09/07/2023
SAFETY FOR YOU & YOUR KIDS
2022 was our last summer operating as a public trail ride company. Sadly, the expenses of keeping the horses the way they should be (vet bills, hay costs, vaccines, farrier, continuous fresh supply of water) year around, for such a short riding season, wasn't feasible.
There are getting to be fewer and fewer public trail rides around. In your excitement to go on a trail ride, be careful you don't set yourself or your children up to be at added risk.
Riding horses comes with some risk, but a well-run trails ranch will have the extensive knowledge and much-needed experience to ensure you have as safe a ride as possible. However, the trail riding industry is not regulated and anyone can decide to open a horseback trail riding and/or a horseback lesson facility.
To top it off, these places can decide to operate without insurance. Or, if they have insurance, they can chose to ignore the many restrictions the insurance company has in place to reduce risk, and this voids the policy in the event of a claim.
Most trails ranch guests are not experienced with horses. Many have never been near a horse at all. So, how do you tell if a trails ranch has your safety in mind? Here's a few suggestions:
*What do their page and website photos look like? Are they showing pictures of guests peacefully riding on quiet trails on well-fitted equipment (tack) and beautifully conditioned horses? Are there pictures and videos of unsafe practices, here's some examples, if people are:
😱 not seated properly in saddles (kneeling or standing, sitting sideways, sitting backwards, two riders on one horse)
😱 riding on or beside public roads
😱 running horses toward the barn
😱 standing in the horse's kicking zone (behind the horse within one length of its body) or directly in front of a horse
😱 petting/handling/riding the horses in open-toes shoes/sandles
😱 sitting on horses that are tied (if the horse pulls back, which any horse can suddenly do, the lead rope or halter can break and the horse can flip over on the rider)
😱 in pastures or barns with loose horses
😱 crowding around a tied horse
*What's being said for reviews of the trail riding company on Facebook, Google, and TripAdvisor? This will often give you a sense of their professionalism and the suitability and condition of their horses.
*Do they require you to wear a helmet & proper footwear? All Canadian insurance companies now require a helmet. Open-toed shoes and sandles are an absolute no-no around horses.
*Do they ask your experience and match you to the right horse and size of saddle?
As mentioned earlier, horseback riding does come with some risks. But, it can be an amazing experience with the right setting! We wish you all the best in your search for a horseback adventure.
Please share. This may save someone a lot of heartache.
