Topic:Equestrian Injuries
Equestrian injuries refer to physical harm sustained by individuals involved in horse-related activities, such as riding or handling horses. These injuries can vary in severity and type, including fractures, concussions, and soft tissue damage. The nature of equestrian activities, which often involve high speeds and large animals, contributes to the risk of injury. Factors influencing the occurrence of injuries include rider experience, safety equipment usage, and the behavior of the horse. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the incidence, causes, prevention, and management of equestrian injuries, providing insights into safety practices and injury mitigation strategies in equine sports and activities.
Fatal left ventricular rupture and pericardial tamponade following a horse kick to the chest. Horse kicks are rare incidents-especially, if they end in fatality. In this case, a 13-year-old girl collapsed 3 minutes after sustaining a kick to the chest from a pony. Resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful. Postmortem computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were performed before autopsy.Imaging revealed a 3-cm long laceration of the left ventricle and a large pericardial effusion. Using segmentation techniques, the amount of blood inside the pericardium was determined. These findings correlated well with the autopsy findings. Pericardial tamponade was determined at autopsy to ...
Finite element modelling of equestrian helmet impacts exposes the need to address rotational kinematics in future helmet designs. Jockey head injuries, especially concussions, are common in horse racing. Current helmets do help to reduce the severity and incidences of head injury, but the high concussion incidence rates suggest that there may be scope to improve the performance of equestrian helmets. Finite element simulations in ABAQUS/Explicit were used to model a realistic helmet model during standard helmeted rigid headform impacts and helmeted head model University College Dublin Brain Trauma Model (UCDBTM) impacts. Current helmet standards for impact determine helmet performance based solely on linear acceleration....
Maxillofacial fractures sustained by unmounted equestrians. Facial injuries caused by horses are relatively common among riding enthusiasts, but little is known about the nature of maxillofacial fractures sustained by those not mounted. We collected data on patients' characteristics, fractures sites, mechanisms of injury, and treatment of these fractures from the departmental records of the oral and maxillofacial unit at Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand between 1996 and 2008. Of 49 patients with equine-related facial fractures, 35 (mean (SD) age 35.8 (16.7) years) had sustained their injuries while unmounted (71%). Most of the fractures occurred in w...
Fall and injury incidence rates of jockeys while racing in Ireland, France and Britain. This article presents and analyses injury incidence rates for amateur and professional racing jockeys in Ireland, France and Britain by means of a retrospective study and review of published data. Amateur jump racing was seen to have the highest fall risk in these three countries (between 115 and 140 falls/1000 rides). Jump racing also had the highest rates of injury/ride amongst both amateur and professional jockeys. Flat racing, however, had the highest rates of injuries/fall (34-44%). Of all the injuries in both jump and flat racing populations of amateur and professional jockeys, 15% were ...
Body mass index and serum gamma-glutamyltransferase level as risk factors for injuries related to professional horse racing: a prospective study. Prevention of horse-related injuries is considered difficult because horse behavior is unpredictable. Therefore, risk factors for injuries related to professional horse racing need to be investigated. We conducted a study to determine whether body mass index (BMI) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels are associated with professional horse racing-related injuries. Methods: A baseline healthy survey of 546 male grooms and exercise riders aged 40-70 yr working at Miho Training Center, the largest racing-horse training facility in Japan, was performed in May 2003. A total of 93 occupational ...
Significant injuries in Australian veterinarians and use of safety precautions. A high injury prevalence has been reported among veterinarians. Studies describing the factors associated with injury have been limited. Objective: To describe the characteristics of serious injuries and the use of safety precautions at the time of injury in Australian veterinarians. Methods: Graduates in veterinary medicine from Australian universities completed questionnaires asking about injuries during their professional career including type of injury and circumstances during which injury occurred. Results: A total of 2188 significant injuries were reported. Injuries were most frequently ...
[Atypical dislocated dens fracture type II with rotational atlantoaxial luxation after a riding accident]. We present a rare case of a combined dislocated odontoid dens fracture type II (Anderson/D'Alonzo) and rotational atlantoaxial luxation in a 15-year-old girl who was involved in a riding accident.She fell off her horse after it had stopped suddenly, losing consciousness for a few minutes. At presentation in the hospital, she had no complaints other than limited, painful neck movement. Radiologically, a posterior dislocation of an odontoid type II fracture (Anderson/D'Alonzo) was found. Computed tomography reconstruction demonstrated a rotational, hooklike fixed luxation of the left atlantoaxia...
[Serious accidents caused by horses. Warnings and prevention rules]. Children's equestrian activities in the domestic, play activities, sports and educational areas are relatively frequent, and are not exempt from risks. Nevertheless, there is a lack of data on horse-related injuries, their circumstances and the key points for their prevention. Methods: Retrospective and descriptive study of pediatric equestrian injuries admitted to Hospital between July 1997 and September 2008. Results: A total of 17 patients with ages between 4 and 17 years were analyzed. There were 14 accidental falls, 2 kicks and 1 bite, and 8 patients had lost consciousness after the accid...
