A Border pony club president has added her voice to calls for better safety regulations in the horse riding industry after multiple deaths prompted the NSW government to take action.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
SafeWork NSW is calling for submissions on a draft code of practice, which will apply to anyone who is employed in an environment where riders interact with horses.
The code will provide frameworks for risk assessment regarding horses and riding environments.
Wirlinga and District Pony Club president Tanya Eade-Smith said it should be made mandatory to wear certain equipment, as shoulder pads were proven in Europe to reduce injury by up to 75 per cent.
“There is an Australian standard for helmets, but no standard for additional equipment,” she said.
“If they said outright, to compete you must wear a helmet and safety vest, people wouldn’t have to chose or feel like they’ll be looked down upon for wearing it.”
Ms Eade-Smith said it should also be made compulsory helmets are destroyed after any fall or incident that might compromise its safety characteristics.
“There’s a sticker in motorbike helmets that recommends they be destroyed, why isn’t that in riding helmets?” she said.
“When a rider falls off and lands on their head, there’s no policy as such for that helmet to be destroyed – we do strongly encourage that in our pony club.”
Ms Eade-Smith also supported SafeWork’s push to have better regulations in industry about assessing riders’ capabilities to deal with certain horses and background checks about the history of animals.
“If there’s an inexperienced rider on a horse that people don’t know was a former race horse, it’s like putting someone on their P-plates in a V8,” she said.
“If there’s a lack of horsemanship, there will be injuries.”
SafeWork NSW business strategy and performance director Jodie Deakes said the state would be the first in Australia to develop a horse riding code of practice.
“The statistics tell us over 130 fatalities occurred between 2000 and 2014, most involving people aged under 20,” she said.
“The key message is that young people are less likely to assess risk and that horses can be, and are, quite dangerous if not managed well and you don’t have competent people.”
The draft code, once submissions close on June 30, will be reviewed by an independent panel and put forward to Innovation and Better Regulation Minister Victor Dominello.
The code can be accessed at www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au.
