So what are YOUR safety quirks?

[hellerkm]

I just read and responded to the pony ride thread. The OP felt her nephew was not safe without a helmet and because they us seatbelts to hold the small kids on. I try very hard to live by the motto " live and let live" if what you are doing is not hurting me then I am very likely to keep my mouth shut.
I so have a few safety "rules" that we adhere to at the barn. Some are basic:

Boots, even my 2 yr old has paddock boots and wears them year round,
Helmets,( even on the 2 yr old who does not really ride) while riding and grooming we put them on in the tack room in front of the mirror ( its much easier ) and we leave them on until we are done.
Safe tack, no rips, tears ect,
My youngest ( who is 2 ) must be with an adult or older child ( like over 12) at all times, and within arms reach.
No kids in the pony field alone, DD loves to catch her pony, she is the only one pony will come to but I go with her EVERY TIME, the other ponies are FINE and would not hurt a fly but one good spook gets them all running and little kids are too easily trampled.
No one rides alone EVER even if someone is in the house and you have a cell phone, the phone is NO good if your knocked out!!!

These are my main safety quirks, what are your hard and fast rules especially concerning kids and their barn rules???

[MissBri]

No unmounted children or parents in the riding area (I only have so many eyes!)

No parent interference during lessons

All spectator cell phones must be on vibration during lessons and calls taken out of hearing distance

no unattended visiting children under 12

no dogs

no sneakers or any open toed or 'soft' shoes.

Helmets for everyone under 18

body protectors for everyone jumping under 18

[hellerkm]

No unmounted children or parents in the riding area (I only have so many eyes!)

No parent interference during lessons

All spectator cell phones must be on vibration during lessons and calls taken out of hearing distance

no unattended visiting children under 12

no dogs

no sneakers or any open toed or 'soft' shoes.

Helmets for everyone under 18

body protectors for everyone jumping under 18

There are some good ones in this list! our barn is full of kids, they often bring visitors along , even my Dd will bring a friend at times. I make sure they know the barn rules in advance, and if they can't follow them we go home. My younger daughters are 5 and 2 they have been raised around the barn, and they know the rules, I still don't let my 2 yr old out of my sight!! She can get herself into trouble in less than 2.2 seconds!!
What are your cell phone rules for riders??? most of the girls turn their phones to vibrate and put them in the gator while they ride, so its not a big issue for us, they are afraid they will break their phones of the fall off LOL!!

[Woodland]

My business is kid related. Kids bringing kids bring me more business so I have no restrictions in that area. Of course my kid boarders are a well screened sensible lot and they know how i am and that no one is allow to mess with my Zen Plus I am in the barn all the time - i am a "micro manager" :cool:

I suppose the "rules" above posters have mentioned are more a personal preference and a reflection of personal likes & dislikes rather than actual safety. Helmets are first and foremost - no exceptions! No texting & riding. No calls during classes. And follow the rules as posted.

I ran a tight ship in the past - made me uncomfortable in my own home and it sure made for miserable clientèle who could never put a foot right under my direction!

All saddles must have a breast collar or breast plate. This prevent serious tipping. When I was 7 a saddle went all the way under the horse I was riding - never rode or taught without one since. EXCEPT in the WP show ring where they are not currently fashionable - I use non slip everything in that case.

I ride in tennis shoes all the time - wrecked my feet wearing boots. Under podiatrists orders now to wear New Balance or reeboks with custom insoles. Spurs fit on them quite nicely. I do not allow my students to wear sneekers they must wear boots, but most have barn clogs to switch to for mucking and non mounted duties. However my DD was caught more than once riding wearing her hot pink crocs - she survived no harm came to her - except when i took her aside and explained the importance of BEING THE good example.

So my "rules" are more of the practical sort. The working at home Mom sort. I never ever shield my horses from anything - it makes them brave and confident in every situation.

So then...No bikes in the barn when the horses are not stalled or turned out, No bikes left in the barn or arena EVER - no exceptions! No volleyball in the indoor when the horses are not stalled or turned out( i am raising two quality players) Yes we have a net in there. We even play on horseback :cool:

OK - see it takes all kinds. i have a SPOTLESS 30+ year safety record

[equineartworks]

Our riders have special needs but the standard rules still apply:

TR students...

No helmet, no ride.
a boot or shoe with a heel
proper attire, no shorts etc.

