Is it safe to strap somebody to a horse?

Somebody brought up Bran being strapped to Dancer as an example that George R.R. Martin doesn't know that much about horses.

I actually think he does reasonably well. He knows what kind of horse people would use in different situations and climates, for one thing. But there are a couple of things about the entire Dancer thing that are wrong. The first is that you should not ride yearlings in the first place and should not put a disabled rider on a green horse (unless, of course, the disabled rider is an expert).

The second thing is strapping somebody into the saddle. Barrel racers sometimes do this with little kids for "safety." I've also seen "seatbelts" used in pony rides.

This is generally considered unsafe and wrong by many, but not all, horse people. In some cases the straps are designed to break in an emergency, but a lot of people feel it is still too dangerous.

Some therapeutic riding barns use these, others think they're terrible. (No doubt the ones that do are where Martin got the idea).

The worry is, of course, that if the horse were to trip and fall the child would be much more likely to end up under the horse. I will note I'm personally not a fan of this. But your characters might be - and seatbelts on pony rides used to be very common in the theory that then you don't need a sidewalker to catch the child if something goes wrong.

Why might a halter be padded?

I'm not talking about "padded" leather halters, but you might see a horse with sheepskin rolls on the cheeks and over the top of the head.

This is done when a horse is being shipped to reduce the risk of injury to the eyes and ears and also to the poll (the way a horse's skull is designed, they can get a concussion very easily from a strike directly between the ears from the top.

The fleece also stops the halter from rubbing during long trips - which is why you'll sometimes see every part of the halter wrapped.

What are polo wraps?

Polo wraps are cloth "bandages" that are sometimes wrapped around a horse's legs for protection and support while being ridden. Some show jumpers use them. The name comes from the fact that they are used in polo to protect the horse's lower legs from being hit by the mallet.

Polo wraps cover from the knee or hock to the fetlock joint - i.e., the horse's "shins." They are sometimes applied over fleece padding. Usually, they're brightly colored (and often coordinated with saddle blankets). Kids' ponies might even wear ones with superhero logos or flowers on. White polo wraps are sometimes used in dressage demonstrations or clinics to make the movement of the horse's legs more obvious.

This horse is wearing red polo wraps to match its saddle pad. (The stuff over his eyes is a fly fringe). Image source: BS Thurner Hof via Wikimedia Commons.

What is a bell boot?

A bell boot or overreach boot is a plastic, leather or rubber boot that is placed around a horse's front hoof. (Almost always both feet).

The purpose is to prevent a common injury. Some horses, when ridden, are unable to get their front feet out of the way before their hind feet land in the same spot - this is caused by a fault in conformation or action. Additionally, when a horse lands from a jump, it's common for the hind feet to land very close to the front feet.

This can cause the horse to catch the back of a front foot with the toe of a hind foot, resulting in a "pocket" cut that's very likely to become infected and/or scar. Overreach scars are fairly distinctive and any horse that has one should be ridden in bell boots. Most horses, however, need them only for jumping.

Image modified by Nordlicht8 from photos from Maloq, via Wikimedia Commons.

Why Do Horse People Worry So Much About Fire?

Visit most modern stables and you'll notice that there are extreme precautions being taken against fire. No good horseman smokes anywhere near the stable and any source of heat is guarded carefully.

The truth is that a lot of the stuff kept around horses is flammable. Hay can spontaneously combust (which is why most people have stopped using hay lofts), especially if it's damp or moldy. Grain dust can also catch fire, or even explode. Common forms of bedding - straw, wood shavings and paper - are also flammable.

So, if you need a place for a fire to start, the stables are often a good choice. Sadly, barn and stable fires often result in the death of animals - particularly horses, who are prone to panic.

How Bad Is It If A Horse Bites You?

Another popular question at the barn - how bad are horse bites? Do people put down horses that bite people?

Horses are more inclined to bite than dogs, but horse bites are generally less serious. Only about half of horses have canines and when they do, they're vestigial. If a horse nails you, it's with grass cutting incisors. They seldom break the skin. Serious bites generally involve children who may have limbs small enough to fit entirely inside a horse's mouth, and horses have been known to sever fingers. For the most part, though, if a horse bites you it leaves a nasty bruise - sometimes a very nasty one. I once had a bruise from a horse take nine months to fade.

Pretty much everyone who rides and works with horses will get bitten. You learn to predict when a horse is going to nip at you and to dodge, but they can still get you. It's considered a normal hazard of dealing with the animals.

In some cases, modern liability laws may cause problems. If the public can get near your horses it's best to put up signs warning that horses can bite if fed or petted, sometimes by accident.

But overall, being bitten by a horse is painful and unpleasant, but not serious. However, anyone who rides should keep their tetanus vaccinations up to date - the bacteria tends to hang around stables. (If writing stories in the past bear in mind that lockjaw is a hazard for riders and horses and hard to treat without modern antibiotics.