November/December 2026 Issue

November/December 2026 | EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN 8 By Veronica Foley If the world looks best to you from be- tween a horse’s ears, every grisly ac- cident in the headlines can send you auditing your own safety habits. Here is what the research shows, what it leaves unanswered, and how riders can improve their odds. One reason the answers are hard to pin down is that equestrian acci- dents are not collected in a single, comprehensive database. Instead, the evidence comes from a patchwork of sources: hospital records, sport-spe- cific reporting, helmet lab tests, body-protector studies, and incident reports from organizations such as the FEI and US Pony Club. Each source answers a slightly dif- ferent question. Hospital studies can show which injuries are most severe, but they often miss horse-specific details such as helmet use, tack fit, discipline, rider expe- rience, or how the fall unfolded. What the Numbers Tell Us The injury data point to one unavoid- able conclusion: head and neck trauma matter most. A study of 24,791 adult pa- tients treated at US trauma centers from 2007 to 2016 found that head and neck injuries accounted for about three-quarters of fatalities. Eventing data show how much the type of fall changes the level of risk. In roughly 12,000 FEI-record- ed eventing falls from 2013 to 2024, serious or fatal injury followed: • 1.4% of simple unseated falls • 5.5% of non-rotational horse falls • Roughly 1 in 5 rotational falls, where the horse somersaults No piece of equipment can elim- inate that risk, especially in a ro- tational fall. Still, equipment re- mains one of the most practical ways riders can reduce the severity of certain injuries. Riding the Odds From helmet ratings and air vests to fitness and fall training, equestrian safety is a complicated—and very personal—business. What the research reveals, what remains uncertain, and how to improve your chances to stay safe.