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BMJ open sport & exercise medicine2018; 4(1); e000321; doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2017-000321

Hospital-treated injuries from horse riding in Victoria, Australia: time to refocus on injury prevention?

Abstract: The most recent report on hospital-treated horse-riding injuries in Victoria was published 20 years ago. Since then, injury countermeasures and new technology have aimed to make horse riding safer for participants. This study provides an update of horse-riding injuries that required hospital treatment in Victoria and examines changes in injury patterns compared with the earlier study. Methods: Horse-riding injuries that required hospital treatment (hospital admission (HA) or emergency department (ED) presentations) were extracted from routinely collected data from public and private hospitals in Victoria from 2002-2003 to 2015-2016. Injury incidence rates per 100 000 Victorian population per financial year and age-stratified and sex-stratified injury incidence rates are presented. Poisson regression was used to examine trends in injury rates over the study period. Results: ED presentation and HA rates were 31.1 and 6.6 per 100 000 person-years, increasing by 28.8% and 47.6% from 2002 to 2016, respectively. Female riders (47.3 ED and 10.1 HA per 100 000 person-years) and those aged between 10 and 14 years (87.8 ED and 15.7 HA per 100 000 person-years) had the highest incidence rates. Fractures (ED 29.4%; HA 56.5%) and head injuries (ED 15.4%; HA 18.9%) were the most common injuries. HA had a mean stay of 2.6±4.1 days, and the mean cost per HA was $A5096±8345. Conclusions: Horse-riding injuries have remained similar in their pattern (eg, types of injuries) since last reported in Victoria. HA and ED incidence rates have increased over the last 14 years. Refocusing on injury prevention countermeasures is recommended along with a clear plan for implementation and evaluation of their effectiveness in reducing injury.
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Publication Date: 2018-02-01 PubMed ID: 29464106PubMed Central: PMC5812386DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2017-000321Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

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This research article presents an updated study on horse-riding injuries in Victoria, Australia that required hospital treatment. The findings reveal that despite the introduction of new technology and safety measures in the past two decades, the incidence of horse-riding injuries have not only remained the same but have increased over the years, suggesting a need for revisiting injury prevention strategies.

Methodology

  • The study involves data collected from both public and private hospitals in Victoria from the period of 2002-2003 to 2015-2016.
  • The data includes only those horse-riding injuries that required hospital treatment, either hospital admission (HA) or emergency department (ED) presentations.
  • The trends in injury rates were examined using Poisson regression.
  • The report calculates the injury incidence rates per 100,000 Victorian population per financial year as well as age-stratified and sex-stratified injury incidence rates.

Key Findings

  • The rates of ED presentation and HA were 31.1 and 6.6 per 100,000 person-years, which showed an increase of 28.8% and 47.6% from 2002 to 2016, respectively.
  • Females and those aged between 10 and 14 years were the most affected with the highest incidence rates.
  • Fractures and head injuries were found to be the most common types of injuries.
  • The average duration of a hospital stay as a result of a horse-riding injury was 2.6±4.1 days, with the average cost per HA being $A5096±8345.

Conclusions and Implications

  • The pattern of horse-riding injuries (such as types of injuries) has remained relatively stable since the last report in Victoria.
  • The study reveals an increase in the incidence rates of both HAs and EDs over the past 14 years.
  • Given these findings, the researchers suggest a need to reassess and refocus on injury prevention strategies.
  • The authors of the study recommend creating a comprehensive plan for the implementation and evaluation of these countermeasures to effectively reduce injury rates.

Cite This Article

APA
O'Connor S, Hitchens PL, Fortington LV. (2018). Hospital-treated injuries from horse riding in Victoria, Australia: time to refocus on injury prevention? BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med, 4(1), e000321. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2017-000321

Publication

BMJ open sport & exercise medicine
ISSN: 2055-7647
NlmUniqueID: 101681007
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 4
Issue: 1
Pages: e000321

Researcher Affiliations

O'Connor, Siobhán
  • School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
Hitchens, Peta L
  • Equine Centre, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Fortington, Lauren V
  • Australian Centre for Research into Injury in Sport and its Prevention, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

Grant Funding

  • EP-D-17-020 / EPA

Conflict of Interest Statement

Competing interests: None declared.

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Newton LJ, Dobbin N, Goodwin P, Crampton JS. Factors associated with time to return to horse racing following a clavicle fracture in jockeys competing in Great Britain: A review and analysis of medical records. PLoS One 2025;20(1):e0317724.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0317724pubmed: 39847551google scholar: lookup
  2. Wang TJ, Ward T, Nguyen HT, Hurwitz EL. Equestrian-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries Presenting to a Chiropractic Practice: A Retrospective Chart Review of 19 Patients. J Chiropr Med 2023 Jun;22(2):103-106.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2022.07.004pubmed: 37346236google scholar: lookup
  3. Fenner K, Dashper K, Serpell J, McLean A, Wilkins C, Klinck M, Wilson B, McGreevy P. The Development of a Novel Questionnaire Approach to the Investigation of Horse Training, Management, and Behaviour. Animals (Basel) 2020 Oct 24;10(11).
    doi: 10.3390/ani10111960pubmed: 33114408google scholar: lookup
  4. Karsidag S, Cinar N, Sahin S, Ates MF, Tabak NA. A Case of Intracranial Hypotension after Horse Riding. J Clin Neurol 2019 Jan;15(1):130-131.
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