Safety in horses encompasses practices, equipment, and protocols designed to prevent accidents and injuries to both horses and humans. It involves understanding equine behavior, proper handling techniques, and the use of protective gear. Safety measures include the correct fitting and use of tack, appropriate rider attire such as helmets and boots, and safe stable management practices. This topic also covers the design of equestrian facilities to minimize hazards and the implementation of emergency procedures. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of equine safety, including risk factors, preventive strategies, and the effectiveness of safety interventions in equestrian activities.
British medical journalSeptember 8, 1973
Volume 3, Issue 5879 532-534 doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5879.532
Barber HM.Horse-riding is increasing in popularity. During 1971 and 1972 154 patients had horse-related injuries of sufficient severity to warrant admission to the Radcliffe Infirmary. The injuries sustained are more common and more severe than generally appreciated and are comparable to those sustained by motor-cyclists. Supervision of children is often insufficient and protective leg and head gear is commonly quite inadequate, even when worn.
BRAYE ET, HINSMAN EJ, RILEY WF.No horse receiving combined streptokinase, streptodornase, and human plasminogen alone in either 125,000-unit or 375,000-unit doses manifested any clinical reaction. Untoward reactions occurred in 2 horses receiving both the combined streptokinase, streptodornase, and human plasminogen (125,000 units), and chlortetracycline. The reaction was transitory and subsided without treatment.
Rossi HS, Mykkänen AK, Teppo AM, Junnila JJT, Hyytiäinen HK.Pneumonia is a common condition in young, hospitalized foals, causing accumulation of inflammatory secretions to the airways. In humans, respiratory physiotherapy is commonly used as a supplementary treatment for pneumonia with varying results regarding its efficacy, but the efficacy in foals has not been assessed to date. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of respiratory physiotherapy as a supplementary therapy method for young foals with pneumonia. Methods: A total of 44 foals with pneumonia aged under a month were used. The prospective intervention group receivi...
Cordonnier T, Germon V, Lemé C, Jouve JL, Launay F, Pesenti S.Despite benefits in children, sport practice has been reported with higher risk of fractures. Our objective was to report the characteristics of sport-related fractures in children and to compare them to fractures sustained in a domestic context. Our hypothesis was that sports-related fractures more frequently required surgical treatment, and could therefore be considered more severe METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including patients under 16 years old, diagnosed with a fracture at the emergency department, excluding skull and face fractures. Demographic data, context of inj...
McCarthy J, Cameron-Whytock HA, Bennet ED.Thoroughbred racing is a major industry, and in recent years, public concerns about equine safety have become more prominent, particularly in relation to on-track injuries and fatalities. This has challenged the industry's social licence to operate (SLO). Objective: To investigate and elucidate how UK and Irish racing stakeholders perceive risks to racehorses on race day and how those risks should be managed. Methods: Qualitative analysis of stakeholder perspectives using a constructionist approach. Methods: Twelve stakeholders from veterinary, communication and regulatory sectors within racin...
Bacon EK, Finno CJ, Donnelly CG, Haase B, Knych HK, Velie BD.Clinical assessments of equine sedation typically rely on subjective observations, the accuracy of which is paramount to the safety of equine veterinary procedures. Methods: To assess the degree in which subjective clinical sedative evaluations reflect pharmacokinetic measurements of equine drug metabolism, xylazine hydrochloride, an alpha-2 adrenoreceptor agonist, was administered to 36 horses of varying breed and age at a dosage of 0.5 mg/kg body weight. Subjective clinical parameters were scored at 5-, 15-, 30-, 45- and 60-minutes post xylazine administration and included responsiveness to ...
Wermer K, Korbacska-Kutasi O, Berkecz R, Csupor D, Ágh N, Sztojkov-Ivanov A, Cserhalmi D.Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown potential therapeutic benefits in veterinary medicine, but further investigations are needed to establish its pharmacokinetics and therapeutic dosing in horses and ponies. The present study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetic properties of CBD in Connemara ponies following oral administration of CBD oil. Unassigned: Ten healthy ponies received a single oral dose of CBD oil at 2 mg/kg. Blood samples were collected before dosing and up to 16 days post-administration, with physical examinations conducted at baseline and at 8, 12, and 24 h post-dose. Addition...
Kooy S, Constant J, Cole R, Boone L.Clinical use of blood-derived intra-articular therapies, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), have increased in equine athletes due to their proposed disease-modifying effects. Need for a shelf-stable, allogeneic PRP product with known composition for standardized treatment exists. The objective of this study was to compare systemic and local effects of a single intra-articular injection of equine leucoreduced allogeneic pooled freeze-dried PRP (alloPRP) to a placebo control (saline) in normal, healthy equine joints. Unassigned: Twelve healthy horses were randomly assigned to either control (sa...
Leo LK, Bergvall KE.Equine aural plaque caused by equine papilloma viruses is common worldwide and affected horses can show severe clinical signs. Due to its viral aetiology, in some countries affected horses are not allowed to compete. Since lesions persist, showing no spontaneous regression, effective and safe treatment is required. Currently, the only treatment with consistent efficacy is imiquimod. Treatment time is prolonged and adverse effects are common. In humans, papilloma warts are successfully and safely treated with topical nitric-zinc complex solutions inducing a painless caustic effect. Objective: T...
