I acknowledge that my participation in Hand-Led or Ring-Only Pony Rides, Horse Training, Trail Rides, Horse Boarding, Training, and Instruction entail known and unanticipated risks that could result in physical or emotional injury, paralysis, death, or damage to myself, to property, or to third parties. I understand that such risks cannot be eliminated without jeopardizing the essential qualities of the activity. These risks may include, but are not limited to, exposure to and travel in rugged terrain, exposure to potentially dangerous wild animals, insect bites, and hazardous plant life; exposure to temperature and weather extremes; losing control of your horse and falling; my own physical condition, and the physical exertion associated with this activity. Major injuries are a risk as are sprains, strains, scratches, bruises, abrasions, cuts, lacerations, broken bones, fractures, musculoskeletal injuries including head, neck, and back injuries; injuries to internal organs; a horse, despite its training and usual past behavior, may act unpredictably at times based upon instinct, fright, which may cause you to be thrown from your horse or injured by the horse; horses may do such things as bite, kick, buck, stumble; may slip and other tack or saddle problems may develop as a result of normal use and wear; your horse may collide with or encounter variations in terrain such as creeks, water, bridges, traveled roads, wild animals, birds, stumps, forest growth, rocks, and cliffs and other obstacles whether obvious or not and whether man-made or natural; transmissible pathogen disease; riding a horse requires the participant to balance on the saddle; saddle girths and saddle fasteners around the horse's belly might loosen during a ride. If a rider notices this, he/she must alert the nearest guide or wrangler as quickly as possible so action can be taken to avoid injury and a potential fall from the horse; accidents or illness can occur in remote places without medical facilities and emergency help other than CIS personnel may be rendered. Furthermore, CIS personnel have difficult jobs to perform. They seek safety, but they are not infallible. They might be unaware of a participant's fitness or abilities. They might misjudge the weather or other environmental conditions. They may give incomplete warnings or instructions, and the equipment being used might malfunction.