At 08:14:47 on 29.12.11, Flicka wrote:
I'd be interested to hear what everyone thinks about this story from Australia-I always find these sort of comparisons rather stupid. And in the tragic case of the girl who died I want to know-was she wearing a helmet? Would a rein tension measure be of any benefit? Surely it's madness to put learner riders on a racehorse?
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201112/s3399382.htm

At 14:03:16 on 29.12.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
Horse riding is the second most deadly sport in the world, second only to bowls, a worldwide study was taken and that was the result, 3rd was bull riding. It is a known fact horse riding is a risk sport, we know when we get in the saddle we are risking our own safety but we risk our life getting in the car to drive to work or crossing the road. She was 18, she had a mind of her own, she chose to ride a horse, there is no such thing as a truly safe horse, my friend has a 21year old bombproof pony and that still throws the odd rear and buck that could seriously injure or kill an inexperienced rider yet he was a riding school pony and one of the first horses i would think of for a beginner! Many people ride horses and would happily risk their lives to ride horses, it is our own choice so i think reporters should quit writing about how dangerous and so on it is! We know and we don't care we will carry on riding horses no matter what they say. I started riding aged 3 and my mum researched the dangers and knew the dangers before i started which is why in those early days she insisted i wore a hat and body protector and once i was able to decide what the risks were myself i could chose how much protective clothing i wore. It is sad she died but it was her own decision and i bet half the riders that have died riding if you brought them back and said would you have never ridden if you knew you were going to die? I bet they would say that they still would have ridden, i know i would!

At 21:38:49 on 29.12.11, Maria100 wrote:
there has to be some allowance made for a learner rider- who was in charge?? who paired that horse with that rider - madness!! We don't learn to drive a car in a formula 1 car - this has really annoyed me - what a waste of a young life!!

At 08:45:23 on 30.12.11, Flicka wrote:
I really agree with you Maria100. And yes it is our choice to weigh up the risks when we ride but a novice rider puts their life in the hands of a more experienced horse person. If we are the one with the experience then it is up to us to minimize the risks as much as possible for someone else.

At 09:53:42 on 30.12.11, Reggyroo wrote:
I live in Australia and there is a "boom-proof" test starting. Meaning that any horse that is used in ridding schools or where any inexperienced rider is concerned the horses have to pass strict tests to declare that the horses are safe and fit for people to ride.. I think its appalling that an inexperienced rider was given a race horse. It is totally irresponsible and stupid! I don't care if I died on a horse because I have experience and I would know what to do in such a situation but she had no idea!

At 09:56:41 on 30.12.11, kibby wrote:
Who ever the teacher was in this situation really didn't weigh up the risks. Though in the article it said that she was an inexperienced rider in 2009 2 years ago. If I look back two years ago I have improved a lot. That is an intensive school and in two years there maybe she thought she was up to taking on this ex race horse. Horrible what happened but I want to know more than what is in that article. I believe that it was tafe then yes she was wearing a helmet. Tafe is like a public college type thing for early school leavers.

At 10:01:35 on 30.12.11, Reggyroo wrote:
This happened two years ago

At 18:57:51 on 30.12.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
I agree the instructor was stupid to put her on a racehorse but on the other hand i can see she was old enough to have objected if she thought she needed a quieter horse, then again she might have thought she was better than she was. Also just thought i would stick up for the instructor a bit and ex racers my friend got her ex racer straight from a racing yard and had never ever hacked out on grass or jumped she had just done a little bit on a small bomb proof pony yet she got a roughed off ex racer, i was terrified for her safety, i needn't have worried! He is the most lazy and laid back horse i have ever met, i don't think the riding school ponies where i learned were as quiet as he is and was from day one!!! Maybe this horse was one of these and acted out for some reason or other? It is very sad people die in horse related accidents but like i said this accident could have happened on any horse just because you see the word race horse doesn't mean that it is a loony, i would trust grenville with the most basic of riders on him own and know he would do nothing, yet i know heavy weight cobs that i am reluctant to get on because i know they are naughty

At 22:38:53 on 30.12.11, Jade22 wrote:
This article leaves me with more questions than answers! It's almost written to purposely elicit a horrified response...and that turns me off. I note one person said it happened two years ago, but the situation applies continually to any of us. First, people die after slipping in their tub/shower, car crashes, even falling off curbs! Our time in these bodies IS limited and terminal! LOL Second, knowing that fact it is imporant that we embrace every aspect of this glorious experience we call LIFE. There's a saying I love: "Within yourself lies the cause of whatever enters your life." So we "horse people" accept the risks because we love the horses while we also use common sense in the process. It was bad judgement on the part of the trainer/instructor - NOT the horse's fault! However, that's just my opinion...and I could be wrong! LOL

At 00:50:24 on 31.12.11, Horsenuts wrote:
I'm not sure that she was wearing a helmet as the photo on the right has a caption that states "in her Jillaroo gear" which is most likely what she would have been riding in!!and because the horse has bolted TWICE they delare it "patently unsuitable for use with beginner riders"?! These kind og things just make me shake my head. Still, sad that she died...