Attention Spans: They're Not For Everyone...

But they should be!

After a three day hiatus, I'm back with a refreshed outlook and more equine / equestrian advice for you. Did you miss me? Okay, let's get started...

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is about how to prevent common accidents, around or with horses, from happening. As a rule, my standard response is – pay closer attention! Most accidents are entirely avoidable. I’m reminded almost daily of incidents where horses or riders / handlers have been injured, sometimes severely, and a common thread is there was some kind of failure on the part of the humans involved to pay attention to detail. I understand it is not always easy to be 100% focused on your horse or what you’re doing with the horse, but that said, it’s essential to being safe.

Safety should always be our first and foremost concern, no matter what we’re doing with our horses. One careless move can create life altering changes. It’s one thing when you have a young horse, a green horse or an abused horse, they often are wary or skittish of humans. Most owners or handlers keep this in mind when working with such horses, but it’s usually the calm and easy-going horses we never expect to have a problem with that wreak havoc on us. Why is that, do you suppose? A lack of paying attention!

A very common factor for injuries occurring with horses is during leading and tying, two of the most basic things we do (or want to do) with our equines. Many trainers and owners will frequently say, they would rather be on the back of a rank or fractious horse than at the end of a lead, and the reason behind that is actually quite simple: It can be a lot easier to control the direction a horse travels from upon the horse’s back than on the ground. But again, most injuries occur because we’ve gotten complacent about keeping track of the horse and what it’s doing.

One of my major pet peeves is correctly handling your lead rope or longeline. They should NEVER be wrapped around your hand, or left to lie on the ground. This is something I see all the time. I know how quickly things can escalate where horses are concerned, with their flight instinct, and that almost always spells danger. Every time I see folks being careless with the lead or longeline, I cringe. And often these kinds of images are of supposed professional trainers. No, no, no! Once a tragic accident happens due to carelessness, there is no going back.

Another classic time people get hurt around horses is during trailer loading. Granted, this is one of the most dangerous things we ask our horses to do…climb into a big steel or aluminum box…but there are ways to load and tie horses safely. Recently, there have been several very avoidable accidents, and every time it’s been a total failure to use common sense. One of my mantras is, how uncommon ‘common sense’ really is. Pay attention to where the horse is, even when not looking at the horse. If you don’t have the ability to sense the horse’s presence and what he or she is doing while you aren’t looking in the horse’s direction, seek out someone who can. It might save your (or your horse’s) life.

Of course, then there’s not paying attention while riding. When out riding the trail, in particular, paying close attention to your surroundings is paramount. During the Summer there's a risk of rattlesnakes and other hazards, including quicksand in certain areas. Avoiding most hazards when you’re on horseback just requires that you familiarize yourself with your surroundings, but at the same time you have to pay close attention to what your horse is doing and where your horse is going, as well. Remember, our horses trust us to keep them safe, just as we want our horses to keep us safe. It should be a reciprocal responsibility when you are truly partners with your horses.

In summation, just think about what it is you might be able to do better while working with and around horses. Having a good attention span will likely save you in vet bills and doctor visits. None of us like those!

~SFTS