The incidence of race-day jockey falls in Australia, 2002-2006. To describe rates of occurrence of falls, injuries and fatalities to horse-racing jockeys in Australia. Methods: Retrospective analysis of data on race-day falls from stewards' reports provided by the Principal Racing Authority of each state and territory of Australia, August 2002 - July 2006. Methods: Fall, injury and fatality incidence rates; comparison with overseas rates. Results: There were 3360 jockey falls from 748 367 rides. Falls occurred at a rate of 0.42 per 100 rides in flat races and 5.26 per 100 rides in jumps races. In flat racing, 54.6% (1694/3101) of falls occurred before the ...
Injuries to Australian veterinarians working with horses. Data from a health risks of Australian veterinarians (HRAV) study were reviewed to identify reported serious injuries incurred while working with horses and the factors associated with these injuries. Of the 2188 serious injuries reported in the HRAV study, 1583 (72.3 per cent) were associated with animals, and of these, 453 (28.6 per cent) involved horses. Most of them were sustained in stock or handling yards. Factors associated with an increased frequency of injury included activities such as suturing, wound care, tubing and drenching. The parts of the body most commonly injured were the he...
Paediatric and adolescent horse-related injuries: does the mechanism of injury justify a trauma response? To identify the frequency, variety and disposition of horse-related injury presentations to the ED and to use this information to evaluate the existing institutional trauma team activation criteria following horse-related injuries. Methods: A retrospective case analysis was performed of all horse-related injury presentations to the ED of Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia, in the 5 year period between January 1999 and December 2003. Results: A total of 186 children presented with horse-related injuries during the 5 year study period. The median age of injury was 9 years (rang...
Equestrian-related injuries: implications for treatment in plastic surgery. Equestrian activities have always been popular in the United States. As safety guidelines have become more stringent, horse-related injuries have diminished by 40 percent over the past 20 years. Although perhaps less critical than in the past, injuries to equestrians most frequently involve the face, upper extremity, and lower extremity and are commonly evaluated by the plastic surgeon. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of these equestrian-related injuries. Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database is a stratified probability sample of ho...
The demographics of equestrian-related injuries in the United States: injury patterns, orthopedic specific injuries, and avenues for injury prevention. It was the purpose of this study to review equestrian-related injuries using a large nation wide database and analyze predictors of significant injury. Methods: The National Electronic Surveillance System database was queried for equestrian injuries from 2002 to 2004. The presence of a fracture, dislocation, traumatic brain injury, musculoskeletal injury, orthopedic injury, and spinal injury, as well as injury mechanism, geographical location, and emergency room disposition were noted. Bivariate, cosinor seasonal, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. p < 0.01 was considere...
Analysis of horse-related injuries in children. The purpose of the present study was to investigate factors affecting the nature, characteristics, severity and outcome of horseback and horse care injuries in paediatric patients and to create guidelines for injury prevention. Methods: Detailed clinical records of 265 children sustained horse-riding related injuries have been analysed. Questionnaires were mailed to provide follow-up information for patients who have been treated in either Department of Paediatric Surgery in Pécs, Hungary, or Department of Paediatric Surgery in Graz, Austria between 1999 and 2003. Those 112 children (42%) who...
Equine-related facial fractures. Horseback riding is a common recreational activity that can cause injuries to both mounted and dismounted participants. This study examines the patterns of equine-related maxillofacial fractures presenting in a tertiary referral centre. Patients presenting over an 11-year period from 1996 to 2006 with equine-related maxillofacial fractures were identified through the trauma database. The extent of the injuries, surgical treatment and follow-up details were documented. 45 patients were identified, with an increasing incidence over the study period. 69% were male and 31% female. 31% of patients ...
Equine-related injury: a retrospective analysis of outcomes over a 10-year period. Morbidity and financial loss caused by equine-related injuries may be significant. The purposes of this study were to determine the patterns of equine-related injury and the impact on outcomes. Methods: A 10-year retrospective review of equine-related injuries was performed. Age, gender, mechanism, injury severity score, Glasgow Coma Score, length of stay, surgical interventions, and mortality were assessed. Results: Of 80 emergency department evaluations, 76 patients were admitted and form the basis of this study. The most frequent mechanism of injury was fall (68%), followed by crush injurie...
Payments to injured professional jockeys in British horse racing (1996-2006). To determine the direct and indirect cost of injuries in professional jockeys as a result of race riding. Methods: Cohort study. Methods: Professional horse racing. Methods: Professional jockeys in the UK registered with the Jockey Club. Methods: Payouts under the Professional Riders Insurance Scheme (PRIS) for injuries sustained by professional jockeys, which were recorded by the Jockey Club injury database between 1996 and 2006 inclusive. Results: In the 11-year period of the study, there were 1328 injuries that resulted in jockeys missing a total of 71,509 days of racing, and as a result PR...