(hippotherapy clients had some modifications of course, much depends on adaptive equipment)

each rider spends one session learning barn safety rules

Parents are in attendance at all times. No sitting in the car etc. I am not your babysitter. They have a designated area and the siblings must remain there as well.

no cell phones in the barn

Inside voices and walking feet...always. You will be asked to leave if you cannot abide by that.

No dogs, cats, etc.

We hope to have a helmet program soon for riders so they can buy their own helmet and not share. They are disinfected before and after each use, but we prefer each student to have their own well-fitted helmet.

Boots are a ditto to the helmets. We have some pull ons here in various sizes but we hope to have a discount program for nice simple boots like Saxon zip ups soon.

There are lots more things we do, but these are the basics :)

[shakeytails]

I'm not a safety Nazi at all. There's only a couple of things that really bug me. I cringe when I see people (especially children) overmounted, I don't like to see anyone under about 16 leading a stallion, no matter how well behaved, and I don't like to see inexperienced people and children riding without some sort of heel. I also cringe when I see people in flip-flops giving a horse a bath- but I must admit I'm guilty of wearing Crocs to do all kinds of barn chores, and often lead well behaved older horses while wearing them. But if you really think about it, boots -unless they're steel toes- really aren't much more protection than sneakers and crocs. When I first got my stallion, he could be a bit unruly to breed, and I always wore steel toes and gloves to handle him- now not so much.

[GoForAGallop]

Can someone explain the "no cellphones in the barn" rule?

THE VERY LAST THING I want my horse to be afraid of, considering the prevalence of them, is a cell phone ring. My horses are accustomed to my entire range of ring tones; I wear my phone even while riding, and don't keep it on vibrate. And I have talked to people while riding, although I try not to because it does distract me, just like while driving.

[hellerkm]

I do agree with your assumption that many of us will have rules that are particular to US, like your breast plate rule. I never occured to me that a breast plate would be used unless a saddle was prone to slipping, in your case I can see why you require it!
My helmet on rule from the time we get to the barn stems from the accident that happened to the college student this past summer, she had a major brain injury while bathing her horse. My girls are smaller and even a good hard whack in the head by a horse could be a big issue.
I like reading everyone's responses, I think we can all benefit from seeing others views of what is safe and unsafe, even if it only opens our eyes to something we might have missed.

[scribbles]

paddock boots or tall boots at all times in and around the barn. wellies are acceptable as well. must cover the ankle.
Helmets when riding or lunging.
No walking around with spurs on-- they can get hooked together and make you fall. multiple people i know have had this happen. (as well as me, when I was younger... fortunately while carrying manure bucket, and not leading a rambunctious horse... embarrassing, but no injury.

[hellerkm]

Can someone explain the "no cellphones in the barn" rule?

THE VERY LAST THING I want my horse to be afraid of, considering the prevalence of them, is a cell phone ring. My horses are accustomed to my entire range of ring tones; I wear my phone even while riding, and don't keep it on vibrate. And I have talked to people while riding, although I try not to because it does distract me, just like while driving.

I have no idea why this would be a good rule, everyone has one , and they ring all the time!! My girls put them in the gator to ride so they don't get crushed in a fall, and that is the only reason( their parents would not be happy to have to replace a helmet and a CELL phone LOL). I do agree with no texting while RIDING I think you should have two hands available in case of an issue! THey put them on vibrate only because there are usually 4-5 teenage girls riding at one time and I have to say its gets very annoying listening to 5 phones go off every 2 seconds!!

[katarine]

Private barn, horses at home, so it's pretty simple:

No smoking past the barnyard gate, period.

Boots to ride, everyone.

Helmets on kids in order to ride.

No hand feeding treats unless I supervise. We had a renter here that pushed that, I offered to pinch his finger in a vise first if he'd like to get a feel for it, he declined :) I have a bucket on the fence they could drop treats in, instead.

NO going in the loft. It's a shedrow barn that's tall- way too easy to just 'fall off the loft' as it were.
----

That's about it.

[MissBri]

What are your cell phone rules for riders??? most of the girls turn their phones to vibrate and put them in the gator while they ride, so its not a big issue for us, they are afraid they will break their phones of the fall off LOL!!

No phones on the person for riders during lessons.
Vibrate only when not in lessons - no calls or texting while mounted when in the rings.

