Don't frighten the horses
 

BBC NEWS | England | Devon | MoD blamed over horse kick injury

Naughty Chinook, anyone would think you were practising for a war zone:=

Anyone who rides these highly strung "flight" animals should be aware of the risks. If it had been spooked by a plastic bag, would she have sued Tesco's?

She wasn't riding it, it reared and bashed her head with its forepaw or whatever its called on an oss.

Still, seeing as how you can hear a Wokka coming for ages, she could have moved away from the thing if it looked nervous, it was the other side of a gate from her.

Not always true - the lower they are, the less you hear them in advance, and if she was upwind of the wokka, and perhaps behind trees/buildings, it could become very loud very suddenly.

How do you know that the woman isn't hard of hearing or even deaf?:ugh:

How do you know she is?:)

The article does not mention if she was wearing a flourescent jacket, provided 'free of charge' by the MOD to highlight horsey type people to helicopter crews, thus avoiding incidents of this type.

The same jacket may also prevent a 'car v horse' scenario which I believe is far more prevelant and accounts for far more injuries/incidents than the odd one involving helos and picked up by the press.

I can't stand horses, or most horseriders but I do respect their right to do whatever makes them happy.
Training for war doesnt make me happy, it merely increases my chances of survival as I go about the tasks assigned by the government these people have elected into political office.

There is a compromise to be made, which I believe is wearing the FREE day-glo jacket the MOD provide.

MGD - while the hi-viz kit is good, it's not a magic wokka-repelling suit. What if the horse/rider is masked by buildings/trees/hedges/vehicles/the lie of the land?

It's fine if they are riding across a flattish, open piece of ground, but otherwise it's as useful as a chocolate teapot.

If you like I'll ride a pre-agreed route on my grey (white) nag, and you can see how easy I am to spot from your airborne chariot.

I think you're playing devil's advocate AA. If a car drove past and spooked the horse, the woman would find it difficult, nay (do you see what I did there :}?) impossible to take any civil action.

I think she took her own risk by standing next to the horse in the first place and should take some responsibility for her own actions.

AG - to an extent, yes, but I was trying point out to MGD that the hi-viz gear is not a guarantee of aircraft (and only RW aircraft at that) not spooking the gee gees.

You FEEL the wokka before see or hear it.

anita

top handle mate, made I larf!

30 feet? Naughty boys (unless they were landing in the next field, in which case a hi-viz wouldn't have helped much!!)

AA - Agree it's not an infallible system, but a high viz vest would only have made matters better.

What a ridiculous thing to write. She wasn't riding the horse, she was stood on the other side of the fence. Why would you wear a high viz vest to stand and stroke a horse which is fenced off from you?:ugh:

Love him or hate him he really does have a point...........as he usually does :ok:

It's classed as a high risk sport (horse riding); therefore, take out an insurance and claim on it! If you can't afford the insurance - don't ride or accept the risk!

It would be interesting to see what damage was done to the building if the ac was that low. More importantly, the women obviously had a great deal of capacity to work out the ac hgt whilst taking a hoof to the head.....:E

Some would say that an imprint of a horses hoof upon one's dial might be an improvement. :}

Nice to see the Belvoir family well represented on this site :E

Unbelievable
 

I can't believe this.
This woman was actually outside the paddock when the horse reared after the Chinook flew by. And by the way it was not below 30 Ft as the data showed. So there she lies to start with.
Would you people go and have a go with a scared horse who is rearing and kicking? No one with common sense would. She did. She got kicked for it after the Chinook had gone. I understand the noise of the Chinook will potentially endanger the animal, but the noise of the Chinook did not throw her into the paddock into the horse's hoof. That was her conscious decision.:ugh: But yet she is going to claim and the crew will have to go through the process of the investigation. People who complain have know idea what awaits us downstream!!

I don't know why I rant, MOD will pay hundreds of thousands of pounds to shut her up. She should be privileged that in this country she can freely ride a horse. There is a good reason for that.

Wait, what? I did wonder what all the wars were for but now I know - defending our right to ride horses. Mega.

Fruitcake. 100% fact.

:hmm: