Posted By Chas I suggest you get yourself a copy of HS(G)105, H&S in horse riding establishments. (ISBN 0717606325). It is quite an old document and I am not sure if HSE have updated it. Hope this helps.

Posted By hjy As someone with 20+ years experience with horses plus 6 years as a safety professional I have always thought disclaimers were a waste of time!! However they may discourage someone less conversant with the law from submitting a claim even where they might have one. If you fall off because horses are unpredictable creatures or you have misled the centre as to your experience then a disclaimer stating that riding is a risk sport etc etc may be of some use. However, there are a number of factors I believe riding centres cannot devolve responsibility for including: * Negligence by the ride leader/centre * Poorly maintained equipment * Puting a client in a situation or on a horse they are not sufficiently experienced to cope with etc. In these circumstances I think the riding school would retain liability although there may be a case for Volenti as a partial defence. As for traffic management, in general horses and traffic don't mix. If these are access roads controlled by your client and cannot be closed entirely, it should be relatively straight forward to implement the usual traffic management principles - one way system, segregation or horses/traffic, good lighting, avoid reversing, speed limit, traffic calming etc. It may help to restrict traffic movement at peak times eg when riding lessons start/finish. If the roads are not controlled by your client then plenty of signs may be your only option. High vis vests or items on the horse greatly improve driver awareness of otherwise dark horses with darkly clothed riders. Hope this helps!

Posted By MRA Alison I would be gratefull for any information you have and your contact details in order that I might be able to contact you direct after reviewing the forms etc. - I can't email you direct at the moment........

Posted By Stuart Nagle Mark. From your posting I would summise that you are principally concerned with the behaviour of horses exposed to motor traffic on your site, inso much as the site has numerous tracks and roadways that run through the site, exposing horses and riders to risk. I am sure that there are many more people more experienced that I in this subject area, and no doubt you will already know that horses can react in very many ways when situations differ only slightly. Working in an area that boarders the countryside, I regularly pass horse riders on the road, and the same two lady riders regularly each evening on the way home from work during lighter evenings, riding along the public highway in a 40MPH zone of road varying from country lanes to village high streets. I and many other drivers have passed these horses and their riders slowly and safely on many occassions, but witnessed last year, an occassion, where although nothing appeared different, to me at least, the leading horse (a mature horse approx 14 hands) was for some reason starled by the small (red) car just starting to pull out and pass it, and the horse reared up and threw the lady off - fortunately onto the adjacent soft grass verge. She was unhurt, luckily, but shows how horses, even those that appear to be used to traffic can be starled and react. On some stables/riding schools in my area, I have noticed that all but essential traffic on site is directed to car parking areas away from the stabling/riding areas, and that these areas are screened-off in the main from the riding areas by trees/hedges/fencing. The only vehicles that appear to be used on the site vary from small 4 wheel drive single rider vehicles, to small tractors and hand pushed barrows. As suggested above, there is existing information detailing segregation procedures for traffic and pedestrians etc on sites, but personally I would err on the side of exclusion of all vehicles where those vehicles have no role to play in the management of the stabling or transportation of the animals. This will, if achievable, lessen the risk of adverse reaction to direct noises and colours of cars, and reduce the likelyhood of horses rearing or stampeding in panic. The incident above also exemplifies how even when what appears to be a well trained and placid horse, when riden on the road, can, for no obviously appearent reason, react and cause danger not only to riders, but other road users as well as to the horse itself. Stuart