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Petplan Equine Responsible Rider quiz

At Petplan Equine we understand first-hand how rewarding horse riding and ownership can be and from experience we think most domesticated horses enjoy the company of their human companions. Take our Responsible Rider quiz to find out how your attitude towards your horse’s health and welfare rates and to help make sure your horse is happy and healthy. Plus, pick up some great advice from Petplan Equine’s expert partners.

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Question 1

You bring your horse in from the field and he is walking slowly and looks uncomfortable.

Do you:

Put him in the stable to rest for the night and check him first thing in the morning
Take him for a ride — he is probably just a bit stiff and will loosen up with exercise
Check his feet and legs for signs of injury and if you’re still concerned call the vet for advice

Question 2

You have noticed your horse coughing a few times especially when you start to do faster work.

Do you:

Carry on as he seems happy to be getting exercise
Take it easy, just hacking for a few days and keep an eye on him
Carefully monitor him. It could be that he has an infection or respiratory condition. If it doesn’t improve you would get the vet to check him

Question 3

You want to take your horse on a 10 mile fun ride but you haven’t ridden him much lately and he is unfit.

Do you:

Start riding him every day — the fun ride is only two weeks away so you need to get him fit quickly
Ride him a couple of times before the day it’s only a fun ride so not too challenging
Make a plan to ride him more regularly so you can build up his fitness gradually and then look for a fun ride when you are both fit enough to enjoy it

Question 4

You take your horse show jumping. The ground-is hard and he is unusually reluctant to jump, refusing on a couple of occasions.

Do you:

Take him home and check him over thoroughly — there could be something wrong as he usually loves jumping
Jump him over the practice jump then go home and try again next time
Try jumping at a faster speed in the next class so he’ll find it harder to refuse

Question 5

You’ve just got back from a fast gallop.

Do you:

Wash your horse off, give him a drink then put him in the stable/field
Grab yourself a drink and post on Facebook about how much you enjoyed the ride
Give your horse a drink, wash him off, check him for any signs of injury and then walk him around until he is dry and has stopped blowing

Question 6

You are invited to join a group-schooling lesson at the yard but you have schooled your horse for the past five days in a row and he is getting bored.

Do you:

Decide to give the lesson a miss, go for a relaxing hack instead and resolve to introduce more variety to his weekly routine
Join the lesson because you both need to keep practicing as much as possible
Join the lesson but plan for your horse to have a couple of relaxing days after

Question 7

Having just bought a new horse you are considering whether or not to insure it.

Do you:

Research the options, ask friends and then see how it goes over the next few weeks before taking out cover
Take out specialist equine insurance cover from day one to give you complete peace of mind that you will not suffer financially if your horse becomes ill or in the event of injury to you, your horse or a third party
Resolve to put aside money every month in case he needs treatment. He’s just cost you more than you planned to spend and how likely is it that he will get injured in the first year you own him anyway?

Question 8

Your usually well-behaved horse begins to nap and buck when ridden.

Do you:

As this is very out of character you ask the vet to check him over assuming the seemingly naughty behaviour is because he is in some sort of discomfort
Make sure you remember to wear spurs and carry a whip next time you ride him — he’s not going to get away with that kind of behaviour, someone could get hurt
Check him over for any lumps, bumps or scrapes that may be making him uncomfortable and get your saddler to come out and check the fit of his saddle at some point

Question 9

After a number of successful competition results you decide it’s time to move up a level.

Do you:

Find local competitions at the new level in your area and see how it goes
Book some extra lessons and get some advice on what to expect at the next level then give it a go
Consider the additional training you will need and whether you and your horse are ready for the additional pressure competing at higher levels brings. Then remember to make sure he is fit to do the job and check your insurance policy covers you for the higher level at which you are competing

Question 10

You’re riding along a very narrow windy lane and there is a car behind you that is trying to pass.

Do you:

Wave it past — you don’t want to cause a backup of cars and make people wait for you
Trot on out of courtesy to avoid holding up the driver but only if it is safe to do so
Acknowledge the driver and wait until there is a sensible place that you can move over and let the car pass, remembering to thank the driver for waiting

Question 11

You and your friends are going on a sponsored ride but your horse can be quite excitable in company.

Do you:

Use the strongest bit you can find as that should give you better control
Not worry about it — you are a very competent rider and can easily manage him. Hopefully other riders will be sensible enough to keep out of your way if necessary
Get some advice from an experienced rider and ask if you can ride out with them to get your horse more accustomed to going out with others

Question 12

On the way to an event you get caught up in traffic.

Do you:

You always allow extra time for a journey so even if the traffic is bad you should still arrive in plenty of time
Telephone the organisers and expect them to give you a later start time — you weren’t to know the traffic would be bad
Drive as fast as you can and have a very short warm up

Question 13

You are hacking along a bridleway when you come across someone walking a dog off the lead. The dog is running towards you.

Do you:

Continue towards the dog in trot and hope to scare it off. You also ask the owner to put him on a lead explaining that the dog could get hurt if he gets under your horse
Stop, turn in the opposite direction and move off as quickly as possible trying to maintain control of your horse while getting out of the way of the dog
Halt or bring your horse back to a slow walk, reassuring your horse to keep him calm and quiet. Ask the dog owner politely to put his dog on a lead as you don’t want anyone to get injured

Question 14

You notice yellow flowers that could be ragwort in your field.

Do you:

You know what ragwort looks like and regularly check the field for the stems so it’s unlikely that this flowering plant is ragwort. However you take a closer look to be thorough and if there is any chance it could be ragwort you then check the whole field removing any plants with a Rag fork, taking care to use gloves and a mask to avoid toxins being absorbed through your skin
Ignore it, even if it is ragwort horses apparently only eat it if there is no other food source available and you have a lot of grass in the field
Pull it out of the ground immediately. If it is ragwort then it’s an illegal dangerous weed that causes liver damage and you don’t want it spreading. You would also check the rest of the field later

Question 15

You’re about to take your horse out for a ride and you notice that unwelcome, familiar clinking sound of a loose shoe.

Do you:

Have a feel of it and if it doesn’t seem too loose carry on for your ride and ring the farrier over the next few days
Put your horse back in his stable and call the farrier to come as soon as possible as a loose shoe can twist and cause damage to the hoof or a nail to puncture the sole
The shoe is only a little loose so you put your horse back in the field, the farrier is due the following day anyway

Get Results!

Results.

What can you do better?

Horses can be very rewarding but like any animal they need daily attention and the right environment. Healthy horses are generally happy in their work so it is important to look after your horse properly and always ask for advice if you are not sure. Remember that your horse is an athlete and needs to be fit enough for the activity you want to do — so be patient and don’t let your own aspirations override the welfare of your horse.

View expert tips

For more horse advice from Petplan Equine take a look at the guides below:

Equine digestive system
Horse weight management
Lameness in horses
Equine vital signs
Poisonous plants
Equine insurance
Equine behaviour
Top Tips for buying a horse
Horse riding
Security at the yard

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