I was just reading an article in my Riding Instructors Magazine.  The father of a new student asked the instructor when she teaches a safety class.  She became a little flustered, and didn’t know how to respond.  It isn’t a question we are often asked, if ever.  This particular father taught OSHA safety classes, and so it was at the top of his list.

So I stopped, and thought about the question.  It has never crossed my mind to start a “Safety Class.”  No?  Why not?  (I love having conversations with myself, it makes me go over things in my mind, and see where I really stand on an issue.)  Safety is of the utmost importance to me.  I’ve watched two people killed while riding.  No one, absolutely no one, should get hurt on my watch.  However, with horses, things aren’t always predictable.  Then it flashed across the Television screen of my mind.  I do teach a safety class.  Every moment, of every lesson, is one big safety class.  Every interaction of horse and rider becomes a lesson in safety.  I’m constantly throwing in safety reminders, pointing out how things should be done, and why.  Constantly reminding students of what they were taught, and why it needs to be done a certain way.  It’s so automatic to me I never realize that I’m teaching safety.  It so on-going with my students, that they aren’t even aware of it.

Sure you can go down a list of safety tips prior to the first introduction of a brand new student to a horse, and your barn –

• Never walk close behind a horse
• Never stand directly in front of a horse
• Never have a lead line (or reins) wrapped around your hand
• Never run up behind a horse

The list could go on for days, and you should give a brand new student a run-down of safety rules, along with your barn rules before starting, but more so, actually applying it as it is about to happen.

As a riding instructor you must always be alert, and aware of what is going on around you.  Both with the horse, rider, and outside stimulus.  It should be first in any horse persons mind.  I remember when I was first learning to drive a car.  Every time a plastic bag would blow across the road, I would grab the steering wheel a little tighter, waiting for the car to spook.  As a rider our peripheral vision is more heightened.  Okay, don’t tell me that I’m the only one who does that?

Have you ever noticed that people drive the way they ride.  I always know what students I’m willing to be a passenger with, and which ones I’d rather pass on.

Most people are not as safety conscious as they should be.  It’s such a shame.  It’s so easy to do it the safe way.  Doesn’t take much effort, but the success is worth it.

I was at a funeral one day, and one of the speakers pointed out the dash between the birth date, and date of death on the tombstone.  He said the dash was what was really important.  It was your life, and what you did in that time is what really mattered.  So is the dash in Safety First – Last.  It’s what really will count.

Most of us stay lucky.  Some never make it.  As Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) said “Do You Feel Lucky, punk”  Don’t have someone elses injury haunt your conscious.  Keep that dash safe at all times.

I had only started reading the article when I wrote this.  Basically the article said the same thing as I did.  Great minds think alike.

Now who said that?