Science & Equine

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Written by Sophie Delemarre
Posted in Rider fitness

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Spine fractures caused by horse riding

This article from the Netherlands states that one in seven equestrians gets injured yearly as a result of equestrian sport. Because of this, horse riding is seen as one of the most risky sports. A horse can weigh over 500 kilos, gallop 50-65 kilometers per hour and kick with the force of 1,8 times their own body weight. Beside this a horse has a will of its own. If you keep this in mind and you will know (even without scientific knowledge) that there arises a high risk of injuries.

The average in-hospital time for riders who had suffered a fracture in the spine is relatively long (compared to other sports). The article states that even years after a trauma patients still have problems. The authors of this article recommend to train a proper falling technique, as for example, is common in martial arts.

Expert opinion by Sophie Delemarre

This article provides a clear and realistic picture of the risks in equestrian sports. I think the proposal to give fall training (as we see in martial arts) to riders is a strong idea, and to me it seems useful to do more with this. As far as I have been able to find (so far) the effect of this has not yet been described anywhere. Maybe a good idea for further investigation!

Have you had a injury as a result of horse riding? And how long was your revalidation?

> From: Siebenga et al., Eur Spine J 15 (2006) 465-471. All rights reserved to Department of traumatology, vrije universiteit medisch centrum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Click here for the online summary.

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