Interesting article in 2/26/10 edition of "The Chronicle of the Horse"

I read an article in the February 26, 2010 edition of The Chronicle of the Horse entitled "Increased Safety Is An Added Benefit to Trainer Certification" (pages 32-33) by Susie Schoellkopf.  As an attorney (and as a parent of a juvenile rider), I found Ms. Schoellkopf's stance towards trainer/rider safety awareness to be both enlightening and common-sense.  I have also been reading "The Checklist Manifesto" by Atul Gawande, which advocates for the use of pre-determined checklists as a risk management device.  I suggest that equine professionals read both the Schoellkopf article and the Gawande book.  Applying this sort of proactive approach will cause equine professionals to make their risk management protocols second-nature so they are always being implemented, while also permitting the professionals to focus on their principal equestrian activities.

Phil