Managing Risk with Van Hargis

It's time to check in with Van Hargis and Van Hargis Horsemanship in Victoria, Texas. Van has a program called The Ranch Road. Here's an example.

 

"Would you consider yourself a good risk manager? I think about that every time that I work with a horse at any level. I don't care if I'm just tying one up to the hitching rail or if I'm putting one on the horse walker, if I'm about to step up in the saddle for the first time. Any time that I do anything with a horse in my mind, I'm managing risk.

 

A few years ago, I was asked, you know, what was one of the most proudest moments of my Horsemanship career. When I was asked that question, I thought for a moment and I thought, yeah, I went 43 years without a time loss injury. And what I mean by that is, oh, I've been bucked off. I've been stepped on, all that stuff, but nothing really stopped me from doing my job. And so everybody said, well, what led to that? I can only answer good risk management. In other words, I always thought about what I was doing. I was very deliberate, very intentional. I'm very aware of the horse being bigger, stronger than faster than me. And I just mainly just took precaution. And I don't mean I was scared, paranoid or worried. I just took precaution. In other words, I managed my risk. I thought about what I was doing, made sure it was safe for me and then made sure it was safe for my horse. And as a result, 43 years without a time loss injury. Ask yourself, are you a good risk manager?"

 

Victoria, Texas Horseman, Van Hargis. For more great interviews and podcasts like this one, be sure to visit equinepodcastsearch.com made possible by Van Hargis Horsemanship.