Equestrian activities offer a unique blend of exhilaration and challenge. However, like any sport, they come with inherent risks. This article delves into the world of equestrian injuries, exploring how these risks vary with age and how they compare to other sports.

Understanding the Injury Rate A key study by Christey et al. (1994) reveals that for every 1,667 hours of riding, there’s an average of one injury, or 0.6 injuries per 1,000 hours, primarily among children and young adults. Since most injury statistics in equestrian sports with adults are based around competitions (e.g. jumping and flat racing), we can use this statistic to as a proxy to infer the injury rate for less intensive riding. Another way to interpret this number is for every hour of riding there is less than 1% chance of injury (0.06%).

Comparative Risks in Sports

In adult equestrian sporting events, we can assess the overall injury rate to other sports. Using a comparable statistic (injury per 1000 hours of activity), we can look across other adult sports.

Sport	Injuries per 1,000 Hours of Participation
American football*	10-35
Basketball	9.1
Ice hockey	7.5
Karate	6.7
Baseball	1.6-5.8
Downhill skiing	4.1
Horse riding	3.7
Cycling	2.0
Swimming	1.0
Golf	0.3

Compared to the pastimes of football, basketball, and baseball, the injury rate for horse riding is relatively low.

Injury types and severity:

Several studies have found that when horse-related injuries occur they are typically severe.

Using the National Trauma Data Bank, the researchers examined data for nearly 25,000 adults who suffered equestrian injuries between 2007 and 2016. Findings show that chest injuries were the most common, experienced by 37.1% of the riders, while injuries to the arms and legs (26.5%) and head (23%) followed. The average age of those injured was 47.

If we extrapolate this statistic and stick to our interpretation of 0.6 injuries per 1000 hours, we see that head injuries are likely only 23% of the time – or – for every 1 hour of riding 0.0138%, or equivalent to approximately 1 in 7,246 chances.

In (Bilaniuk et al., 2014) Patients with equestrian injuries were identified in the trauma registry from 2004 to 2007 and put into age groups: 0 to 18 years, 19 to 49 years, and 50 years old or older. The most common injuries by age group were: 0 to 18 years, upper extremity fractures; 19 to 49-year-olds, concussions; and 50 years or older, rib fractures.

Injury Rate by activity:

No specific statistics were easily found that showed the rate of injury by horse speed or gate (e.g., walking, vs running, vs jumping). However, in (Meyer et al., 2022), the author examined equestrian jumping events and found the injury rate to be 3.7 per 1000 hours. This reinforces the compared statistics above, which makes horseback riding – even in more extreme contexts – safer than baseball.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, this analysis provides insights into the injury risks associated with equestrian activities, especially when stratified by age. The general injury rate for horseback riding, at 0.6 per 1,000 hours for children and young adults, is relatively low compared to more intensive adult sports. Notably, in adult equestrian events (professional level), the injury rate stands at 3.7 per 1,000 hours, lower than many popular sports like football, basketball, and baseball.

Equestrian injuries, while less frequent, are more severe when they do occur. This severity is highlighted by the prevalence of serious injuries such as chest, head, and extremity injuries in adult riders, with the average age of injured individuals being 47.

The distribution of injury types varies with age, indicating different risk factors and consequences for different age groups. For example, younger riders more commonly experience upper extremity fractures, adults tend to suffer concussions, and older individuals are more prone to rib fractures.

Although specific statistics on injuries relative to horse speed or gait were not readily available, studies like Meyer et al. (2022) provide insight into injury rates in specific contexts, such as equestrian jumping events. These findings further reinforce the notion that horseback riding, even in more extreme scenarios, generally presents a lower risk of injury compared to other high-impact sports.

Overall, while equestrian activities do carry inherent risks, these risks are comparatively lower than many other sports, albeit with a tendency towards more severe injuries when they do occur. This information is crucial for individuals engaged in equestrian activities, highlighting the importance of safety measures and proper training, especially considering the varying risks across different age groups.

References

Bilaniuk, J. W., Adams, J. M., DiFazio, L. T., Siegel, B. K., Allegra, J. R., Luján, J. J., Durling-Grover, R., Pawar, J., Rolandelli, R. H., & Németh, Z. H. (2014). Equestrian trauma: Injury patterns vary among age groups. The American Surgeon, 80(4), 396–402.

Christey, G. L., Nelson, D. E., Rivara, F. P., Smith, S. M., & Condie, C. (1994). Horseback riding injuries among children and young adults. The Journal of Family Practice, 39(2), 148–152.

Equestrian Injury Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2023, from https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/19

Meyer, H.-L., Scheidgen, P., Polan, C., Beck, P., Mester, B., Kauther, M. D., Dudda, M., & Burggraf, M. (2022). Injuries and Overuse Injuries in Show Jumping—A Retrospective Epidemiological Cross-Sectional Study of Show Jumpers in Germany. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4), 2305. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042305