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Friday, September 25 2020 / Published in General

Safely Hosting a Clinic

By Armand Leone and Jessica E. Choper

Hosting a clinic at your facility can be beneficial for a number of reasons. It can provide marketing opportunities for your farm, generate revenue and offer a fun learning experience for everyone involved. However, before you officially kick off your clinic, there are a few safety considerations to keep in mind. 

Liability 

After you’ve lined up your clinician and have the date picked out, make sure basic legal considerations are in place.

If your clinician teaches or gives clinics regularly, they likely have their own liability insurance, but be sure to confirm this with them well before the clinic date. 

Since you’re hosting the clinic at your property and likely have boarders, you should already have commercial liability insurance in place. If you don’t, it’s also vital that you obtain your own liability coverage in advance of the clinic. You should also contact your insurance provider before the clinic to confirm that your policy covers this particular activity.

Make certain that all clinic participants sign a liability waiver, even if the clinician also requires riders to sign liability waivers for his or her benefit. Almost all states within the U.S. now also have Equine Activity Liability Acts, so make sure the mandated liability warning signs contain the requisite language and are displayed on your property in a clearly visible location. 

Emergency Medical Services

In any equine activity, there’s almost always risk involved. Injuries can happen and it’s essential to be prepared to handle an emergency situation. Even though 911 is usually the first call you’ll make in a medical emergency, make certain that the contact information for the local EMS ambulance corps and hospital are readily available for you and staff as well. You can also contact your local ambulance service before the clinic to alert them of your upcoming event. At the time the riders register for the clinic, have them provide emergency contact information so that it’s easily accessed.

Dogs

Where there are horse owners, you’ll often find dogs so you need to decide if you should allow dogs at your clinic. Having dogs at an event like this can present liability issues for both dog owners and for you as the property owner. 

Dogs can cause a horse to spook and a rider to fall off, resulting in injuries to both horse and rider. Even if dogs are allowed on the premises with a leash, they can get loose and interfere with the smooth operation of the clinic. Plus, the possibility of a dog biting an attendee is also a major liability concern. 

Whether you decide to disallow dogs at the clinic or strictly enforce a “leashed-only” rule, include this information in any pre-clinic materials sent out to the potential participants and other attendees. Also, be sure to post signs about dog rules on-site at the clinic. 

Unattended Minors

Clinics offer a great opportunity for children to learn from a top professional in a relaxed, educational environment. However, it’s a good idea to set some guidelines in order to keep children safe when they’re not riding during a session. 

Even though they may not intend to cause any harm, kids who are playing near the barn or arena could be a potentially hazardous distraction. Running, yelling or other types of behavior can startle a horse, causing a rider to fall off. Curious children may also explore your facility, opening stall doors, leaving gates open, interacting with dangerous horses or unintentionally causing property damage. 

One way to help avoid these scenarios is to designate clearly marked areas for clinic participants and auditors. You can also post “No Admittance” signs in areas of the barn, rings or any other area that you would like to have off-limits. Include these on-site rules when attendees sign release forms, and make sure that parents relay this information to their children. 

Horse and Rider Safety

Before each group begins their session, have the clinician perform a tack safety check for every participant. This should include the bridle, saddle and all accessories. This is a good way to avoid any tack malfunctions during a ride and hopefully prevent riders from falling, and subsequently, horses running loose on the property. Always check girths at the beginning of each session and again before jumping. 

Again, before the start of each group, the clinician should brief the riders on what to do in the event that a rider does fall off. Loose horses can quickly become frightened, especially in a new environment. The best way to ensure a quick and safe recovery of the horse is to have all riders remain calm, dismount, go to the center of the ring and allow experienced staff to retrieve the loose horse. 

Once you’ve lined up the appropriate liability coverage for your event, set clear rules about dogs and unattended children, posted on-site signage in clear language and visible locations, and have safety plans set in place for riding sessions, you’re all set to host your clinic. Best of luck!

Photo:

Nicole Butchko and Corsair taking part in a clinic.

Photo by Jump Media

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Tagged under: clinic, columnist, Equine Law, horse safety, law, safety

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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

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We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

 ✨ALVESTA OWAIN✨
Thistledown Arctic Lore x Alvesta Fairy Lustre
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Contact Cheryl Maye at (703) 431-9096 for more information
https://www.mayeshowponies.com/more-info/stallions

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

📸  SAS Equestrian
‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️ The purpose of this ‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️

The purpose of this month’s column is to help the young equestrians of our sport develop and maintain healthy friendships within the industry. Cultivating healthy relationships with other members within the industry is not as easy as one may think. As a young equestrian, it may be difficult navigating friendships at the barn and at horse shows. Typically, kids have friendships within the barn they ride at but also friendships with others from different barns in their area. 

Initially, it may seem as though making other friends in the sport would be easy and ideal; after all, there is the common interest of horses. However, because of the natural therapeutic benefits of horses, the sport has a history of attracting all types of people, with a wide range of personalities. This can be both an advantage and a drawback. We are now in an era that acknowledges the growing need to discuss and manage one’s mental health. 

One thing I have learned is that we are likely to notice mental health challenges at an age younger than most people may think. Some of the friendship dynamics I have observed over the years have caused me to pause and really think about the future of our sport. Without looking for a source to blame for the cause of this, i.e. social media, parents, school, teachers, etc., I think if all adults involved worked to encourage, affirm, love, and respect our youth, the likelihood of them developing authentic friendships with their peers may increase.

Both humans and horses were designed to have connected relationships. These relationships allow a greater sense of security when one experiences challenges in life. Cultivating the quality and authenticity of these relationships requires intentional work. 

Thank you Rob for providing your helpful insight on developing healthy relationships. Check out his tips in his column you can find in the link in our bio.
Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine🦄 

Photo by Blenheim Equisports

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #hunterjumper #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #sidelinesmagzine
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