My cell phone rules are so I am not interrupted while giving lessons. - Many times in the winter the indoor is quite crowded and often I have 6 riders in the group lessons. Phones in the barn area and anyplace but the lessons are fine.

Oh, I also like to have only 'inside voices and feet'!

[*JumpIt*]

ALL gates closed at ALL times, excpecially when lunging - I don't care how well behaved your horse is on the lunge I do not want them spooking and running all over the farm.

[danceronice]

I have to agree, I wouldn't shield horses from cell phone noise. If they spook at that, you're going to have big problems if you ever take away from the barn. No texting while riding or taking calls while riding during a lesson, sure, but trying to prevent all noise? I'd hate to see a horse spooked by a cell phone ringer at the barn where I boarded--the peacocks would have sent him through the roof!

NO SMOKING IN THE BARN AREA. PERIOD. NO EXCEPTIONS. That's the only absolute I ever will have should I have my own place. I am terrified of a barn fire.

Helmets on if you're under 18. No exceptions. You're an adult, it's your head, you're a kid, you wear a helmet.

No leading multiple horses at once. I KNOW this works for some people and some horses. But one of the sweetest horses I ever rode died when he was being lead in at night with another horse, and that horse kicked him in the neck. He bled to death internally before the vet could even get there.

[JohnDeere]

I wouldnt have my cell phone on while riding. Too easy to fall on it drop it or something else. Plus we dont get signal in the barn anywy!

Agree with No Smoking. Doesnt work then the BO smokes but there barn there rules.

[hellerkm]

I wouldnt have my cell phone on while riding. Too easy to fall on it drop it or something else. Plus we dont get signal in the barn anywy!

Agree with No Smoking. Doesnt work then the BO smokes but there barn there rules.

NO smoking is a BIG one around our barn as well, we grow and bale hay for ourselves and to sell, one spark and a whole years worth of profit could be gone in an instant.!!!! Not to mention our horses and everything else!

[equineartworks]

The cell phone rule is because my riders deserve to have all the attention on them while they are having their lesson. Nothing is more irritating that having parents or caregivers blathering on the phone while their child rides. It's disrespectful to the client and the therapist. It's also dangerous. Just like driving and talking is dangerous. Your full attention is not on the task at hand and we all know that things can change in the blink of an eye.

As far as sheltering the horses from cell phones goes...my horses are therapy horses, they are conditioned to accept most EVERYTHING. :cool:

[myvanya]

For me its pretty much just helmets. My trainer that I groom for is really picky about safety and I pay attention to it, but since I board with adults for the most part, and I'm an adult, though I happen to think one of my fellow boarders nylon hay nets hanging in her horse's stall all day are sheer idiocy, that is her choice (one example :winkgrin:) . If I am helping out kids I ask that they live up to my standards which is to say helmets at all times, groom the horses very well and clean and maintain all equipment each and every time you ride, and pay attention to what is going on around you. From there the specifics get more involved but those are the basics that go a long way. I admit I wear flip flops around the barn sometimes (flame suit on) but I have also been stepped on by a draft horse while I was wearing flip flops and had less damage incurred than by an overweight morgan who stepped on me while I was wearing paddock boots, so I am not thoroughly convinced of the need for boots if I am aware of the risk I take. (the overweight morgan stepping on me in boots caused an extra bone to grow out of my toe and I needed surgery....the draft stepping on my foot in flip flops bruised my toe. Go figure). Meh. helmets are my key safety thing. I have had one save my life and that was enough for me.

[catknsn]

I am driven positively insane by horses that are tied too long. I always want to run around at horseshows and re-tie other people's horses if the lead is so long that the horse could put a foot over it.

[hellerkm]

I am driven positively insane by horses that are tied too long. I always want to run around at horseshows and re-tie other people's horses if the lead is so long that the horse could put a foot over it.

This freaks me out too, nothing worse than a horse tangled in a lead rope!!! Its scares the bejeezus out of me!!!

[myvanya]

This freaks me out too, nothing worse than a horse tangled in a lead rope!!! Its scares the bejeezus out of me!!!

I admit just seeing horses left alone at a trailer for extended lengths of time freaks me out.

[ChocoMare]

Private farm where I self-care board....but I made the rules! ;)

-Helmets: every ride, every rider.

-Hard shoes/boots. No flip-flops or barefeet.

-Horses NEVER left unattended while tied. (Ooooooh, I hate to see that.)

