Thought exercise: who would be liable in an accident during an equitation class with switched horse-rider combinations?

[Mango20]

@Blugal

In Pony Club testing at upper levels in the 90s/early 2000s we had to switch horses.

Pony Club still does switch rides at the upper level ratings (C3 & up).

[StormyDay]

@mst

Let’s not forget they switch horses at Washington Finals every year. I think one has to assume the risk that it could happen when switching horses.

1993 or maybe 1994 I switched horses with another rider at a local A show for maybe the medal test. George was judging. The girl who rode mine crashed him through a jump and he came out limping. Tore his suspensory. This was a borrowed mount for the day. Luckily, owners were not too mad about it. The girl who crashed him felt horribly. It does happen

OMG. That’s horrible. And a good example of why it’s gone out of favor.

[wsmoak]

@findeight

They kept sending a form, forgot what it was called, with a demand for info. Stating they had a right to recover what they paid out from all parties involved. It came regular mail, not certified so ignored it the first time and filled it out the second time saying my horse, my choices, not even on the horse when knocked over due to my inattention. Never heard back.

That would be a subrogation form. And if you had continued to ignore it, they would likely have refused to pay the claims, waiting to find out if anyone else could possibly be responsible.

The health care system paired with the adversarial justice system we have literally adds insult to injury. In a bad accident those forms and denied claims will start arriving before the person even gets out out of the hospital.

[BrownDerby]

I remember watching (live video) the riders switch horses at Kentucky. Almost gasped at some of the efforts when the Saudi rider rode Hickstead.

About 20 years ago I watched a PC C rating at my then barn. Before they switched horses everyone did a course without stirrups. It was a very useful to judge competency, Horses were then assigned to specific riders, rather than via a draw.