Injuries to Avoid in Horseback Riding

Let’s admit it; we are all fascinated by horse riding activity, whether it’s in sports, ranching work, or any other riding discipline. In addition to the fascination created by the horse riding routine, this fun-loving sport comes along with pain and injuries for the rider and the horse as well.

No matter how expert of a horseback rider you are, there will certainly be pain and back sores for numerous reasons. However, that doesn’t mean you have to delude something out of horseback riding. You can only focus on taking precautions while being on the horse’s back.

Read More: Common Beginner Horse Riding Mistakes

Horseback Riding: A Popular Activity

The popularity of horseback riding is not only famous for sports and fieldwork, but many people prefer it as an interesting hobby. According to the reports, there are more than 9 million horses in the United States. In the same manner, about 4.6 million people are involved in the Equestrian Industry.

Though horseback riding is in high demand among people, it’s a highly dangerous sport that can cause serious injuries. By looking at the horse, it’s easy to conclude that it’s an extremely powerful animal. Usually, an average horse may weigh between 800 to 2000 pounds. More so, it depends upon the horse’s breed, age, and other factors to describe how strong it might be.

Therefore, before you get on the horse’s back for riding, make sure you take all the necessary precautions. More so, it will help avoid any injuries that may occur during horseback riding.

Common Horse Riding Injuries to Avoid

Needless to say, horses that are trained under professionals are calmer and well-behaved. On the other hand, if they are not on the right side of their mind on some days, then it can be tricky to handle them.

At other times, some external factors may also affect the horse’s behavior. It can be like – weather conditions and loud noise can make the horse in a panic situation. Hence, they may not behave well and may not want the rider to be seated anymore on their back.

See Also: How to Choose the Right Saddle for Your Horse?

Here are a few injuries that you should note and avoid during horseback riding –

1. Head Injury:
   While riding a horse, head injuries are the most common as you sit on the horse’s back leaning forward. Usually, when you ride at speed, the horse suddenly stops, and you fall off your head. That’s why it’s advisable to use a helmet whenever you are riding a horse.
   As per the reports of 2019 by Sports Medicine, about 70% of the riders got injuries on their head while horse riding. Hence, it’s a common injury that you must be aware of during horseback riding.
2. Broken Collarbones:
   In general terms, accidental falls from a horse’s back usually occur when your horse gets spooked out of a situation. Furthermore, broken collarbones have a high chance as you fall on one side of your body.
   When there’s a sudden fall off from one side of the horse, it will make the rider use their hands to touch the ground. Such force and immediate reactions of arms on the floor may cause a jerk in the muscles. Hence, there are more changes in the collarbone while riding a horse at high speed.
3. Concussions:
   Some horseback riders prefer to use pills as they go for horseback riding activities. It usually happens in sports activity, and most people may develop head injuries due to this. While falling off the horse due to concussion can be a bigger issue. More so, the rider may develop serious injury as they fall off and hurt other parts of the body.
   As the rider who fell off the horse and later woke up, they may suffer from a concussion. But as they regain their senses, they may not be willing to take the treatment that can be more dangerous in the future.
4. Spinal Injuries:
   It’s naturally possible that a person may develop back issues while riding a horse. Whether or not you are into a jumping-riding routine, a little force always pushes the rider upward during the back ride. Henceforth, even if you do not fall from the horse, there are more chances of developing a sore back and other similar issues.
5. Facial Injuries:
   Though we take care of so much of our body parts while considering horseback riding, we lay no more stress on keeping our facial bones intact. Many of you may think wearing a helmet will just be fine to protect your head and face.However, a recent study found that most facial injuries in horse riding occur when the rider is standing on the ground. When a horse gets irritated due to irregular activity, it uses its legs to kick here and there. Thus, it may result in severe injuries, such as breaking your jawbone.
6. Lower Back Pain:
   It’s obvious to know that horseback riding requires a lot of strength and effort. While on the one hand, you have to put in your physical effort; likely, you’ll also have to maintain balance and support. In general, the rider needs to be strong in order to pull in the reins while handling such a huge animal. In order to cooperate with the high speeding animal, it’s essential to use the best techniques possible.Though you’ll need the whole body strength to work with the horseback riding routine, the lower back engages the most.
   Furthermore, you must maintain proper posture during horseback riding as a basic routine. If you cannot sit properly during the ride, you will certainly have issues with your back.

Tips to Avoid Horseback Riding Injuries

Most severe horseback injuries occur when the rider falls off the horse’s back. In such events, the rider either breaks his arm or shoulder or suffers multiple fractures. Thus, you must follow some tips to stay safe from accidental falls or injuries during horse riding.

Here are some tips that you can follow –

• Make sure you apply the best techniques of horseback riding while choosing the equipment and tools.
• Always wear a helmet, safety vest, and other important tools for prevention against accidental falls.
• Make sure everything fits properly right, starting from the horse’s saddle to your leather boots. Moreover, loose clothing/attire will have drawbacks, such as interrupting the riding discipline.
• If you are a new horseback rider, make sure you ride the horse under proper supervision.
• Horseback riding requires you to be completely awake. Likewise, you must not go horseback riding if you are sleepy or under the influence of medications.

Apart from these tips, we would also advise the riders to stay away from the horse. Moreover, standing next to them without motive can make them use kicks that may result in serious injury. Henceforth, always use the right technique of horseback riding so that there’s no danger to your health and safety.

Bottom Line

When going horseback riding, there can be certain issues that may occur. Likewise, taking precautions primarily will keep you safe from future injuries. Thus, it’s important to use horseback riding equipment and tools to maintain your safety.

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