-Tools put away in the bin or hung up....not left lying around or propped against things.

-NO SMOKING! (If I see smoke, I assume they are on fire and take appropriate liquid measures. :D :lol:)

-All pasture gates chained and secured closed.

-FEED ROOM DOOR STAYS CLOSED! Along with feed-freezers. (I have no intentions of being up at ungodly hours tending to a colicking horse!)

[danceronice]

The cell phone rule is because my riders deserve to have all the attention on them while they are having their lesson. Nothing is more irritating that having parents or caregivers blathering on the phone while their child rides. It's disrespectful to the client and the therapist. It's also dangerous. Just like driving and talking is dangerous. Your full attention is not on the task at hand and we all know that things can change in the blink of an eye.

As far as sheltering the horses from cell phones goes...my horses are therapy horses, they are conditioned to accept most EVERYTHING. :cool:

When I did therapeutic/handicapped riding, we really preferred that parents/caregivers stay out of the way as much as possible, so talking on the phone would be preferable if anything. Best case, they'd be a distraction, worst case they'd be underfoot and useless if something went wrong. It's like teaching skating, which I've also done--I've generally found letting the laypeople in is counterproductive. They don't generally understand what I'm doing, I'm not being paid to teach THEM, and their input is frequently counterproductive and distracting. Then again when my mother would take us to riding (or dance, flute, voice, whatever lesson it was that day) she would bring a book or sewing. She was in the area if something happend (only likely with the horse) but otherwise, she let the professional coaches handle us.

[HenryisBlaisin']

Can someone explain the "no cellphones in the barn" rule?

THE VERY LAST THING I want my horse to be afraid of, considering the prevalence of them, is a cell phone ring. My horses are accustomed to my entire range of ring tones; I wear my phone even while riding, and don't keep it on vibrate. And I have talked to people while riding, although I try not to because it does distract me, just like while driving.


Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but it's just flat rude to be on a cell phone in a social setting. I HATE when I'm with a friend and he/she starts gabbing away to someone else like I'm not even there. It's beyond rude if you're in a lesson-show some respect for the trainer, please!

Also, cell phones and riding are no safer than cell phones and driving. If you're on the phone, one hand on the reins, paying more attention to the phone than the horse, you're asking for a fall when the horse spooks.

Horses should be okay with ringing phones, but people should also have some common courtesy. Everyone survived just fine before cell phones were inventer, and they will survive just fine if the cell phone stays in the car while they are at the barn. If a call is really that important, shouldyou really be at teh barn when you take it in the first place?

[equineartworks]

When I did therapeutic/handicapped riding, we really preferred that parents/caregivers stay out of the way as much as possible, so talking on the phone would be preferable if anything. Best case, they'd be a distraction, worst case they'd be underfoot and useless if something went wrong. It's like teaching skating, which I've also done--I've generally found letting the laypeople in is counterproductive. They don't generally understand what I'm doing, I'm not being paid to teach THEM, and their input is frequently counterproductive and distracting. Then again when my mother would take us to riding (or dance, flute, voice, whatever lesson it was that day) she would bring a book or sewing. She was in the area if something happend (only likely with the horse) but otherwise, she let the professional coaches handle us.

Since you quoted me I will assume that you are addressing me. We don't have the parents assisting in lessons, not sure where you got that from. :confused:

[atr]

My pet peeve is halters left dangling from cross ties in the barn aisle... If my horse doesn't step in it, I probably will.

[arabhorse2]

Riding in the barn aisleways. This one just makes me totally insane.

Yes, I know the barn aisleway is wide enough for two horses to pass each other. Yes, I know your horse has lived here all his life.

However, the barn aisleways are made of concrete, and your head is not. The aisleways are also filled with things like tack boxes, saddle racks, standing fans, chairs, etc., so if your horse freaks out, both of you will be severely injured.

Not my barn, thank heavens. I'm just waiting for that one teenager who gets hurt, and then the BO is going to lose their livelihood.

[Mimi La Rue]

I really only have 3 (that I can think of right now at least.)

#1 Helmets always! I cannot get on a horse (even to just walk around) without a helmet.

#2 Only 1 horse allowed in a wash rack at a time. The wash racks at my barn are pretty small, but two horses could fit in them. I hate when someone tries to squish their horse in the wash rack when my horse is already in it. I lie and say my horse kicks, he doesn't, but you never know and I don't know their horse. I don't want to be giving my horse a bath sandwiched between two 1100 lbs creatures. No thanks.

