There is a much more to horseback riding safety than just wearing protective gear and making sure your horse’s cinches are properly tightened.
Although it is recommended to wear a helmet along with comfortable shoes or boots and riding accessories such as gloves, a mouth-guard, chaps, crash vests and stirrups; this will all add extra layers of protection to the horse back rider but it also significantly decreases the chances of a serious injury.
But how do you protect the horse while horseback riding? Have you ever thought about the safety measurements to keep your horse healthy which minimizes the risks of your equine getting hurt while riding?
Here are some tips that will help you keep your horse healthy and make your rides stress-free.
THINK LIKE A HORSE WHILE RIDING
If you want to lead, you must understand an equines’ psychology and
how to bond with your horse. If you are not feeling fully confident or unsure about the upcoming
ride, it is best to avoid getting on the horse.
Horses are able to sense fear and uncertainty. Having a very strong sense of smell, horses can easily detect anxiety and fear of an unskillful rider, which usually causes them to change the direction they are moving or gallop on a loose rein.
This is dangerous for the horse as well as the rider. If that happens, stopping the horse is very difficult. You need to know how to manage your equine and remain focused to avoid a sudden fall and prevent yourself from getting hurt.
Weather Protection
Depending on where you live, extreme weather conditions could be rough on your horse. Increasing temperature and humidity have a very negative impact on your equines health. Horses produce a high amount of heat when they are active; their sweat actually helps to regulate their body temperature from rising too high. However, sweating is not as effective in humid and hot climates, which can cause horses to suffer from dehydration and heat strokes.
Heat exhaustion or hyperthermia symptoms include overall weakness of the animal, lack of movement, fast breathing, a low consumption of food and water, and an overall rise in their rectal temperature to 103F.
Consequently, this increases the chances of muscle cramping, colic pain, hinder in heart functioning and other severe, even fatal health problems. It could also damage their liver, nervous system, kidneys, and lungs.
The precautionary measures you can do to prevent all of the above are:
- Always use special equine sunscreen. Provide shaded area for the horse to rest and / or reduce the time it spends on the sun.
- Provide an excessive supply of fresh water and supplements, such as electrolytes.
- Wipe your horse’s face with a sponge to clean off excess sweat and hair.
- Spray your horse with 50/50 water and rubbing alcohol solution or splatter with water and ice near large blood vessels (legs, under the belly and underneath of the neck) to support cooling process;
- Rub away the excess water and sweat since it increases chances for your horse’s body to heat up again.
Fly Protection
Using a fly repellent is necessary when you are riding your horse outdoors. Additionally, to keep flies away, you can use a special head gear or a mask. To protect the ears, you can get an ear bonnet.
Remember, it is important that you regularly groom your horse and clean the dirt off your horses skin. A bite from a fly can make your horse sick, so keeping your horse indoors at night time is advisable when there are too many flies out. This will help keep your horse healthy and happy.
Horse Boots
When riding on a rough road, your horse needs special protection for its legs. Boots and leg wraps can be used to shield horse’s legs from injuries and provide them with extra support during jumping and reining activities.
Regularly checking up on your beloved equine is easier than treating an injury. Keep an eye on your horse to keep it fit and healthy and take precautions to increase its life span.
