Safety in the stable

Reading time: 5 minutes | Publication: 27.10.2025

Always safe throughout your life with horses: we’ve put together everything you need to know for a safe everyday life with your horses.

Safety while riding: The importance of proper equipment & responsible behavior

Safety concerns us all—every day, every hour, every minute. Many of the actions that make us safer are things we do unconsciously. Yet there’s also much we can actively do to make everyday life with our horses safer for both them and us.

In recent years, the market for safety products has evolved tremendously. Around the world, medicine, technology, and manufacturers are working hand in hand to make horseback riding—classified as a high-risk sport—safer. Because of the considerable risk of falls, riding has long been recognized as a sport with a high incidence of traumatic brain injuries.

In recreational riding, the risk is considered high, though not as severe in professional equestrian sports. Mild traumatic brain injuries account for 10–20% of all riding-related injuries. Among children under 14, the rate of head injuries is even higher—up to 38%. On average, 65% of these injuries result from falling off a horse, while 29% are caused by being kicked.

However, this is only one of many risks riders and horses face in their daily interactions—albeit the greatest one. Acting with awareness and care in every situation with your horse significantly reduces risks and, in extreme cases, can even save lives. This applies to riding, stable management, working with veterinarians or farriers, and transporting horses. Whenever we interact with a living being, there is always some residual risk—one that we must do our best to minimize.

This is especially true when it comes to horses, as they are flight animals that can react extremely sensitively and fearfully to stimuli in their environment. That’s why not only proper equipment but also shared desensitization and safety training contribute to a secure and trusting partnership with your horse in everyday life.

Acting responsibly around your horse

Serious accidents in equestrian sports have become less common, thanks in particular to increasingly sophisticated safety systems. According to statistics, in Germany, an accident involving a horse occurs approximately every 17 minutes. This figure includes not only riding accidents, but also those that happen while handling horses—which are significantly more frequent. Fortunately, most of these incidents end without serious consequences.

In everyday life with horses, there are several basic safety rules that can greatly reduce risks. By acting with awareness and care—whether in the stable, on the pasture, in the trailer, or out on a ride—you can make a big difference in keeping both yourself and your horse safe.

Trust as the foundation for greater safety

Mutual trust forms the basis of safety—both while riding and in the stable. It’s essential to get to know every new horse thoroughly and to take your time doing so. As flight animals, horses react differently than humans or dogs. Their natural instinct is to flee immediately when frightened. This instinct can lead to safety risks, which can be minimized through mutual understanding and trust.

With the guidance of a trainer and through specialized courses, you can begin to build this foundation. Many offer desensitization and safety training programs that help horses learn to cope with the “scary things” of everyday life. However, it’s crucial that horse owners remain consistent in applying what they’ve learned and regularly reinforce it. By reflecting on critical situations, owners can identify potential safety risks for their horses and work to reduce them together.

These efforts start with grooming, extend to mounting and arena riding, and continue to trail riding, pasture walks, and even transport.

A horse needs its handler as a leader—someone it can trust and rely on. In turn, the rider gains confidence and safety in all stable situations by understanding the horse’s perspective and anticipating its reactions. This reduces stress for both sides and ensures a maximum level of safety.

Safety in horse management

On a riding facility, safety can now be optimized through a range of advanced safety features. This begins with secure stall doors, latches, tie-up points, optimal flooring, fencing, and extends to monitoring and automation between stalls, the indoor arena, the riding arena, and the pasture.

Safety on the facility starts with the small things: loose tie ropes, blankets, cables, grooming boxes, and miscellaneous clutter have no place in the aisle or elsewhere. Interaction in the aisle should always be conducted respectfully. Those who consider not only their own perspective but also that of others have already gained a significant advantage.

Much can also be influenced by the owner’s handling and management. This starts with turnout and pasture time. Allowing your horse daily access to pasture or a larger turnout area, in every season, not only boosts immune defense but also reduces stress peaks. Free movement is highly beneficial for a horse’s mental well-being. Top trainer Uta Gräf emphasizes:

“On the pasture or in a free-range barn, horses play together and work out their dominance hierarchies among themselves. The larger group helps them learn social skills. Many riders have to work through their own power struggles with horses during riding—regular social interaction and time to ‘be a horse’ help prevent this.”

To prevent accidents in the stable and ensure constant safety for the horse, special attention should be paid to the flooring. Key factors include slip resistance, low noise, easy cleaning, good insulation, and elasticity. Recommended are plastic mats or paving. A suitable surface is also essential in the grooming area. The floor must remain slip-resistant even when wet.

Maintenance in the stable deserves particular attention. Any damaged areas in stalls, aisles, windows, or technical systems should be reported immediately. Special focus should be on electrical systems. Stable lighting must be checked regularly, as dusty lamps can cause overheating risks. Fuel, oil, batteries, paints, and varnishes should always be stored in fireproof cabinets and never near ignition sources. All vehicles and machines should never be parked near flammable materials, hay, or straw.

Safe care of your horse

When grooming a horse, accidents can happen quickly. Often, the handler is already thinking about riding and may not notice how nervous the horse is at that moment. As a rule, it’s important to assess how the horse feels that day before beginning any grooming activity. Designated grooming areas with enough space to move allow the handler to step aside in an emergency. In a stall, this is often not possible, which can lead to dangerous situations and accidents if the horse is startled.

It is also crucial to emphasize that clutter of any kind has no place on a riding facility. Even a carelessly left lead rope can become a serious tripping hazard, triggering a chain reaction that can cause serious injuries to both horse and rider. The more mess there is, the higher the risk of accidents. Contributing factors include carelessly left items such as halters, ropes, and reins, which can become real hazards. These should be stored immediately after use in a tack room or personal saddle locker.

And let’s be honest—do we all remember the correct knots for tying horses? They are extremely important for ensuring maximum safety in emergencies. Long-time horse owners also often forget basic safety rules, such as never standing directly in front of or behind the horse, as this places you in its blind spots, which can startle the horse. It’s worthwhile to regularly refresh these basic rules in your own handling.

Another key point for safe horse care is the use of appropriate products. If a horse is sensitive to sprays, these should be avoided or introduced slowly and carefully. With any new grooming product, careful testing is essential, as the horse may show psychological or physical reactions. Ignoring these reactions can lead to long-term issues, such as allergies. Always check ingredients carefully and choose products that are as natural as possible, with minimal additives. More is not better when it comes to horse care.

Proper care of equipment also contributes to maximum safety in everyday riding. Worn or broken reins or stirrup leathers can pose a significant risk, which can be minimized through careful and regular maintenance. Nevertheless, the condition of all gear should always be monitored and replaced in time if necessary.