Effects of body protection vests and experience levels in prevention of equestrian injuries

Abstract

ObjectivesTo investigate the risk reduction and benefit of wearing body protection/safety vests in equestrian sports.MethodsA comparison of equestrians wearing body protective vests and those not wearing vests was performed using incident report data of 718 participants in the United States Pony Clubs during 2011–2017. Data obtained included age, gender, certification level of member, type of activity, description of incident, description of injuries, what protective equipment was worn and other possible contributing factors.ResultsWhile wearing body protective vests when riding on the flat or for show jumping was not correlated with a decrease in injuries, wearing vests for cross country was correlated with decrease in reported injuries (p=0.036) and showed a trend towards a lower incident severity level (p=0.062). Wearing body protection during cross country reduced the relative risk of injury by 56%. While the volume of incidents varied with a rider’s experience level, the number of serious injuries did not appear to correlate with lesser equestrian experience.ConclusionsWhile equestrian sports are considered to have a certain degree of risk associated with them, there are ways to make them safer. Wearing safety equipment, such as helmets and body protection, and obtaining education and experience can lessen the chance of incurring serious injuries.

Horse-riding hazards: an observational cohort study mapping equestrian related injuries at a Scandinavian trauma centre

“…The use of safety vests is well established, especially amongst younger riders. However, the effectiveness of the vest outside of the cross country course still lacks sound scientific evidence [ 7 ]. A recent study suggests that a certain type of safety vest (an inflatable vest) could even constitute a risk for the rider rather than protection [ 8 ].…”

“…A recent study suggests that a certain type of safety vest (an inflatable vest) could even constitute a risk for the rider rather than protection [ 8 ]. Speculations on why the effectiveness of the vests differs from cross country to other disciplines suggest that the answer lies in the nature of the activities [ 7 ].…”