Safety in equestrian exhibitions

The world of equestrian exhibitions aims most of its attention on the overall glamour, without focusing organizational strains on safety among public, workers and horses and preventing accidents. The not easy definition of risks in the equestrian range rises from the extreme variability of working states and the considerable number of activities which are often simultaneously performed. The sphere of these risks concern: safety of people: buildings and structures authorized by firemen, sound fences around rings and competition fields, safety distance from public, horses and moving carriages, visible signals of routes equipped for horses. Safety of workers: specific training for horse managing employees, equipments and individual protective devices for workers, good acquaintance of expositive dynamics. Horses' physical and psychical safety: wide stalls so horses may be stabled in the most comfortable conditions; gangway/transit paths free from obstacles and unevenness that may wound horses; removal of stress from excessive lighting, ceaseless presence of noisy public, scanty moments of relax through daytime, close presence of more stallions, separation of foal from mare. In conclusion, to reach an optimized level of safety in equestrian exhibitions it is necessary to develop a safeguard in the areas mentioned above.