safety hat when turning out

criollo1

New Member
Feb 14, 2010
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I always wear my safety hat for turning my horse out during the winter months when he has been in. I am the only one who does this at my yard. Does anyone else do this or am I the only wuss??
 
I used to do it when I had a highly strung youngster to turn out. I don't for my own because I don't feel the need.
If you want to wear it; wear it!! You only have one skull!
 
Don't think your a wuss at all - just very sensible. Personally I don't but I do know of some very nasty accidents that have happened at turnout time so think your probably right to do so.

Have been injured doing all sorts of stuff handling horses over the years and many of them would have been less painful if I had been sensible enough to wear a hat, and sometimes gloves too.:redface:
 
I put my hat on when on the ground when my constantly on going risk assesments says I ought to.

99% of the time I don't bother, I know my guys well enough to judge that I'm not going to need it.

I don't wear a hat when I am shoeing, why wear one to turn out? My guys are out 24/7 anyway. they are only going back out, no excitment there.
 
I wear mine when I walk my boy out in hand but not in the field but then he's out 24/7 so like Wally there's not really any excitement from him, its just in case he spooks at something when we're out and about - he's got a huge head that would whip round in a second and knock me out cold.
 
Well, thanks for your replies. Unfortunately, my horse is not alloud to live out 24/7 So in the winter months I am sure he does feel like it is a big deal when he is alloud out. Congratulations Wally on knowing your horses so well you don't feel the need to ever wear one. I am very pleased for you. Well done.
 
Do I detect a soupçon of sarcasm there?

Did I say I NEVER wore one, nope, I said I take each event and treat it accordingly.

Yes, I do trust my lot, I am very proud of them all in the fact that they behave. When i am turning out I don;t put them on a head collar, they walk beside me to the gate and wait to be let back out.
 
Hope my post didn't come across as smug for saying my horse is out 24/7, this wasn't what I intended, just pointing out the reason why I didn't wear one for that particular purpose. With that in mind I guess it didn't answer your question and I should possibly have refrained from replying. Apologies for that, I just thought I'd comment cause I do wear a hat for some activities that are not riding and wanted to show some support. I think you're very sensible wearing a hat at all times.
 
Congratulations Wally on knowing your horses so well you don't feel the need to ever wear one. I am very pleased for you. Well done.

Ouch! You did ask, and she gave you her answer...

When you work with horses for a living and are dealing with the same ones all day every day, you get to know those horses extremely well and you can be 99% sure that you know how they will behave/react in a given situation. Personally I don't wear a hat for anything apart from riding, because I know my charges very well and I trust that they will not put me in danger. Yes, sometimes you do get it wrong, but it is all about risk assessment. Just as you see a potential risk in turning out your horse when he's full of beans, someone else may not think there is one with theirs.

If you see a risk in putting your horse out I think it's sensible to wear a hat. It's not about someone thinking they are superior because THEY don't see the need to wear one ;)
 
I have turned out in a hat in the past - I dont currently as mine live out so when I get there the point is anulled unless I keep hat in car and wear in the field when I get there :) LOL.

At the RS we had a horse we had to turn out in hard hat with rope looped through as he didnt give you time to unclip a rope, he wasnt nasty just full of beans and bucked (at 16"3 its not a small buck!) as he cantered off - but it was always right by gate. If rope not off fast enough you were also cantering across field :giggle:
 
Mine are out 24/7 I only wear a hat when I think it is needed, loading etc, I have found that if I wear it for every occaision they get excited thinking that they are going to do something for the day. Wally that is so sweet that they follow you to the gate. I would add that I know people that don't wear hats and some that wear them only for riding theres not a wrong or a right and we make descisions as adults that suits us. I go with the philosophy that if you do things that keep you within your comfort zone and help you feel safe and confident than it can't be a bad thing.
 
I didn't get a note of sarcasm in the reply.

I wear my hat constantly around horses, because it keeps my head warm and safe.
 
In the summer, when I am out driving, we often go to the shop and buy sweeties. The tourists are attracted by the ponies and the cart.

We sometimes get a lot of folk wanting to fuss over and speak to the ponies. When do we get to the stage where I make the general public back off and not come near unless they are wearing a hat and body armour?
I think H&S has gone really over board.

Both the vet and I got a hoof in the head a couple of months back trying to stitch up a pony, I offered him a hat and he gave me a very old fashioned look!
 
Not to scare anyone but in theory it is extremely sensible to wear a hat when turning out. A lady at my old yard turned her horse out one morning and he was excited and through a buck/kick in her general direction. She got kicked in the head, and was knocked unconscious. She was air lifted to hospital and lost the 2 previous weeks worth of memory. She made a full recovery eventually but turns out wearing a hat now.

Personally I don't, and really I should learn from her experience but I think really it's each to your own.
 
I don't . . . but I do insist that my daughter wears one when she goes into the field (for any reason) . . . Kal is a doddle to turn out and generally just mooches off in a determined walk rather than hooleying. On the odd occasion that he does canter off, he doesn't kick his heels up and I do always remove his headcollar when he's facing the gate. All that said, I did recently have a "moment" when walking Kal through a field with another (crazy) horse in it . . . said nutjob chose to gallop up behind Kal (who was very good and didn't react) and rear/playbox right in front of me . . . I did wish I had my hat then!

N
 
I ALWays wear my hat for turning out and bringing in. Ever since my friend warned me she'd had a "near miss" bringing hers in. I didn't used to - when I was on both yards I never gave it a thought, mainly because other people didn't bother wearing theirs and I just didn't realise how dangerous it could be!
I think I am more aware since bringing them home to live - in some ways because our facilities didn't used to be that good, and the horses could be quite difficult to get in of an evening. Also - when I saw the damage that OH's horse did to our car - he cost us £1000 in damages when he decided to frolic about and kick up his heels on the way to the field (can you imagine if my head head been in the way????!)
 
I have always worn a hat when working in the yard, doing ground work - leading, anything to do with horses.
My great aunt was killed by her horse on the ground - a kick to the head - so that's my reason for doing it.
I am the only one on the yard who does this.
So the horses dont make allowances for it.
If the mare puts her head too close when I bend over to pick out her feet or fix a boot, she is likely to get a clonk on the chin from my hat if I straighten up. This happened yesterday and a member of staff was afraid she had hurt me. But no. I dont mean to bump the horses, but I regard it as their responsibilty to keep out of the way and to learn I have a hard armoured head.

I ask my grand daughter always to wear a hat round horses. One third of accidents with horses happen on the ground and it can happen even to the best.The trainer Richard Maxwell received a head injury leading a horse.
 
My loan horse who has just gone back, recently gave my friend a depressed skull fracture while we tried to take her for a walk in hand. It was probably, foreseeable and I did have my hat on. After that we both wore our hats when turning her out. We however, didn't bother when doing her horse - as we classed the risk as minimal. So yes, I think you do kind of weigh up the risks and decide accordingly.

Having said that, I think I should probably wear it anyway.
 
I wear a hat when I deem it necessary. If I am dealing with a youngster or someone who's likely to rear and paddle at me.

I have been known to put my hat on and use it back at a particularly bloshy horse with no awareness of personal space. He nutted me, so I nutted him back...and a game of Chinese conkers began.

Otherwise I put the risk of every day delaing with the guys I have, who are already trained and laid back, as very low indeed, and I as a free thinking adult don't wear a hat for everyday messing about.

Do you make your vet or farrier wear a hat round your horses? Do you stop anyone in the street making a fuss of your horses if you meet them?

Come on, accidents happen, but lets use a bit of common sense and have a bit of faith in your own ability to asses risk.
 
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