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Personal Injury Blog

Horse or Equine Injuries the facts

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Horseback riding can be an enjoyable activity whenever everything goes as planned. When the proper safety measures are not followed, it can often end in disaster. Equine Accidents can result in serious injury or even death, and the sad truth is that many of these accidents can easily be avoided.

Types of Injuries

One of the most common equine injuries involves a rider falling or being thrown from the horse. Injuries can also occur whenever an animal stumbles, falls, or collides with inanimate objects. An individual could also be stomped on, kicked, or bitten by a horse. When horseback riding activities take place on public roads, care must be taken to ensure that participants and animals are visible to the public so they are not struck by passing automobiles.

Horseback Riding Facilities

A common place where equine injuries happen is at horseback riding facilities. These could be ranches that provide horseback riding lessons or parks that offer group trail rides. In these locations, some of the common injuries that can occur may be easily prevented by:

  • Ensuring that the animals offered for riding have the right temperament and training
  • Making sure that riders do not exceed the weight limit for each horse
  • Providing the proper safety equipment and giving instruction on how to use it
  • Supervising participants to ensure that none of them harm or abuse the animals
  • Properly fitting saddles for each rider
  • Ensuring that young children are not permitted to ride alone
  • Inspecting bridles, blinders and other equipment to make sure they are in good working order

It’s also imperative that those who operate these facilities choose the right location for holding public rides. The ideal spot will be away from things such as traffic or other animals that could spook a horse. Trails should also be well maintained and free from any hazards that could cause an animal to lose its footing, thereby throwing a rider off. Who is Prone to Injuries?

Inexperienced riders are more likely to be injured in a horseback riding accident than others are. Children are also more prone to becoming accident victims than adults. When planning group rides, it’s important for those who are running the event to ask about each person’s level of experience in order to ensure he or she gets the level of supervision that’s needed. It’s also important to know a little bit about each rider’s health history. Those who are prone to seizures, the elderly, and diabetics might be more likely to fall off a horse while riding, and should therefore be supervised more closely.

Where to turn for help

If you or a loved one have been injured while horseback riding, it’s imperative that you seek medical attention right away. The law requires you to take measures to mitigate the amount of damage whenever you’re injured, even if an accident was not your fault. Once you have received the proper medical care, you may want to speak with a personal injury attorney in order to find out what your options are.