The responsible owner of a livery stable or riding establishment will be well aware of their obligations to their employees and non-employee users of their business under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. They will also know from long experience in the equine sector that horse riding, care, training and competition are all undertakings that embody quite high levels of intrinsic risk. It literally is the nature of the (horse) beast.
In seeking to avoid injuries involving working with horses, the very real hazards have to be identified and removed and or reduced. Doing that represents the central plank of an employer’s duty of care to their employees to ensure as far as is reasonably practicable their health, safety and welfare at work. Failure to do that could mean an injured employer or service user claiming compensation on the basis that that failure caused or contributed to the accident in which they suffered their injury.
Injuries involving working with horses occur in two main spheres of equine activity:
1) Riding activities (gentle hacking through to competition)
2) Non-riding activities (care and training)
The types of injury also differ markedly between the two types of activity with falls and crushing injuries predominating in riding accidents and horse-inflicted injuries taking top spot in non-riding accidents. The main steps that the responsible equine centre manager must take to ensure that the likelihood of accidents and injuries occurring as a result of any type of work with horses are as few as possible are as follows:
• Riding – ensure all riders use industry standard personal protective equipment, such as hard-hats, boots, body protectors, gloves and hi-visibility clothing and avoid wearing baggy clothing and jewellery.
• Riding – ensure that the rider is matched with a mount that suits their experience and skills.
• Riding – that tack is well maintained and safe and riders are fitted with the correct sized stirrups so that their boots don’t get stuck in them.
• Riding – that riders are trained and experienced enough to undertake what they intend to do including riding on public roads or competing
• Non-riding – Equine centre premises kept clean and tidy and safe to work in.
• Both – employees are trained in basic horse psychology and anatomy and are aware that horses are nervous and unpredictable and that their kicks are powerful, fast and far reaching. Employees are taught best industry practice in horse care and comprehensively trained in health and safety in an equine environment.
Thinking of a Horse Riding Accident Compensation Claim? Contact us today
If you have suffered a Horse Riding Accident that was not your fault, and you want help with how to claim injury compensation, contact our experienced Compensation Claim Solicitors today
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