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BMJ open sport & exercise medicine2018; 4(1); e000426; doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000426

Effects of body protection vests and experience levels in prevention of equestrian injuries.

Abstract: To investigate the risk reduction and benefit of wearing body protection/safety vests in equestrian sports. Methods: A comparison of equestrians wearing body protective vests and those not wearing vests was performed using incident report data of 718 participants in the United States Pony Clubs during 2011-2017. Data obtained included age, gender, certification level of member, type of activity, description of incident, description of injuries, what protective equipment was worn and other possible contributing factors. Results: While wearing body protective vests when riding on the flat or for show jumping was not correlated with a decrease in injuries, wearing vests for cross country was correlated with decrease in reported injuries (p=0.036) and showed a trend towards a lower incident severity level (p=0.062). Wearing body protection during cross country reduced the relative risk of injury by 56%. While the volume of incidents varied with a rider's experience level, the number of serious injuries did not appear to correlate with lesser equestrian experience. Conclusions: While equestrian sports are considered to have a certain degree of risk associated with them, there are ways to make them safer. Wearing safety equipment, such as helmets and body protection, and obtaining education and experience can lessen the chance of incurring serious injuries.
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Publication Date: 2018-11-16 PubMed ID: 30555716PubMed Central: PMC6267465DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000426Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research study investigates the effectiveness of body protection vests in reducing the risk of injuries in equestrian sports, considering factors like the type of riding activity and the rider’s experience level. The key finding is that body protection vests significantly reduce injury risks in cross-country equestrian events.

Research Methodology

  • The study involves a comparative investigation of equestrians wearing body protection vests and those who don’t.
  • Data from 718 participants in the United States Pony Clubs between 2011 and 2017 was analyzed. Data points include age, gender, certification level, activity type, incident description, injury description, protective equipment worn, and other contributing factors.

Key Findings

  • Body protective vests did not demonstrate any significant correlation with a reduction in injuries for general flat riding or show jumping.
  • In cross-country equestrian activities, wearing body protective vests resulted in fewer reported injuries. The research found a statistical correlation (p=0.036), indicating a significant decrease in reported injuries.
  • The usage of body protection in cross-country riding reduced the relative risk of injuries by 56%.
  • While the volume of incidents varied with a rider’s experience level, the severity of injuries did not correlate with lesser equestrian experience. This suggests that the risk of severe injury can’t be mitigated by experience alone.
  • Data showed a trend towards a lower incident severity level when protective vests were worn for cross-country events (p=0.062), although this was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

  • While equestrian sports inherently involve some risks, precautions can be taken to enhance safety. This includes wearing safety equipment like helmets and body protection vests.
  • Educating riders and helping them gain experience can also help reduce the probability of severe injuries.
  • The results conclusively show that body protection vests have a significant role in reducing injuries in cross-country equestrian events.

Cite This Article

APA
Andres SA, Bushau-Sprinkle AM, Brier ME, Seger YR. (2018). Effects of body protection vests and experience levels in prevention of equestrian injuries. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med, 4(1), e000426. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000426

Publication

BMJ open sport & exercise medicine
ISSN: 2055-7647
NlmUniqueID: 101681007
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 4
Issue: 1
Pages: e000426

Researcher Affiliations

Andres, Sarah A
  • Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
  • United States Pony Clubs, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Bushau-Sprinkle, Adrienne M
  • United States Pony Clubs, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
  • Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Brier, Michael E
  • Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Seger, Yvette R
  • United States Pony Clubs, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
  • Office of Public Affairs, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Competing interests: None declared.

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Crawford AE, Picken LK, Gabriel FD, Quade J, Gould S. CNS and Thorax Injury and Associated Risks Factors in Equestrian Sports. Sports Health 2025 Jul;17(4):697-702.
    doi: 10.1177/19417381241275655pubmed: 39206526google scholar: lookup
  2. Meyer C, Gabriel F, Schrum K, Hollis M, Short M, Gould S. Airbag Vests in Equestrian Sports: Is Use Associated with Harm?. Ann Biomed Eng 2024 Nov;52(11):2916-2922.
    doi: 10.1007/s10439-024-03507-ypubmed: 38955889google scholar: lookup
  3. Franzén Lindgren E, Hammarqvist F, Ahl Hulme R. Horse-riding hazards: an observational cohort study mapping equestrian related injuries at a Scandinavian trauma centre. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 2023 Mar 28;15(1):46.
    doi: 10.1186/s13102-023-00646-ypubmed: 36978116google scholar: lookup
  4. Psooy K, Franc-Guimond J, Kiddoo D, Lorenzo A, MacLellan D. Canadian Urological Association Best Practice Report: Sports and the solitary kidney - What primary caregivers of a young child with a single kidney should know (2019 update). Can Urol Assoc J 2019 Oct;13(10):315-317.
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  5. Adler CR, Hopp A, Hrelic D, Patrie JT, Fox MG. Retrospective analysis of equestrian-related injuries presenting to a level 1 trauma center. Emerg Radiol 2019 Dec;26(6):639-645.
    doi: 10.1007/s10140-019-01718-8pubmed: 31435897google scholar: lookup
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