#3 Rubber mats in the cross ties is a must. Some of the cross ties at my barn don't have rubber mats. I will always walk extra to put my horse in one with mats. Same goes with the wash racks, especially the wash racks because the cement is way slippery when wet. I only put my horse in the ones with mats.

[DressageFancy]

Can someone explain the "no cellphones in the barn" rule?

THE VERY LAST THING I want my horse to be afraid of, considering the prevalence of them, is a cell phone ring. My horses are accustomed to my entire range of ring tones; I wear my phone even while riding, and don't keep it on vibrate. And I have talked to people while riding, although I try not to because it does distract me, just like while driving.

Have a friend who thought a "Whinney" ring for her cell phone was cute until it rang while she was riding and her horse spent the next 10 minuets trying to find that horse!

[Go Fish]

I've been around horses a long time and probably have seen it all:

1. People who undo the front of the blanket first. Horse jumps around and blanket ends up around the hind legs with the belly and leg straps still attached.

2. Puts saddle on horse without girth then walks off leaving horse unattended.

3. Open stall door to take horse out - leave door latch extended.

4. Yes, the horse's hind end is dangerous. So is the front. People stand in front of horse to brush face, whatever. Or worse, stand on a step stool in front of the horse to clip, apply a twitch, etc.

5. Clean stall with wheelbarrow placed in open stall door area. Let horsey play in wheelbarrow while you clean. Horsey decides to jump wheelbarrow to escape stall. (Try making horse stand in back corner of stall while you clean.)

6. Wear flip flops to the barn and hand graze your horse.

7. Lead your horse past a horse in the cross ties - UNDER the cross ties without undoing them. This is particularly fun when the horse going under the cross ties is saddled.

8. Leaving your horse loose in the aisle while you untack. "He won't go anywhere!"

9. Tack trunks chairs, tables, etc. don't belong in the barn aisle. Have you ever seen a horse get caught up on a tack trunk or in a director's chair?

10. Leading horses around by the halter (no lead rope), or worse, with a lead rope around the neck with no halter at all.

Okay, enough pet peeves for now.

[catknsn]

My pet peeve is halters left dangling from cross ties in the barn aisle... If my horse doesn't step in it, I probably will.

And from trailers with another horse tied right beside it just waiting to step into the dangling halter. Just put the crownpiece through the loop on your trailer, it only takes you a few seconds!

[oharabear]

My pet peeve is halters left dangling from cross ties in the barn aisle... If my horse doesn't step in it, I probably will.

that's mine too! I never used to even think about it until my trainer told me that she once had a horse who got his leg caught in one and broke it. The vet had to come out and euth the horse. She said it was one of the most traumatic experiences she's ever had. Now my friend and I are absolutely anal about NEVER leaving halters dangling from anything.

[Mimi La Rue]

that's mine too! I never used to even think about it until my trainer told me that she once had a horse who got his leg caught in one and broke it. The vet had to come out and euth the horse. She said it was one of the most traumatic experiences she's ever had. Now my friend and I are absolutely anal about NEVER leaving halters dangling from anything.

One late night at the barn I went to rinse out a bucket and the horse in the very last stall caught the corner of my eye. He was standing on 3 legs! I looked close and one leg was hooked up in a halter someone left tied in his stall. I rescued him of course but that sure was a close call and the horse was such a saint standing there like that. Who knows how long too. Owner still thanks me to this day whenever I see her.

[LauraKY]

I have no idea why this would be a good rule, everyone has one , and they ring all the time!! My girls put them in the gator to ride so they don't get crushed in a fall, and that is the only reason( their parents would not be happy to have to replace a helmet and a CELL phone LOL). I do agree with no texting while RIDING I think you should have two hands available in case of an issue! THey put them on vibrate only because there are usually 4-5 teenage girls riding at one time and I have to say its gets very annoying listening to 5 phones go off every 2 seconds!!

I'm sorry, if you're here for a lesson you should have all your senses on the trainer and the horse. Not distracted by a cell phone. Give me a break, they can't go 1 hour without being tied to their friends? We use ours for business and they're on vibrate if we're working with horses. We do train our horses with cell phones during de-spooking. They learn to sit and wait patiently while on a call, but that's not our regular practice. Why would you intentionally allow a student to be distracted?

