enlightened horsemanship through touch

From The Billings Wyoming Gazette, Joshua Wolfson of the Casper Star-Tribune posted this story on December 17.

CASPER — A Jackson lawyer who won a $1.2 million verdict for the family of a woman who died while horseback riding hopes the judgment prompts a review of safety standards in Wyoming’s equine industry.

Attorney Gary Shockey said Wyoming law has until now given outdoor recreation companies almost blanket immunity from lawsuits concerning wrongful death and injuries…A federal jury awarded the verdict last week after an eight-day trial in U.S. District Court in Casper.

The case stemmed from the death of Kristina Barkhurst, a 21-year-old college student who died after she was thrown from a horse in January 2006. At the time of her death, Barkhurst was receiving training in natural horsemanship. She was a student of Patricia Skinner, then a Wyoming resident, who operated a business near Burns called Harmony Horsemanship, according to court documents filed by Shockey. Barkhurst’s parents and brother filed suit against Skinner last year alleging wrongful death.

After deliberating over two days, jurors awarded Barkhurst’s family $1.2 million. In the wake of the verdict, Shockey hopes the state’s equine industry will become more self-regulating.

“Equine providers are not regulated at all,” he said.

“All you have to do is say you are an expert at horseback riding and you can give lessons and take people out. There are more regulations for people who cut hair or do pedicures.”

Shockey doesn’t expect the verdict to have a chilling effect on recreational business owners in Wyoming who are already enforcing safety guidelines.

“Good, careful, qualified, competent businesses don’t have to worry about that,” he said.

In her e-mail, Lewis said she doesn’t know what kind of effect the verdict might have on the equine industry. Lewis also said she doesn’t know whether the family will appeal because there are still some motions pending in the case.

Accidents happen. In the last few years, I have heard of no less than four pretty bad wrecks in clinics with big name trainers. I wonder how many cases were settled out of court. This begs the question of how many injuries lesser-known clinicians and trainers’ students experience. What do you think?

For more on this subject, see also, Every Yokel With A Rope Is A ClinicianEvery Yokel with A Rope is a Clinician.