Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Preventing Horse-Related Injuries By Watching Out For Other Humans, William R. Gombeski Jr., Fernanda C. Camargo, Holly Wiemers, Connie Jehlik, Polly Haselton Barger, James Mead

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The more one rides or handles horses, the more likely one is to have a horse-related injury. These injuries are caused by many factors, including those generated by other riders, handlers or spectators. An analysis of 266 cases of injured equestrians showed that 16% of those injuries were caused by other humans. A panel of horse riding safety experts felt 63% were preventable, and the injured individuals themselves felt 51% were preventable. The study findings suggest that increased awareness of the role others play in causing horse-related injuries and increased education about common people-caused injuries could reduce the number of …