Part 1: Nine Best Practices for Safety on your Horse Farm

The Third Week of September is National Farm Safety & Health Week. I believe so strongly in the importance of safety, I've broken this into a fun three-part series addressing 9 best practices to consider when it comes to your program.

So, without further ado, let's start to address what this looks like on a horse farm in part 1:

1

Proper Attire for You, Your Staff, and Your Riders

Riding boots with a heel (not steel toed - not sure about you but the idea of a horse stepping on and crushing a steel toed boot sounds awful)

Comfortable Pants/Jeans

Outerwear, as necessary

Helmets for minors (replace after a fall or every 5 years)

Gloves/Hats optional

Are you a beginner instructor? Consider keeping loaner helmets and gloves on hand to ensure kids' comfort during lessons. I sprayed my helmets with helmet spray after each use. One year I even gave my students inexpensive fleece kids riding gloves from Amazon for the holidays.

2

Assess & Teach Horsemanship Skills First

Before your riders ever get on, or your new staff handles a horse, check their horsemanship skills.

Things like:

Awareness around, and of, horses

Proper leading and how to put on a halter & lead rope (and making sure nothing is looped around body parts with a horse attached)

Close the gate!

General horse handling

Understanding how energy affects horses

Nonverbal communication cues from horses

3

Remove Physical Dangers for Your Horses

Remove items in pasture or turnout that may hurt them (manure spreaders, harrows, loose rock and other tripping hazards, loops or ties to get caught on, for example)

Keep fences and gates in good shape

Check for sharp or protruding objects and remove or eliminate them

Consider products with safety features, like breakaway halters

Noxious/Poisonous Plants and Weeds

Secure Hay and Feed, as well as other supplements and supplies

I don't even like having loose buckets in a horse area or tail bags on in pasture. Horses can catch themselves on the bucket handles or catch their tail bags on posts, nails, etc causing damage to their tail or dock. We use rubber pails or secure buckets to fences or stall walls.

Have anything to add to the lists above? Let me know in the comments.

Keep going with Part 2 and Part 3.

Happy Riding!

_____________________________________________

If you have questions, want help with your business operations, or want to learn more about the Equestripreneur Community, don’t hesitate to reach out. 

Equestripreneur offers coaching and community for equine business owners like you!

Learn more about author Kristin Bowers.

Blog posts from Equestripreneur are not meant to replace individual professional advice, which will best inform personal circumstances.