Health and safety frustration

Dear readers, if you own or manage an equestrian club, this might be a disturbing post for you. Very rude, maybe, but it derives from my experience as a volunteer. I will write my opinion, and well, I don’t give a damn if you have cooperated with me and feel that this post has to do with you. Maybe it does. The Greek proverb says “the one who has the fly feels it”. Besides, anybody can write what he/she wants on the blogosphere.

For God’s sake, be a little rational when it comes to health and safety issues. Working with unpredictable animals that weight more than 400 kg, is of course dangerous and people who work or have fun in equestrian clubs know that and accept the risk. What surprises me is not meeting health and safety standards, being indifferent regarding the welfare of people who work for you, but at the same time, considering irrelevant things as health and safety risks.

If you organize group lessons with up to 20 people without having enough space for that, have your workers catch up to four horses simultaneously from the field, don’t keep a first aid kit, don’t give a damn when 12-year old workers are painfully injured by your animals, put terrified four-year olds on the back of dodgy horses, keep your school ponies cramped in filthy outdoor yards with solidified poo being their floor on a permanent basis, are OK with debris lying on your outdoor arenas, expect your workers to collect droppings right from the butt of horses that stand in line during lessons (especially if there are horses right behind that butt), please don’t remind me about health and safety issues when I show affection to horses that have manners, especially when they cry.  It doesn’t make sense.

Thank you, I hope that I’m not too harsh.You had been warned anyways.