Injuries in equestrian vaulting: results of a prospective study.
Abstract: Equestrian vaulting is a sport, particularly popular among children and adolescents, in which gymnastic and dance routines are performed on horseback. Current data regarding injuries and thus, the risks of this sport, is meager and based only on retrospective studies. Methods: In the current prospective study, 233 active members of a vaulting club were questioned monthly from November 2014 until October 2015. In addition to general information (training, competitions), the questionnaire collected the number of competitions, the competitive class, the discipline (single, team, Pas-de-Deux), and injuries (type, localization, treatment). Results: There were 102 documented events resulting in 125 injuries, yielding an average 31.64 days of training lost. Each vaulter suffered an average 0.44 injuries per year. Frequency of injury was 2.15 injuries per 1000 training hours. Injuries occurred most often to the lower and upper extremities. Most common were bruises and muscle injuries. Injury risk increased with increasing age, number of falls from the horse, increasing competitive level, number of tournament entries and events (P=0.006), and previous injuries (P=0.010). Conclusions: Our study found that vaulting has a low risk of injury comparable to non-contact sports. The best focus for injury prevention strategies is on older vaulters at higher competitive levels performing more complex routines.
Publication Date: 2018-09-27 PubMed ID: 30264971DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.18.08250-6Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
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 examines injury risks in the sport of equestrian vaulting, based on data from a yearlong monthly survey of 233 vaulters. The study found that injury rate is low and comparable to non-contact sports, and is most prevalent among older, more experienced athletes undertaking complex routines.
Methods:
- The study was conducted prospectively: the researchers surveyed 233 active members of a vaulting club once a month over the period of a year (from November 2014 through October 2015).
- Apart from details like training and competition frequency, the survey collected information on the specific discipline they participated in (single, team, or Pas-de-Deux), any injuries they suffered (specifically their type and location, and what treatment they received).
Results:
- Over the course of the study, there were 102 events that led to 125 injuries. This translated to an average of 31.64 lost training days.
- Each vaulter suffered an average 0.44 injuries per year, which equates to 2.15 injuries per 1000 training hours.
- Injuries were most common in the lower and upper extremities, with bruises and muscle injuries being the most typical types of harm.
- The study also undertook some statistical analysis, finding that injury risk was correlated with a number of factors including age (the older the vaulter, the higher the risk), number of falls, competitive level (the higher the level, the higher the risk), number of tournament entries and events, and previous injuries.
Conclusions:
- The main finding of the study is that equestrian vaulting, despite looking potentially dangerous as it involves gymnastic and dance routines on horseback, actually has a low injury risk. In fact, it’s comparable to non-contact sports in terms of injuries.
- The study suggests that to further reduce injury risks, the best strategy is to focus on older vaulters competing at higher levels and performing more complex routines, as these were the factors linked to higher injury rates.
Cite This Article
APA
Zarghooni K, Hub L, Bredow J, Yagdiran A, Hackenberg RK, Scheyerer M, Westermann L, Eysel P, Siewe J.
(2018).
Injuries in equestrian vaulting: results of a prospective study.
J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 59(3), 476-480.
https://doi.org/10.23736/S0022-4707.18.08250-6 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany - kourosh.zarghooni@uk-koeln.de.
- Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
- Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
MeSH Terms
- Accidental Falls / statistics & numerical data
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Animals
- Athletic Injuries / epidemiology
- Athletic Injuries / prevention & control
- Child
- Female
- Horses
- Humans
- Incidence
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Prospective Studies
- Risk Factors
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Young Adult
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Neville EK, Hicks H, Neville CC. Epidemiology of horse trauma: a literature review. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 2024 Jun;50(3):741-754.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