Kelley D, Walbornn S, Bartley C, Kaczor J, Premanandan C, Newton N, Holland R, Schnobrich M.Amnion-derived acellular bioscaffold (ADABP) products demonstrate interesting anti-inflammatory and healing properties which could be beneficial for intrauterine use. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of intrauterine injection of ADABP on systemic and uterine health. The study design randomly assigned subjects to one of two groups, control mares (n = 3) which received 3 mL injection of sterile saline in the base of each uterine horn, and treatment mares (n = 9) which received 3 mL of ADABP in the base of one uterine horn and 3 mL injection of sterile saline in the base of ...
Hoerdemann M, Sahoo DK, Allbaugh RA, Kubai MA.To assess if an affordable, commercially available 275 nm ultraviolet C (UV-C) device can inhibit fungal pathogens associated with equine keratomycosis and to establish the optimal exposure time/dose required in vitro. Methods: Fungal inhibition zone surface areas of isolates from two fungal genera (Aspergillus and Fusarium spp.) were compared in triplicates after UV-C exposure at distances of 10, 15, and 20 mm with single or repeat doses (4 h apart) of 5, 10, 15, or 30 s duration after 24, 48, and 72 h of incubation. Inhibition zones were microscopically assessed, and regrowth chec...
Volding DM, Flores-Ahlschwede P, Cramer MJ, Landrock KK, Sayre KC, Welsh TH, Bordin AI, Piccione J, Cohen ND.To determine the effects of transfusion of Rhodococcus equi hyperimmune plasma (REHIP) on serum electrolyte and protein concentrations in neonatal foals. Unassigned: A prospective observational study of 355 privately owned Thoroughbred foals from 13 farms in New York and cross-sectional study of REHIP samples. Blood was collected immediately before and after transfusion of either 1 or 2 L of REHIP to foals, and serum samples were separated and frozen until tested for concentrations of sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl), total protein (TP), albumin, and globulins. Samples (n = 90) of REH...
Carroll AT, Reed RA, Berghaus LJ, McNabney D, Knych HK.To investigate the effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on thermal and mechanical thresholds and physiologic variables in horses. Unassigned: 6 horses (3 geldings and 3 mares) were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, masked crossover design from March 18 through May 3, 2025. Horses received 3.48 mg/kg CBD oil or placebo (sesame oil) orally every 24 hours for 3 days. Thermal and mechanical thresholds were determined at baseline and 4 and 12 hours after treatment administration on each day. Physiologic variables, including heart rate, respiratory rate, and rectal temperature, were recorded at the same...
Dörner C, Lagos N, Oyaneder L, Menarim BC, Ramírez-Toloza G.Osteoarthritis (OA) is an inflammatory joint disease and the leading cause of musculoskeletal disability affecting human and veterinary patients. New therapeutics halting inflammation while preserving joint homeostasis remain a critical need. Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels regulate the pro-inflammatory response of macrophages in the synovium, the central driver of joint homeostasis. Neosaxitoxin (NeoSTX) is a phycotoxin that blocks NaV channels, conferring a unique potential to regulate joint inflammation. This study evaluated the safety of intra-articular administration of NeoSTX in hors...
Wilson KE, Davis JL.Adverse drug events (ADEs) are any harms caused by medical interventions used for treatment, prevention, or diagnosis. These events can happen due to human error or as unintended, harmful reactions to drugs when given at normal therapeutic doses. This review focuses on common ADEs associated with drugs frequently used in equine practice. Recognizing and understanding the manifestations of ADEs can help with early detection and more effective management, ultimately leading to better outcomes for equine patients. Additionally, knowledge of the potential harmful effects of drugs also aids in appr...
de Oliveira Ferreira LV, Maia L, Barberini DJ, Takahira RK, de Vasconcelos Machado VM, Machado GF, de Melo GD, Amorim RM.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising alternative for treating neurological disorders due to their neuroprotective, neuroregenerative, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. The use of allogeneic MSCs offers advantages such as the selection of specific cells and their immediate availability. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of intrathecal transplantation of allogeneic equine bone marrow-derived MSCs (EqBM-MSCs) in healthy horses. Ten healthy horses (five-12 years old) were randomly divided into two groups. In the control g...
Morgan JM, Gentille SR, Goyette FD, Lehman ML, Boss AL, Cassano JM, Knych HK, White SD.To determine the safety and pharmacokinetics of a single dose of the oral ectoparasiticide fluralaner at 10 and 25 mg/kg in healthy horses. Unassigned: 12 clinically healthy university-owned horses, 9 to 17 years of age, were administered a single oral dose of fluralaner at 10 or 25 mg/kg. Physical examinations, neurological examinations, plasma samples, hematology and biochemistry panels, and skin biopsies were collected throughout the 84-day trial period. Fluralaner concentrations were measured in plasma and skin by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and pharmacokinetics were ev...