I used to run a gymnastics center and we did not allow cell phone calls in the waiting area. It's just plain rude to have to listen in on someone's private and usually LOUD conversation with no escape. Had one lawyer loudly discussing a child custody agreement and naming names. That's when we instituted the policy. At least we had sense, even if she didn't.

[PRS]

My own private barn so my rules are also very simple...
No unsupervised people in my barn,
no smoking in the barn,
kids must wear helmets when riding,
adults are offered a helmet,
proper riding shoes are a must.
Nobody rides any horse without my express permission and attendance, ever.
No kids in the same field as loose horses.
No riding in a field with loose horses.
All gates closed and chained,
Feed room door stays closed at all times.

[PRS]

I am driven positively insane by horses that are tied too long. I always want to run around at horseshows and re-tie other people's horses if the lead is so long that the horse could put a foot over it.

OMG! Me too! Another thing that absolutely drives me nuts is people who tie their horses too low! I've seen horses tied to bumpers, guy wires, the tail lights on the trailer!!!!, Side mirrors and a ton of other inappropriate places. Drives me insane!:confused:

[PRS]

Another thing I see all the time that makes me crazy is hay nets hung too low and left unattended. I can't help but imagine a hoof getting caught.

[Grataan]

I am now known as "MEAN OLD DR GRATAAN (the Child Hater)"

because, and I kid you not, this happened last friday as I was prepping a Very Large Halter Horse for a show the next day

-5 year old notorious for not listening to ANYONE is out in the arena cleaning up her tack (gathering longe line and whip, picking out poop) with one of the pre-teen riders (who is very good, but didn't know the 5 year old was with her)
-I'm clipping the 17hh, 1600lb 4yo who just got here 10 days ago (ie we don't know him very well) with his butt to the arena (just the way our grooming area is set up)
-Spidey sense goes off, I look into the arena in time to see child waving longe whip with plastic bag attached (WTF? who did that?) galloping directly towards me (WHO THE FRUITBAT opened that gate?!?!)
-I calmly state "Outofcontrol Child, stop"--noresponse--"OUTofcontrol Child, drop that whip"--no response, still galloping toward me and horse's butt with whip-- "OUT OF CONTROL Child, NO!"--still no response (Well Behaved Pony clubber turns around and starts saying "OCC, stop, listen to dr g etc)-- finally had to yell "ABSOLUTELY NOT! OUT OF CONTROL CHILD STOP RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" child STILL doesn't stop. At this point horse still hasn't noticed child mere inches from his butt with the super long whip but I am this close to dropping clippers and diving on top of child. I try one more time "STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW!"

-kid finally looks up. From the other side of the barn I hear "Why are you yelling?" kid drops whip and scampers back from whence she came.
-Mother comes over and proceeds to scream in my face about not yelling at her kid and how I should have 'been nicer' and I 'owe her kid an apology'
I LOST IT. I said "NO. YOU owe ME a THANK YOU. I just saved your daughter's life. She would have been kicked in the head. Mom goes "well why was that gate open?" my friend who was holding my horse goes "Because you left it open MORON."

[SpringOakFarm]

Some additional ones that haven't been mentioned:

No bungee trailer ties - horse pulls back, if bungee is released, possible eye injury. I only use safety ties in my trailer.

No frayed hay nets - they can break - buy a new hay net (they're cheap) and always keep scissors in the tack room of the trailer in case a hay net did break and the horse steps into it.

No dangling halters - always hooked - one fly on the nostril can result in an injured eye with a head shake and a dangling halter hook.

Regular maintenance on my truck and trailer - complete annual check and bearings repacked on my trailer every year.

No low dangling straps on blankets - if you can't make them short enough then get a blanket that fits better, or at a minimum knot the straps to shorten them.

No dangling lead ropes while on cross-ties. And, never leave your horse unattended on cross-ties.

Tie up your irons after you dismount - don't lead around with dangling irons.

Tieing a horse to a trailer on a lead that is too long - or leaving them tied for too much time.

[Pat Thrasher]

About cell phones....

I have been a boarder in a barn with no *enforced* cell phone rule. The barn was mostly populated by teenagers, none of whom could, apparently, be separated from their friends for more than 32 seconds.

