We talk to great lengths about how to provide emergency care for our horses and mules in case a ride becomes “eventful”. But we all too often neglect the human component of safety and first aid in trail riding and camping with horses.
Our human bodies are just as prone to injuries, trauma, and illness as our equines. Worse, we never know when an injury may happen to ourselves, the people we love, or anyone else who happens to be around. Can you honestly say, right now, that you have the skills to competently care for an injured person?
It’s always good to have some amount of basic knowledge to handle life’s emergencies in order to keep a situation from going from bad to worse until the medical help arrives.
Excuses, Excuses
Here are the most common excuses I hear at my trail riding clinics when I ask if people have first-aid training.
- They’re too busy. Really?
- They don’t know where to go for a class. Google it!
- They already have enough knowledge. No, you don’t.
- Accidents happen to other people, not to them or their friends and family. Are you willing to bet your friends’ and families’ lives on it?
I think we can agree that all these excuses are weak. Being able to administer first aid to the victims of accidents on the trail, in camp, and at home is one of the most important skills anyone can have. Be the best trail riding partner you can. Learn the basics of first aid and keep these skills fresh. Your friends and family are worth it.
Here are 5 good reasons to learn first aid and be the trail riding partner your friends and family deserve.
- Create Confidence
Possessing basic first aid knowledge means you’ll be more confident in your skills and abilities. Taking first aid training will give you the confidence to help someone in need. The sense of security this fosters creates a healthy and a more confident environment. The people around you will feel safer and more secure knowing that you can help them if the trip becomes interesting.
- Prevent Situations from Becoming Worse
In some cases, when a person doesn’t receive basic first aid care straightaway their situation can deteriorate rapidly. By being able to provide basic care you can stabilize the victim until help arrives. You’ll learn how to improvise basic household items as tools if a first aid kit is not available, meaning that you’ll be able to cope with many situations.
- Increase Safety
The basis of first aid training is prevention. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. The knowledge of first aid promotes a sense of safety and well-being, and prompts people to be more alert and safer in their surroundings. Awareness and a desire to be accident free can help keep you more safe and secure, reducing the number of accidents.
- Increase Comfort
Not all accidents necessitate a trip to the hospital, but that doesn’t mean they don’t cause some amount of pain. By knowing how to act—even just by employing simple techniques such as applying an ice pack correctly—you’ll help to relieve discomfort. You’ll also provide emotional support by remaining calm and collected which will make the patient feel more secure.
- Help Save Lives
It’s a fact that having first aid training helps save lives. And that’s not all. Giving appropriate first aid immediately can help to reduce a person’s recovery time and make the difference between having a temporary or long-term disability. Your friends and family are worth it.
A comprehensive first aid training course will help prepare you for a wide range of situations and give you the confidence and knowledge of how to deal with them quickly, correctly, and efficiently. Please take the first step towards becoming first aid trained. Thank you!
As always for the latest and greatest information on trail riding and camping with horses go to www.TrailMeister.com for the world’s largest directory of horse camps and trails, as well as trail tips and videos.
See this article in the December 2021 online edition:
Robert Eversole, ”the trail meister,” owns www.TrailMeister.com, the largest database of horse riding and camping areas in the U.S. with free trail and trailhead information, trail maps, and much more to help horse enthusiasts experience the joys of trail riding. Robert is a registered riding instructor with PATH International, a mounted search and rescue team member, and a U.S. Marine who has served on the board of the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington (BCHW). He is enjoying his new career helping fellow trail riders stay found and safe on the trail. When not on the trail, The Trail Meister resides near Spokane, WA and teaches land navigation to a wide variety of outdoor groups across the nation. For North America’s largest horse trail and camping directory, trail tips, and more, visit www.TrailMeister.com.
