Horse rider injuries increasing

[Standard Dave]

While not driving related some of this relates to road users and anyone interested in safety might find this interesting the TV programme is on tonight at 19:30

Horse riders are more likely to be injured than motorcyclists on rural roads in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, a BBC Inside Out investigation reveals.
Over the past year, air ambulance crews in the region picked up 150 injured horse riders.
That is an increase of 65% compared with five years ago when only 97 riders were injured in accidents.

Spinal injury experts have said that riding a horse is 20 times more dangerous than riding a motorbike.

A leading consultant at Stoke Mandeville Hospital found that a motorcyclist would expect to have a serious accident once in every 7,500 hours they spent on a bike.

For horse riders they found there would be a serious accident once in every 350 hours.

Horse riders said they were concerned there was not enough protective equipment available and that youngsters learning to ride were not being taught properly.

Anne Pickles of the Truewell Hall Riding School, near Keighley, told the BBC's Inside Out programme that she came across children who were not even learning basic safety lessons.
She said: "We get people who've been riding for three or four years and they don't even know how to mount a horse properly, which is one of the first safety lessons that should be taught."

Sally Wilson, of Louth, in Lincolnshire, was left paralysed after a riding accident.
She said: "I was wearing a hard had and back protector, but I fell on concrete on my head."

Susan Caley's 13-year-old daughter Lucy died near her home in 2003 after her horse stumbled and fell on top of her.

Susan, of Meaux, near Beverley, said it had been a freak accident.

She said: "It wasn't the horse's fault - and Lucy had come off a thousand times in her life.

"Nothing could have been done to prevent it."

Inside Out, BBC One, 1930 GMT Friday

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nort ... 481099.stm

[7db]

A big thumbs up to the rider the other day who was covered in hi-viz gear, including a massive "horses arse" blanket in yellow and orange. She walked her horse off the road and waved us past.

It's hard dealing with conflict between large animals and small hard noisy things on the road and both sides need to do plenty for each other. Visibility and courtesy is all I expect from a rider.

Sometimes the right answer is to stop and switch off until a spooked or young horse can clear itself.

[James]

Else equine defecation could occur!

[TripleS]

A big thumbs up to the rider the other day who was covered in hi-viz gear, including a massive "horses arse" blanket in yellow and orange. She walked her horse off the road and waved us past.

It's hard dealing with conflict between large animals and small hard noisy things on the road and both sides need to do plenty for each other. Visibility and courtesy is all I expect from a rider.

Sometimes the right answer is to stop and switch off until a spooked or young horse can clear itself.

Round here we quite often meet horses being ridden on the roads, and I'm perfectly happy with it. I like to see them around, as they're part of the rural scene, but so far as possible they ought to keep off the main roads.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[TripleS]

Else equine defecation could occur!

Confounded emissions again!

OTOH I could have a word with the people at the stables at the other end of our village, and see about acquring three tons of their emissions. Should be good for our roses.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[Angus]

This doesn't surprise me, but there are a number of explanations.

Air ambulance attendance - Here in Essex the Air Ambulance will be the first choice for dispatch if the incident involves horses because of the probability of spinal/neck/head injuries and because they often happen in the middle of nowhere.

Increase in accidents - I'm surprised it's such an increase & would like to know if that's reflected nationally. However the roads are more crowded and although the majority of road users, both equine and motor, are polite and well behaved, there are rude and ignorant people in both camps.

I often find the reaction of riders interesting when I hang a fair distance back with no attempt to pass because I can't safely get past them. Yes, that "I slow down for horses" sticker in the back window is for real

TripleS - make sure it's well rotted and as you're doing them a favour make sure they pay for its disposal

I dispute the serious accident every 350 hours though. That would mean that anyone who owns a horse is going to have at least one accident a year

[Lynne]

It's usually young drivers around my way that have the least patience or are known to slow down behind then as they get alongside us, accelerate madly away Luckily my horse just ignores them; she's more likely to be spooked by her own flipping shadow, the flying piece of paper or the newly dumped rubbish that's been deposited in a ditch since she last went by there.

