Staying Safe
Don't over estimate your ability. Just as your horse needs to be fit and confident, so will you. You'll need to understand how to pace your horse so it doesn't tire itself out, and help it over a variety of jumps both broad and high.- Ride today's horse today. Don't assume that your horse will behave the same way at each hunt. Just because your horse did well for three hours in open fields at the last hunt, doesn't mean it will behave the same way on today's ground.
- When warming up, let your horse stretch and get familiar with the surroundings, don't canter around and be aware of the safety of other riders as they tack up.
- Always be aware of the location of the hounds and never get between the hounds and whips.
- Remember you are responsible for the person behind you. Never abandon the rider behind you. Instead, be aware of the distance between horses and if the rider behind you is safe and comfortable.
- Keep your horse two-to-three horse-lengths behind the horse you are following. Do not use the horse in front of you as a bumper to stop your horse.
When you stop your horse be sure to stay behind the horse in front of you. Do not let your horse disobey you and pull up next to the horse in front of you.- If you feel out of control, let the person in front of you know right away, so they can determine how best to help you.
- If someone falls off their horse, let the person in front of you know immediately along with the Field Master. Two people are required to stay with the fallen rider until s/he gets back on their horse. Any first aiders should attend and if the rider is seriously injured call for emergency help. If your mobile has no signal - call 112 if 999 does not work.
If a horse is loose, immediately yell "loose horse" and let an experienced person catch the horse.- Accidents can happen even at the end of the hunt, so remember to stay safe until you are off your horse.
- Store next of kin details in your mobile phone and add the letters ICE in front of the name of those who should be contacted in case of an emergency. It's what the emergency services will look for if you have an accident.
