The average height of a horse is between 1.4 and 1.8 meters, which is a long way to fall. Not to mention that most horse riding injuries occur when being flung from a horse rather than simply falling off.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
The Journal of Neurosurgery released the results of a study done from 2003 to 2012 where they found some startling results. The number one sports-related traumatic brain injuries was not the obvious contact sports you would expect, which only accounted for 20.2 per cent of those recorded.
A whopping 45.2 per cent of sports-related traumatic brain injuries in adults recorded between 2003 and 2012 was as a result of horseback riding accidents.
Even when measured against roller sports, skiing, snowboarding and aquatic sports, horseback riding still proved to cause most head injuries. It was even reported by one hospital that it admitted more cases of traumatic head injuries caused by horseback riding than of high-risk activities like motorcycle riding.
After all, it is an art to stay on a horse, never mind get it to do your bidding. A horse is a living creature with a mind of its own, if it no longer wants you on its back it will get you off, violently so at times. Sometimes a fall can even be a result of the horse falling and taking you with it.
The Importance of a Riding Cap
This is mandatory gear when getting on any horse, like riding a bicycle, you should always protect your head. If you don’t have one, visit a horse equipment shop and buy one before riding again. Make it a habit to wear it every time you mount a horse.
The riding cap is lightweight and will not interfere with your ability to ride. It has a protective liner made from high-grade polystyrene which acts as an effective shock absorber with a fibre glass or plastic shell. The polystyrene acts as bubble wrap that absorbs and distributes the shock so that it doesn’t result in focused trauma on one part of the head which can lead to skull fractures and traumatic brain injury.