Attempting to ride in the (large) ring with these chickadees was an exercise in extreme frustration. At the first bleep from a phone, rider would check horse, usually on the track, and sit there talking for however long -- standing ON THE TRACK. Or walking veerrryyy slowly, meandering around as the horse chose. Texting? same deal except more so, because at least in a voice conversation the eyes might occasionally track upwards and notice that there were other people in the ring.

And, of course, a request that the "rider" move to the ring center during such conversations was met with glares, snotty remarks, and ... well, one of the reasons we left that barn was vandalized tack (cut reins and saddle billets) and stolen possessions.

Anyway, that's why a *barn enforced* rule on cell phones is a good idea.

General boarding barn rules:

Do not feed anything to any horse you don't own. (Allergies, insulin resistance, etc.)

If it's closed, leave it closed. If it's open, leave it open.

No grooming/tacking in the wash stall. The wash stall is for activities that need water. Do not park your horse in the wash stall and depart to "get your stuff." Do not hog the wash stall. Use the water, scrape the horse, and move to regular cross ties ASAP.

Do not leave a horse standing in cross ties. Ever. For any reason. If you need to run and get something, have someone keep an eye on your horse. Why? Because horses do WEIRD STUFF. Also, because other people may need to get by with their horses, or get to things that are blocked by your horse.

Your mother doesn't live here. Clean up after yourself and your horse. Now. Immediately. Manure, hoof pickings, whatever -- don't leave it until you get back from riding. Someone else may need to use those crossties, the wash stall, whatever. They shouldn't have to clean up your mess first.

Children too young/small to follow these rules completely need to be supervised by an adult who takes responsibility for the child's compliance. A small child cannot realistically pick up a full load of manure in a shovel and deposit it in the muck bucket. This is a fact. So Mom or Dad or other larger, stronger individual needs to be there to help. Note: Child should be indoctrinated fully in the process of picking up horse s**t and allowed to have the privilege of doing as much as s/he realistically can.

Big Rule: Do Not Touch/Use any item that is not yours, other than items clearly designated as barn property to be used for cleaning up (brooms, shovels, etc.). If you didn't buy it, IT IS NOT YOURS. This applies to all items of tack, clothing, supplies, etc. Sub-rule: If it's yours, label it, keep track of it, put it away when you're done using it. If you have an emergency, ASK before using someone else's stuff. If the someone else is not there, and it's a true emergency (Hoofer is bleeding profusely, say), some latitude may be granted IF a note is left AND a new full container of whatever it is appears within the next 24 hours as a gift.

This even applies to carrots. :)

Pat, who now leases a barn and is sooooo glad to be out of the boarding circus.

[Sue from Auckland]

1. People who undo the front of the blanket first. Horse jumps around and blanket ends up around the hind legs with the belly and leg straps still attached.
Belly straps do complicate matters, but around here it is standard to unfasten front first - better to have blanket at back end of horse which can then move forward and step out of it than at front end of horse where blanket may either flip over head and cause blind panic or swing under front feet and cause trip up/busted neck.
If it's closed, leave it closed. If it's open, leave it open.
I'm of two minds about this one. If everyone always abided by it, that would work. But often someone else has (incorrectly) left it open and it needs to be closed. Signage can help here, but as a general rule (for gates anyway) I'm in the if it's closed, leave it closed, if it's open, close it.

[JumpWithPanache]

Cool to read other people's rules and ideas, I like the way most of it is common sense with different presentations. One of the things I always teach people is holding the lead rope. I do not allow it to be looped around like a coiled rope, that creates the possibility of of trapping a hand if the horse yanks out. Instead, the handler lays the lead back and forth across the hand so it can be pulled free in case of emergency.

[hellerkm]

Cool to read other people's rules and ideas, I like the way most of it is common sense with different presentations. One of the things I always teach people is holding the lead rope. I do not allow it to be looped around like a coiled rope, that creates the possibility of of trapping a hand if the horse yanks out. Instead, the handler lays the lead back and forth across the hand so it can be pulled free in case of emergency.

This is another really good one! My mom taught us this when we were VERY young and even my 2 1/2 yr old can hold a lead rope this way ( with help) I have seen someone get their hand caught in a lunge line with a very rowdy baby and it was not pretty! Rope burn and a broken finger were the result!!!

[feed lady65]

I ALWAYS turn my ringer off or down very low when around the horses.
Simply because my ringtone is "Call to the Post". Rang one time around nervous OTTB mare. :eek: Trust me, THAT will never ever happen again.