Career-ending injuries to professional jockeys in British horse racing (1991-2005). It has been previously shown that professional jump and flat racing jockeys suffer a high incidence of injury as a consequence of their profession. This paper specifically examines career-ending injuries to professional jockeys in Great Britain. Objective: To investigate career-ending injuries in professional jockeys. Methods: Analysis of prospectively collected injury database on professional jockeys. Results: The majority of injuries in this study occurred to the head, shoulder or torso. Fractures were the most common type of injury that led to a decision to end a career, followed by neurolo...
Injuries in the Victorian thoroughbred racing industry. There is increasing concern in Australia about safety in the thoroughbred racing industry, but there has been no reported analysis of injury data. This review analyses injury and workers' compensation data recorded in Victoria. On the basis of the results, it is recommended that the injury and incident data collection systems are improved such that they are not only more complete but also accumulate more detailed information about the location of an incident or injury event, the activity at the time of the incident or injury event, and factors that may have influenced the occurrence.
Traumatic injuries associated with horseback riding. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 30 million people ride horses each year in the United States. Horseback riding related injuries are common, with an estimated 50,000 emergency room visits annually. The popularity of recreational horseback riding has increased in South Florida and the incidence of associated traumatic injuries is a reflection of this. Methods: Retrospective review of patients admitted to a state designated Level I trauma center that sustained horseback riding associated injuries between January 2000 and December 2003. Information ex...
Equestrian injuries: incidence, injury patterns, and risk factors for 10 years of major traumatic injuries. Horseback riding is more dangerous than motorcycle riding, skiing, football, and rugby. The purpose of this study was to identify the incidence and injury patterns, as well as risk factors associated with severe equestrian trauma. Methods: All patients with major equestrian injuries (injury severity score > or = 12) admitted between 1995 and 2005 were reviewed. A 46-question survey outlining potential rider, animal, and environmental risk factors was administered. Results: Among 7941 trauma patients, 151 (2%) were injured on horseback (mean injury severity score, 20; mortality rate, 7%). In...
Equestrian injury prevention efforts need more attention to novice riders. Equestrian injury is commonly seen at trauma centers and the severity of injury is often high. We sought to determine the risk, incidence, and the influence of skill and experience on injury during horse-related activity (HRA). Methods: Members of horse clubs and individual equestrians in a three-state region (Oregon, Washington, and Idaho) were recruited via mailings and community advertisements to take a survey regarding their horse contact time and injuries over their entire riding career. Serious injury (SI) was defined by hospitalization, surgery, or long-term disability. Results: There w...
The importance of proper shoe gear and safety stirrups in the prevention of equestrian foot injuries. The aim of this study was to compile specific foot injuries occurring in pediatric patients that result from equestrian sports and to highlight the importance of wearing adequate riding boots to protect the feet. During a 12-year period, 258 children were admitted to Children's Hospital of Geneva for injuries resulting from horseback riding. Amongst these children, 8 sustained foot lesions that required hospital admission. Four children had compression-type fractures of the cuboid (nutcracker fracture of the cuboid) associated with other complex midfoot fractures, 2 had Lisfranc fracture dislo...
Injuries in the event horse: training versus competition. Two related studies on injuries sustained by event horses during competition and during training are reported. During the cross-country phase of competition, the most common injuries were lacerations and abrasions to the carpus and stifle. Superficial digital flexor tendonitis and exertional rhabdomyolysis were significantly more common during Cours Complete Internationale (CCI) competitions compared to one-day event (ODE) competitions. The difference in injury types at ODEs and CCI competitions probably relates to the increased athletic demands of the CCI and the closer veterinary observation...
Injuries in amateur horse racing (point to point racing) in Great Britain and Ireland during 1993-2006. To provide a breakdown of injury incidence from amateur jump racing (also known as point to point racing) in Great Britain and Ireland during 1993-2006 and to compare the injury epidemiology with professional horse racing in Great Britain, Ireland and France. Methods: Retrospective review. Methods: Great Britain and Ireland. Methods: Amateur jockeys. Methods: Injury rates. Results: Injury data suggest that point to point racing is more dangerous from an injury point of view than professional jump racing, which has previously been shown to be more dangerous than flat racing. Amateur jockeys hav...
Dental and orofacial trauma in pony and horseback riding children. An epidemiological survey was carried among pony and horseback riding children in nine pony and horseback riding clubs, Istanbul. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of dental trauma in young pony and horse riders. A total of 214 children were interviewed to determine the occurrence of dental trauma during pony and horseback riding. Some 2.3% of participants (n = 5) had already been affected by dental and orofacial trauma. Horse riders experienced dental and/or orofacial trauma significantly more than the pony riders. Results revealed that these children's awareness...
Five year analysis of Jockey Club horse-related injuries presenting to a trauma centre in Hong Kong. Professional horse riding-related injuries have not been studied before in Hong Kong, although horse racing takes place very regularly in the territory. In addition, the equestrian events of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will come to Hong Kong. This study analysed the pattern of horse-related injury among patients who presented to a trauma centre in a teaching hospital in Hong Kong. Methods: Information from the trauma centre database was analysed retrospectively. The database includes trauma patients who had sustained potentially severe injuries that warranted initial assessment and resuscit...