How to work safely with horses and vulnerable children and adults

Equine-assisted therapy can be a wonderful way to leverage the healing power of horses for treating a wide range of mental health issues - including anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, addiction and depression.

But helping and healing with such powerful creatures does not come without risks. Here, fellow horse owner KatyGross, from the Cliverton equine team, outlines the key things to think about.

‍

Caring for clients – children and adults

• It is vital that all staff or volunteers who work directly with children or vulnerable adults are aware of their responsibilities under current child protection and adult safeguarding legislation.
• A designated child protection and adult safeguarding officer should be appointed and ideally, all staff and volunteers should receive updated training every three years.
• A clear policy should be written for both, with clear procedures for reporting and all staff/volunteers encouraged to familiarise themselves with the policy.
• Make sure you have a qualified First Aider on site at all times.
• Check that all your equipment - including riding hats - meet current safety standards
• Every rider should wear correctly fitted PAS current standard riding hats which have either a BSI Kitemark or an Inspec IC mark of ASTM F11632004a or 04a onwards.  
• Remember to always keep horses a safe distance (minimum of one horse’s length) apart.
• Make sure there are always two facilitators for each session – one accredited therapist to keep a watchful eye on the client and one experienced equine specialist to manage the wellbeing of the horses. A happy horse is a happy client!
• Lay down clear ground rules for your clients to avoid any unanticipated movement or reactions from the horses. These could include a ban on umbrellas, mobile phones, smoking or eating around the horses.
• Some form of safety stirrups must be used (i.e. Peacock stirrups, shaped irons or breakaway stirrups)
• All staff and clients must wear safe footwear which protects heels and toes. Boots should have a smooth sole and a small heel (no less than ½ inch high).
• Saddles should be equipped with handholds. The use of neck straps, Alice reins and other accessories are encouraged.
• A qualified instructor should supervise safe mounting and dismounting procedures, along with a therapist’s input, as required.

‍

Looking after staff and volunteers

• Make sure that any volunteers have two checked references and a DBS check. They should also be trained in horse safety including methods of basic horse handling in addition to leading, side walking and methods of supporting the rider.  
• Never put a volunteer in sole charge of any therapy sessions.
• Instructors should be trained in the correct procedure in the event of an incident/accident (e.g. a rider falls from the horse). This should be available in writing.
• A handout of health and safety precautions should be given directly to all staff and volunteers.

Nurturing your horses

• Consider giving your horses healing treatments of their own - Reiki, massage, cranial-sacral therapy and animal communication sessions can all help to improve their wellbeing, creating calmer horses for your clients.
• You should also make sure you keep up more standard health check such as regular dentistry, salt therapy, chiropractic treatments, saddle checks etc.

Keeping a constant watchful eye on risk

• Carry out a full and thorough risk assessment of your premises including all areas and re-visit this regularly.
• While you may be using well trained horses under the supervision of professional staff, every day brings new clients and new risks. Make sure you assess the capabilities of participants and horses plus other risk factors (such as weather) during EVERY session.
• Talk to your broker to make sure you have sufficient levels of specialist professional and public liability insurance protection.