To think horse riding is too dangerous?

[bellav]

DD10 developed a sudden love for horses after we read War Horse together last autumn.

She has asked for riding lessons and as yet we have said no due to cost but we had secretly planned to get her a few for her birthday next month.

But I have now got cold feet after reading stories on here about serious injuries and even deaths among riders doing mundane things like riding indoors in "safe" conditions.

One article linked said it is more dangerous than riding a motorbike, with a serious accident every 350 hours vs 7000. I know many of these are from cross-country etc, but I can't help worry about the ones that aren't.

AIBU to not want to start down this path?

Agreed, it doesn't sound great. I was starting to think perhaps it would be okay as so many people were reassuring, but this has got me back in a panic again. I wish they would differentiate riding stable accidents versus more risky horseback activities as it's like comparing pootling down a country lane in a Nissan Micra to Formula One otherwise!

Someone said above horses are good for your soul. That is it exactly, they honestly breathe life into you! it does have risks, I had two bad falls over the years but both were on nervy ponies I was exercising - in one case a truck came speeding up alongside us, the other a mare and goal nearby came galloping up in a field close by. Both things freaked me out too!!!

Honestly, it's like a sort of drug that once you are bitten, there is no way out. I have loved horses all my life, rode as child but my dm was very against it as her family lost all their money through horses and had to flee to America. ( no idea of the inns and outs of that one). My ds also rode but stopped at 18 having broken a wrist. Never missed it and wouldn't look out of the windows at a horse trotting by, which says it all.
It is one of the greatest joys and my life would be so diminished without a horse in it.

It's a difficult one. We all weigh up risk vs benefits differently. I cycle everywhere, on road and off road, I try to do things that minimise risk wherever I can. The benefits are hugely improved health and wellbeing, I think it's worth it but others might not.

Horse riding is one of the riskier sports, like motorcycling. But all riders are not equal, and some do not follow the same safety rules as others. Some choose more powerful horses and riskier jumps, some are constantly working with multiple horses with different temperaments, and some just do a bit of riding at the weekend with one horse they know really well. You can't just evaluate them all as having the same high risk. I think that there's a lot you can do to minimise the risks, while giving your daughter the benefits. It's only going to be worth it if you really feel she'll get lot out of it though (and I'm also talking about expense).

@bellav It's like you have it in your head riding is hideously dangerous, your jumping onto the posts that are confirming what you are thinking.

Do you honestly think the late Queen would have being riding in a headscarf for much of her life if riding was that dangerous?

Do you have anxiety over other things too? Have you analysed the risks of cycling or scooters? Or the local play park?

Yes, I do have quite a lot of anxiety in general about my kids being safe. I like the thought of the Queen in her headscarf though. That image helps!

Well you are riding an animal that ultimately has a life of its own - so yes there are of course risks. But the benefits are huge . It will teach your daughter to be strong, confident, brave, have an amazing core strength and balance and muscles you won’t believe. She will be fit and healthy and get fresh air and sunshine year round. she will learn how to muck out in the middle of winter, lift hay bales and fall in love with horses rather than boys !

I’ve been riding for 43 years. Like a few people a dislocated shoulder is my worst injury (and a few squashed toes!)

its a life long love once you start and you will spend all of your money on it - but it’s worth every penny!

Google the Queen riding, lots of headscarves as an adult and one image of her as a child with a riding hat on.

And remember the riding hats you get now have much more protection that those 90 years ago.

Only you can decide the risk levels for your children.

The risk of serious injury are very low. Higher than other sports but still very low.

Risks of not doing sports, including the risk taking associated with more dangerous sports, are higher, in my opinion. My children play sports where this is a higher than average chance they'll lose teeth or suffer serious injury. But they are fitter than most and will be more able to process and understand risk in the future. They will also have some awesome scars.

An older friend of mine said recently

"As a female child, she was not allowed to ride a bicycle. However, she has always had ponies & horses."

I have ridden since I was a young child. I have had the pleasure of riding horses in various different countries round the world.

I also ride motorbikes

I also scuba dive - add that into dangerous sports round the world.

My friend was at home, sneezed & hurt their back.

I am glad that I have had so many wonderful adventures !

