Duty Of Care

A 'duty of care' refers to the obligations placed on people to act towards others in a certain way, in accordance with certain standards. The term can have a different meaning depending on the legal context in which it is being used.

Our staff policies cover what actions we, the instructors, of Stoke Lane Stables will take to ensure the safety, security, further education, illness and injury, and working environment for those who work and volunteer at the yard. We revisit and revise as necessary those policies each year in light of what challenges we have faced and what we have learned about our staff and our horses.

Our client policies cover much of the same things, but we also must consider how the horse can present further dangers as the clients are not usually as experienced as those of us who work with the animals every day. The issue of over horsed and under horsed is discussed by staff on an individual basis for each client and an agreement is reached.

What is ‘over horsed’?

This is a term used when a rider is unable to control a horse either from the saddle or the ground. If the horse is too big or too strong and is able to intimidate the human to such a degree that the horse is in control of the situation, the human is over horsed. The horse is doing whatever he or she wants to do. The danger posed is great as horses in general have

little spatial awareness, some specific danger awareness, and are always looking to better their position in the herd hierarchy (remember that humans are the top of that hierarchy).

Examples of being over horsed include being unable to groom and tack a horse without the horse trying to kick or bite; being unable to lead the horse to and from the field without them dragging the human; being unable to make the horse stop when in the saddle; being unable to make the horse go in the required direction when in the saddle. We do accept that these situations can happen to anyone as a one-off, but if the situation continues over several sessions and/or days, then it is clear that the person is over horsed and in danger. We therefore must take action to keep the individual safe.

What is ‘under horsed’?

This term is used for when the rider is too large for the horse, or is asking the horse to engage in activities that are beyond the physical capabilities of the animal. For example,Fagin can carry up to 10 stone (140 pounds/63 kg) person, but putting an adult who weighs that and is over 5’5” is a case of under horsed. The adult’s balance will be compromised as there is too much above the saddle and the legs will hang too long below the saddle.

Another example would be Millie can jump to 70cm but her body build and weight make that height a danger to her feet and legs when she lands (her ideal jump height is 60cm), no matter who is riding her, this is an injury concern.

Weight limits

And back to weight – it is a common complaint about a rider being too heavy for their horse. Damage to a horse’s back is usually completely avoidable, but once the back is damaged, it is permanent. There is no excuse for anyone riding a horse that cannot carry their weight comfortably. A somewhat standard rule is big people ride big horses and little people ride little horses. This is why our system asks you for initial height and weight on registration and will continue to ask 6-monthly updates via email. It is also why sometimes your horse gets changed.

Managing Expectations

It is from the point of over horsed and under horsed that many decisions are made. Just because you can ride a horse, doesn’t always mean that is the right horse for you. Yes, we all love Conker! He is an amazing Schoolmaster who has been there and done that in most ridden disciplines. Just because he makes you feel great doesn’t mean that he will be the ideal horse for your development. As he ages, we will start to restrict what he does so that he can have the best quality of life possible. This means that the riders will be given or placed on new, more challenging rides. Because we move carefully, this will (hopefully) eliminate the over horsed problem while not creating an under horsed situation.

We all love an easy ride, but growth is not easy. A comfortable place for most riders who jump is between 70cm and 80cm – high enough to be a challenge but not so high as to terrify or cause injury.

On the flip side, just because you can jump a horse at 85cm doesn’t mean that you can control the horse on the ground. This is where a very large area of our Duty of Care comes in; to make sure that our clients, volunteers and handlers are not put in such a position that they are in danger.

It is for this reason why clients cannot choose their mount. It is up to the system and instructors to allocate horses taking into account all of the above.

Bullying

Another area of Duty of Care that we take very seriously is bullying. This is more often than not a problem with young people’s interaction, but it has also reared its ugly head with adults. We work very hard to monitor any situation where this could arise. We try to talk honestly with the various individuals while keeping the actual observed incident vague so as to not appear threatening. It does work. We have children (aged 4-11), young people (aged 12-17), and adults (aged 18 and over) who are actively part of the Social Services system. It is important to us at Stoke Lane Stables that we do not add to the individual’s issues and pain, but provide a place where they feel safe, secure and able to heal and grow.

The general atmosphere of love and acceptance is, like safety, a primary goal at Stoke Lane Stables. Bullying, racial or religious intolerance, sexual orientation and gender identity intolerance, will find the perpetrator asked to leave immediately.

DBS Checks and Staff Training

The final Duty of Care is that all the people who work with and teach your children, young people or vulnerable adults, are DBS checked. All our sub-contractors and professionals who attend the yard are fully vetted and have the appropriate paperwork. Our Duty of Care means that protection and safety go beyond equine interaction – it does include human interaction. The staff have been trained also to look for signs of abuse, physical, mental and emotional, and how to properly and effectively report it. As part of our Staff Training Policy, we are constantly adding more involved practical and online training in equitation, safeguarding and mental health for our instructors and volunteers as part of their continued professional development; Stoke Lane Stables actively invest in staff so our clients get the best possible approach in their lessons. We care about our riders’ both here at Stoke Lane Stables and in the wider world. If we can help, then we will.

Accident Reports

Accident Reports are not just a legal requirement. Accident reports help the staff analyse what went wrong in a ride. This is part of our Duty of Care. We do look at the reports, which fortunately is not very many, monthly to see what work needs to be done with each animal.

Sometimes the accident is just a fluke thing – a bird flew out of a bush and spooked the horse; sometimes it is an educational thing – the horse refused a jump because it didn’t understand it; sometimes it is a behavioural issue – the horse bolted after a jump; sometimes it is a health-related issue – tack not fitting, undetected lameness, teeth, field injury, it’s a long list. When we have looked at the possible causes, we discuss how it will be dealt with. This will make the horse safe for the next time a client works with it. It is vital that we document what happened and the possible injuries because what doesn’t hurt from a fall now, will hurt in 24 hours. It also means that the fall and any subsequent injuries appear on the rider’s file so that a teacher will know how to deal with both the physical and mental fears.

All of us at Stoke Lane Stables become upset when the rider or the teacher has an incident with a horse. We feel personal responsibility for the situation that has put an individual on the ground because we want each person to enjoy a safe and happy experience that develops them. There is not an accident that should not be reported. It is hard to get young people to report an accident because they are embarrassed or shrug it off, but this is a mistake. We cannot fix issues if we don’t know they are happening. Also, instructors cannot physically oversee each client, volunteer and helper personally the whole time they are here. We watch constantly, but we will miss things when other situations are brought to our attention. Staff, volunteers and handers have been told to report all accidents and incidents.

I do hope this clears up any thoughts you might have about how we operate with a view towards Duty of Care. We take our responsibilities very seriously. We do not do this at a shallow level. We go as deep as we need to and as far as an individual will want us to, with an aim to be a part of the solution and not part of the problem.

If you have concerns about our Duty of Care, please do speak to Kate. If you have viable suggestions that will make Stoke Lane Stables a safer, more pleasant place, then again please speak with Kate. We are open to all suggestions. They may not be immediately implemented as they may need training and planning before being put in place. They may have already been tried and we have been told that we are not allowed to do that. Stoke Lane Stables is constantly evolving to become the riding school you can be proud to be associated with. Thank you so much for your support.