Equestrian injuries: a five-year review.

The research looks at the demographics and kinds of injuries faced by patients attending an emergency department due to horse-related incidents in a five year period from 1986 to 1990 to identify patterns and provide insight for injury prevention education.

Research Methodology

• The study was carried out as a retrospective review of hospital records at a rural/urban tertiary care center that saw around 40,000 visits per year.
• It looked at all patients who came to the emergency department with equestrian-related injuries from January 1986 to December 1990.

Measurements and Criteria

• The data collected included age, sex, how the injury occurred, the injury or injuries diagnosed, whether the patient was admitted to the hospital, their levels of morbidity and mortality.
• To be included in the study patients had to have sustained an injury while involved in equestrian activities.

Research Findings

• In the designated time period, there were 142 patients who met the study’s criteria.
• The findings revealed that most injuries occurred when a patient fell off a horse. Along with this, injuries were also common while handling the horse.
• While the majority of the injuries were found to be minor, around 15% of the cases were severe enough to require hospital admission.
• No deaths resulted from the equestrian-related injuries during the period the review covered.

Conclusion and Recommendations

• The study concluded that equestrian activities carry a risk of serious injury both for riders and those handling horses.
• Based on the study outcomes, the researchers recommend increased education of the public and primary care physicians with a focus on injury prevention in horse-related activities.