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June 2005
RIDE MANAGERS' FORUM
Endurance ride volunteers and ride safety
By Connie Caudill and Dinah Rojek
Every ride manager depends on volunteers in order to have a successful ride. Without volunteers we have no rides but with every volunteer there are risks that come along with their jobs. New board member Dinah Rojek has come up with some very good points regarding volunteer safety that we felt should be shared with all ride managers.
This year we have already seen some serious accidents that ride volunteers have been involved with and we felt it would be beneficial for all ride managers to copy a list of the safety points in this article to hand out to all their ride volunteers. Volunteer duties are written in the ride manager's handbook -- be sure to read and become familiar with them.
Rider responsibility
Keep your horse in control at all times. You are responsible for your horse. Train him on good ground manners before you go to a ride. Riders need to be aware of their horses at all times and what they are doing. Don't get so involved in a conversation that you are not paying attention to your horse that may be biting the horse beside him or trying to kick the horse behind him and placing all that are around in danger.
Volunteer responsibility (and equine awareness)
Volunteering for activities that require close contact with horses requires constant vigilance. If you are unfamiliar with horses it would be wise to work with someone who is an experienced and safe horse handler before volunteering for close contact jobs in the pulse box or as a veterinarian's scribe.
Large animals can hurt you inadvertently and without malice.
When approaching a horse, do so from the shoulder while letting the horse know you are approaching.
Observe the horse's head because a lot of information can be obtained by the position of the ears. A horse will direct one or both ears toward a sound whereas ears held out to the side may indicate a sleeping, sick or sedated horse. Ears pinned back indicate a threat or anger and may be followed by the threat of a bite or kick.
When moving around a horse, either stay very close to it or walk completely out of range of its feet, and remember to be out of range of other horses near it.
Pulse and respiration (P&R) people should station themselves at appropriate distances from one another to minimize crowding in the pulse box. This will lessen the chances of aggressive behavior between horses.
Scribes for veterinarians should stay aware of their proximity to the horse being vetted, as well as the ones being vetted by other veterinarians, and avoid being caught between two horses.
Each volunteer should be covered by their own personal health insurance
Pay attention -- in all directions!
Ride manager responsibility
As a ride manager you should be aware if the volunteer is experienced around horses. Be sure to ask ahead of time and then be sure to observe while he or she is performing the task to be sure of competence. If the volunteer is only slightly experience be sure to give a job that has less contact with the horse such as scribing for the vet. If he or she has no horse experience be sure and put the volunteer completely out of contact with the horses -- such as spotter or helping the timer with paperwork.
In the pulse and vetting area, be sure to give plenty of space, so the horses are not crowded or touching each other. Don't have children, minors or inexperienced horsemen help mark numbers on horses-this can be one of the most dangerous jobs as some horses are not familiar with this and become irritated. Sometimes it is best to let participants mark their own horses as they know their own horse best. It would be a good idea to have each volunteer sign a release, similar to the release each participant signs in the ride entry.
EQUINE LIABILITY LAW: Every ride that is held in a state with an equine liability law should always have that statute posted in a very conspicuous site, preferably in the sign-up area and vetting area. For example, in the state of Indiana, in order to be covered under this law, the following must be posted in at least one place of the equine activity, with letters at least one inch tall and in black ink. (Each state's requirements may be different.)
"WARNING: Under Indiana law, an equine professional is not liable for an injury to, or the death of, a participant in equine activities resulting from the inherent risks of equine activities." (Enacted in 1995, amended in 1998.)
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