sits down, immediately after and 15 minutes after the start of the ride.
Rules for Mounting and Dismounting
1. Mount your horse in the open space, not in a stable, not near a car, not near obstacles or fences.
2. After you seat in the saddle, you need to ask the horse to stand quietly for a few seconds. He should not get used to the idea that after the rider has sat on him, he should immediately go somewhere or run.
3. The rider's foot should be parallel to the horse or the toe in the girth, but not in the horse while mounting.
4. The instructor (trainer) must check the girth immediately after the rider mounted, after some time after the start of the lesson, every time when this rider or another one re-mounts the horse.
5. Some saddles, especially those made of artificial materials, may compress after mounting and must be tightened during the ride, sometimes several times.
6. After the dismounting, the stirrups must be put up immediately, this rule applies to everyone and must be followed at all times.
7. After the dismounting, the reins must be immediately thrown over the horse's head to be held in the hands. This applies to all types of bridles without exception
Rules for Arena Etiquette
1. Horses tracking left have the right of way.
2. Horses moving at a slower pace give way to horses moving at a faster pace.
3. Horses not on the rail pass left shoulder to the left shoulder when possible.
4. Always look behind you before stopping and/or backing.
5. More experienced adult riders and older teens should watch out for novice adults and little ones.
6. Warm up areas should have posted rules. Safety certification is recommended.
7. The instructor must monitor compliance with safety rules.
Rules for Trail Riding
1. Horseback riding is allowed only in designated areas.
2. Horse riding is prohibited:
  - In the places with loose horses;
  - in any places where horses are tied. This implies that horses should not be tied in places where riders can move;
  - in any places where there are serious obstacles;
  - in any places where construction is underway;
  - in any places where stable equipment is placed;
  - in the area of freeways and roads.
3. Club students must always be accompanied by an experienced coach.
4. Beginners are not allowed to ride on rough terrain and pastures, which should be indicated by appropriate warning signs.
5. Trail riding is allowed only to those riders who have passed a test on basic riding skills, handling a horse and the ability to stop in an emergency. (Children should take such a test in the presence of their parents to avoid misunderstandings with their parents in the future.)
6. Trail areas should be safe, free of obstacles, suitable for the level of riders.
7. All school horses must be familiar with the places of trails in advance.
8. A group of 6 students has one supervisor. For a group of more than 6 students, there should be more supervisors accordingly.
9. The accompanying person must have a mobile phone.
10. The group should always wait for a rider who is slow or dismounted.
11. The level of difficulty of the route and the pace of riding should be adapted for the most inexperienced rider.
12. It is not allowed to go for trails in the hunting grounds during the hunting season.
13. You cannot go out for trails in bad weather.
14. If the weather has suddenly deteriorated, and the road back cannot be made on the horse it is better to remove the bridles and let the horses return home by themselves!
15. Before each trip, review emergency procedures including those for:
  - Falls
  - Bad weather
  - Illness
16. Never ride during a thunderstorm. If a thunderstorm overtakes you suddenly, you need to get everyone off the horses and tie them, trying to stay away from the trees.
17. It is not allowed to ride with students in the unfamiliar places.
18. Do not think that in a difficult place you can ask everyone to dismount and lead the horses. Sometimes leading a horse is much more dangerous than riding.
19. Watch the distance between the riders. The rider moving behind must see the rear hooves of the horse in front. If he sees only the tail covering the hooves, you should increase the distance!
20. Do not allow students to overtake supervisors and ride ahead.
Rules for the Facility
1. Large signs should direct people to knock or whistle before entering the horse area, prohibit smoking, and notify visitors of stable safety rules.
2. The stable gate must open outwards or roll to the side.
3. In the areas where the horses are permitted, make sure there is nothing that could catch on the halter, saddle, or bridle.
4. In the aisles - no tools, equipment, baskets, etc. Put the garbage cans away.
5. Water hoses must be removed after use. A hose lying on the floor can frighten a horse or a person can cross.
6. Electric wires must be out of reach of the horses.
7. The width of the aisles in most stables does not allow you to move around the horse outside its safety zone. Therefore, you should always approach the horse carefully, from the side of the shoulder.
8. The floor of the passage should be made of ground or other non-slip material.
9. Provide adequate, solid hitching rails in the tacking up area.
10. Places for saddling should be free and spacious, so that you can quickly move away if necessary.
11. The construction of fences, walls of arenas and fields for riding should be such that the toe or knee of the rider does not touch them under any circumstances.
12. Riding areas must have gates that close when riders are inside.
13. Never ever ride into or in the stable.
14. Horses should be led from the stable to the riding area and back.
15. Cars should not be parked where horses and people appear together.
Rules for Fences and Gates
1. The fence and a closed gate should enclose the entire facility.
2. No loose horse or ridden horse that is out of control should be able to make its way to the public road.