Horse riding is great fun & addictive

If you fall, you get back on again

I doubt whether learning to ride in a controlled environment on placid horses is that risky.

The issue is though there are not that many people that are happy spending all their lives circling yards on fat old ponies, in the same way as when you learn skiing there are not that many people who are happy snowploughing along at 5mph for their entire ski career.

You are going to start off at the lower end risk of the sport, but as you progress the risks are going to get rapidly higher as you attempt more exciting, more difficult and more dangerous stuff.

I’ve been riding most of my life. I had a lot of falls as a kid. But back then, risk wasn’t really managed particularly well, and a lot of the ponies I rode were pretty wild. I would imagine things are much different these days. Of course it’s not without risk and yes sooner or later she is going to fall off, unless she just wants to plod around forever which is unlikely!

you need to pick the riding school carefully. Go off a recommendation ideally. Perhaps go and observe some lessons before you book her in. Make sure she has good quality riding gear and also talk to the yard owner/manager and tell them you want her to take things really slowly and for her to ride quiet bombproof types. But to be honest this should come as standard with any decent riding school these days.

Find a reputable riding school. If you don't know how to judge, a bhs approved one will give you some peace of mind around standards and licence/ insurance. Make a visit and ask to watch a lesson. Coaches should be qualified and experienced, any young helpers should have training. Coaches shouldn't be yelling but will sometimes need to be firm for safety reasons. Get a properly fitted hat at a local tack shop that meets correct standards ( not from decathlon). Horses should be well cared for ( that doesn't mean fat) tack safe and clean (old is fine, it's usually better quality).

Good advice. My dd is at a reputable riding school. However one teacher is shouting ALL the time. She really seems to enjoy putting her students down and playing mind games with them by being really nice to one child in the class and mean to all others. I sort of had wondered if this is common. None of the other teachers behave like her.

Someone I know is experienced rider. Horse spooked by dog and she has emergeny hospitalisation. Off work for months. Has no money spare as its a very expensive hobby.

When my DD was in Primary school, a friend of hers died after sustaining a head injury from a fall from a horse- it was absolutely awful.

However, when I was a child, I knew a lot of people who rode horses and knew no one who had been injured while doing it.

So I can believe that it is statistically quite risky, but I wouldn’t rule it out for my child if I could find a school/instructor that had an excellent safety record and good reviews.

I would worry about it a bit but I would also probably worry just as much about my child playing rugby, going trampolining or diving into a swimming pool.

Are those stats for the UK or USA? Far fewer riders in the US wear riding hats or body protectors which will make a difference.

I’ve been riding since I was a young child, around 39 years and touch wood I’ve never had a serious accident. The odd fall sure but nothing major. Being a horse owner is just the best thing ever. I spent every weekend and school holiday working for rides at my riding school then when I got the opportunity to have a horse on full loan I was at the stables every spare second before and after school. The fun I had with my friends then bombing around the countryside on my pony of a lifetime, unbeatable! Now as an adult I still love it, so much fun. There’s no better hobby, it’s just expensive!

My 11 year old has been riding since she was four, semi-regularly at first, and very regularly for the past 4 years. She has sustained worse injury from falling out of her - completely standard - bed (broken bone that time) than she has from falling off horses (only ever bruises). She has fallen off horses more!

Let her have a go - in a decent riding school it will take years of lessons before she's doing anything dangerous enough to come off anyway.

My whole family ride apart from me and every single one of them has broken a collar bone as bare minimum.

Yes it’s dangerous but it’s so much fun.

Lots of things are dangerous, when I was at school a boy in my year group had an accident and died in his bed and a girl died on a running track, you’ve just got to do what you want to do because you never know what could happen.

Honestly OP when kids start riding they will be put on a steady/experienced pony in an arena and the instructor will lead the animal. So minimal risks.

Even if the pony spooks and a kid falls remember that the arena has sand on the floor to lessen the impact and that falling from a pony is not falling from a great height :).

I started riding in my late 40s and I have had a few instances of horses spooking (the first time I cantered it was not planned, my horse just took off apparently bored with trotting) and even with my limited skills and older body I have never fallen from a horse so far...

My sister has 3 horses, she's fallen a few times, broken ribs, collar bone. She also has metal plates in her arm. Despite having a consultant surgeon's stipend, she also has very little money spare.