Safety Activity Checkpoints (SACs) Planning and Preparation Phase
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Ensure riders learn and follow safety basics. Learn how to mount, dismount, start, stop, steer, and maintain balance.
Be clear on gear. • Review Gear for Horseback Riding at the end of this section.
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Learn how to ask the instructor for help.
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Only one rider is permitted per horse at one time.
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Eating or drinking are not permitted while riding.
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Dismount before going through small gates.
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Do not adjust clothing, such as by putting on a jacket, while on the horse. Ask to dismount to make any clothing adjustments.
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For arena rides, non-riding adults stay nearby. On trail rides, adults ride with the group, following ratios for their program grade level.
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Horses displaying uncomfortable or unexpected behavior should be dismounted and checked for injuries and ill-fitting equipment. They may need to be walked back to the stable on foot.
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If a horse gets loose, do not chase it; an adult should calmly attempt to retrieve the horse.
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Respect trail-riding standards. Riders should learn horse control (how to start, stop, steer, and adjust speed to maintain distance between horses) with an arena ride before taking a trail ride.
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Communicate early with participants and families about what the group leader or outfitter will supply and what individuals need to bring. Helmets, long pants, and footwear are required. Line up first aid. Ensure that at least one adult has First Aid/CPR/AED training. For locations more than 30 minutes from emergency medical services, recruit a Wilderness First Aider or Wilderness First Responder. Identify the closest emergency transport and facilities. Bring a first aid kit.
Day of the Activity Evaluate scene safety. Look for or ask about these items during the decision-making phase. Double-check on arrival. • Are the horses properly cared for?
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Is the riding area away from traffic and outside distractions?
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Is the riding area free of debris, exposed barbed wire fencing, and other hazards?
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Are the instructional arenas, corrals, paddocks, and stables clean and uncluttered?
Trails should be marked, mapped, and regularly inspected/maintained.
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Avoid trails that cross or follow a road. If a group must cross a road, the instructor should halt the group in a line well before the road, check for traffic, and then signal the group to cross. At the signal, all horses are to be turned to face the highway and all cross at the same time.
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Choose trails with good footing, free of low-hanging branches or other dangerous obstructions.
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Avoid overly muddy or frozen ground.
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Base the length of the ride and the gait (speed) of the horses on the ability of the least experienced rider.
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Ride single file, one full horse length apart, with instructors at the head and rear of the group.
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Horses are walked up and down hills, not ridden fast, and should be walked for the final ten minutes of any riding period to cool down.
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Do the instructional arenas, corrals, paddocks, and stables have clearly posted rules and regulations?
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Does the ring have good footing for the horses?
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Is the ring fencing at least 42 inches high, easily visible, and well maintained?
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Are the gates to the ring shut when the ring is in use?
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Is the tack (e.g., saddles, bridles, stirrups, girth) clean and in good condition?
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