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Basic Safety Strategies
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Always wear safe clothing. Wear boots or hard-toed shoes to protect your feet should you get stepped on (and more importantly, watch out for the horse's feet to prevent getting stepped on). Many of the most serious
head injuries can happen when you are handling a horse from the ground, so wear a certified helmet even when you aren't riding.
The horse has several blind spots from different angles. Always speak to
your horse when approaching him or working near him. This way, he will know that you are there even if he cannot see you well. Many horses will jump or kick when startled, take caution not to startle a horse with sudden movements or loud noises.
Never approach a horse directly from the front or rear. The horse has blind spots in both of these areas. Instead, approach the horse near his shoulder or off to the side near his head.
Never stop and stand directly in
front or directly behind a horse, even when you are brushing his tail or forelock, because he may not be able to see you well. If something startles him, he may run right over the top of you because he didn't see you standing there. Instead, stand slightly to one side when you're near the horse's front or hind end.
Whenever you are near a horse, always make sure he knows where you are by
speaking to him or keeping a hand on his body as you move around him. When you walk behind a horse, either walk far enough
away that you are not in his kicking range (at least 12 ft.), or so close that you cannot receive a full blow should he kick. Most
people opt for the latter, and if you do, be sure to keep your hand on his rump when walking behind him so that he will know you are there even when he can't see you.
NEVER, EVER wrap any equipment that is attached to the horse around any part
of your body. This includes lead ropes, reins, lunge lines and all other equipment. If the horse startles and
runs, you can easily lose a limb. Especially do not drape the lead rope around your neck or shoulder, the momentum of a spooking horse can cause the rope to fling all the way around your neck in a split second.
If you do not know the horse you're handling very well, always work
with the horse on the left side when you are saddling, leading, mounting, etc. This is because many horses have been accustomed to only being worked with on their left side. Although a more thoroughly trained horse should be worked with on both sides, this is not always the case.
When petting a horse, the action you make with your hand should be a
rubbing or soft scratching motion, and never a slap-like or pat-like motion. Slapping or Patting can startle a horse, and it is not at all comfortable. Rubbing and itching are often much better received.
Always let a horse know what you intend to do, before you do it. For example, when picking
up his feet, do not grab the foot hurriedly. Instead, run your hand down starting at his shoulder and down to his pastern, and the horse should pick up his foot for you. Let him know what's coming and he'll likely be more cooperative.
Never leave a halter on a horse that is turned loose. A horse may paw at his halter or accidently get it caught on a fence or other object, which can result in severe damage and even possible death should the horse panic while he is stuck. I have heard too many horror stories of horses breaking their necks as a result of
panicking while stuck, even when wearing so-called "break-away" leather halters.
Never walk under or step over a tied lead rope. Never walk under his neck to get to the other side. And, never, ever walk under the horse or between his legs. These actions can result in severe injury to
you should the horse become startled. Instead, walk around the horse.
When feeding a horse treats, always hold your hand flat with your fingers close together. Feed the treat from the palm of your hand so the horse does not accidently mistake your finger for a treat.
Leading Safety
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Never hold the horse's halter with
your hand when leading. Your hand or a finger could get stuck if the horse tosses his head and/or decides to spook or
take off running. It is very, very dangerous. Always use a lead rope when leading a horse, and hold it in both hands.
When holding the lead rope, always fold the extra rope back and forth instead of around in a loop.
Then, hold the rope around the middle of the bundle. Never, ever loop the extra rope (or any equipment),
around your hand or other body part. If you do this and the horse pulls away, the rope can tighten around
your hand or fingers, possibly causing serious injury.
When leading your horse, walk next to him near his head or shoulder,
never ahead or behind. Walking ahead of him could put you in his blind spot, and walking behind this area
could put you at risk for being kicked.
Remember that the horse is much stronger than you are. If you are not an experienced horse person, always work with horses in an enclosed area. This way, if the horse becomes startled and attempts to run, you can let go of him and get out of the way. If you hang on to the lead rope while the horse tries to escape, you may put yourself in danger of being knocked over, dragged or trampled. Remember that the horse can always be caught again, and your safety is much more important.
Whenever you are leading a horse through an entranceway or doorway, be sure that there is at least 4 feet
of clear space on either side of him. Never lead a horse through an opening smaller than this. This will
give both you and the horse more room to react should he become frightened.
To decrease the possibility of you being kicked when turning out your horse, always lead him all the way
through the gate and turn him around to face the gate. When you remove his halter, be sure to step well
out of the way, since some horses become excited when being turned out and immediately turn to buck and run. Do not chase him or cluck to him to make him run away from you, as this can build up excitement and cause an accident.
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