I'm afraid I'm not tolerant to drivers that don't slow down or give us enough room. We do ride out in the countryside and if people don't like it, go live back in town. Probably the busiest roads we do is if we're going along to a small, fairly unknown beach. The local village is virtually at the end of the earth and we still can't fathom where all the traffic comes from as there's no where else to go from it except MOD land!

Where possible we do pull over for traffic. I'll even go up on the pavement if necessary. Oh but I didn't say that!

Unfortunately even where I am we are a mile from the nearest bridle path and then it's not very long. Farmers don't want us on their land even though we would never ride over their crops. We've been chucked off a private access road that's been purpose built but it closed to ALL vehicles weekends and evenings so it's ridiculous to ban us as to be able to use that road would virtually keep us off the roads all the time as that's when we mostly ride. This road is right at the back of my friend's farm we wouldn't even need to go on any public road to get there!

Luckily I've never had an accident on the road I am probably safer there to be honest as I'm going slower! All accidents have been at a faster pace and thankfully horse always stops, bless her, waits for me to drag myself up off the ground and looks at me as if to say "what are you doing down there Mum?"

Anyway rant over and thanks to everyone who has patience for us when we often have no choice

[waremark]

Sometimes the right answer is to stop and switch off until a spooked or young horse can clear itself.

Many years ago my mother stopped well short of a nervous horse and switched off. The horse slowly backed towards her and eventually sat down on her bonnet and gave a kick. She did not switch on again because she thought that might spook the horse worse. As a result of this experience, I advise against switching off.

BTW in this case the horse's insurance paid up for damage to the car, and the horse was not hurt.

[Lynne]

To be honest unless you're in something particularly large and noisy like a tractor/rattling skip lorry HPC is right it's not worth switching off.

Sometimes going past tooooo slow is as bad as going too fast. I know, sorry can't win can you . What happens is sometimes when they're a bit naughty and a rider asks you to hold back then waves you on you may have a 5 second 'window' (I hate that phrase but it's early so forgive me) to get by before the horse starts poking it's bum back out into the road again and when traffic dwadles by it's prolonging the 'exposure' time.

It's difficult to keep them 100% in line all the time; young horses need to go out on the road for the experience (often and hopefully accompanied by a more experienced horse for comfort) but even my 17 year old horse has her moments of deciding she doesn't like white lines or the sun reflects off a wet piece of tarmac and she mistakes it for ice/frost so it's never guaranteed; it's always something ridiculously stupid and she doesn't give a fig about buses

[PeteG]

I love horses. Many a happy hour spent in tyhe fields in a small village outside of Durham, just getting an ex-acquantance to actually come close to the horse and not be scared. Fantastic, beautiful animals.

I think, so long as one can stop in the distance one can see to be clear, then if a horse appears in view (even on the most vision-limited roadS), you can get your speed down enough to not spook it. And of course, get a nice smile, wave and "how do" from the young lady in charge. Ahem.

[Gromit37]

I'm always especially careful around horses... anything with a mind of it's own needs lots of consideration. Which counts me out then . My girlfriend is keen on horses, and wants to own one again now her kids are all grown up. Personally I refuse to ride one, despite pressures from her... they're lovely animals, but stubborn, obstinate and childish. Just like me I always worry when she's on a horse, so whenever I see a horse and rider, I just think it could be Nicky riding it, and give it as much room as I can.

On a slightly different tack:

Whilst walking in the Peak District the other year, we met two, fairly large, grey horses grazing by the public footpath. They came over to us, and we said hello to them. One came to me, the other to Nicky, and they ended up side by side, about 6 feet apart.. The one I was talking to suddenly launched itself at the other horse standing to it's right, swinging it's head round so fast I didn't have time to move. Luckily it caught me on the shoulder with it's neck, and not on my head. I ended up about 10 feet from where I was, only just managing to stay upright, and had a sore shoulder for three days!

Playful little buggers