Horse IQ

A late-90’s Australian study tracked 4220 riders over 35 events in every riding event in south Australia. The study focused specifically on riding injuries (to the humans, not the horses). When the data was finally tabulated, the injury data was pretty spread out among all the events going on at that time. All, that is, except one…

Cross country is one phase of equestrian eventing competition. Some would argue that it is the most gruelling, both to the riders as well as the horses.

Both you and your horse need to be in tip top condition to compete in the event. It’s a test of both speed and endurance.

That’s part of what makes it the most dangerous. When both you and your horse are tired, that’s when you make mistakes. This study bears that out.

“…one can calculate an overall injury rate for all event competitors of one per 14 hours of cross country riding. At this rate, the cross country phase of an equestrian event is over 70 times as dangerous as horse riding in general.”

And the injuries weren’t small ones either…

“On average, one competitor was injured at every event in this series. At one event, four competitors were admitted to hospital. At another, three were injured and one was killed, and the event was abandoned before the halfway stage.”

Why Cross Country Can Be Dangerous To Humans

Cross country not just a race through the open countryside. There are jumps and other obstacles in your way. There’s an art as well as a science to jumping. It takes a lot of practice (a LOT of practice) to be able tocompete in any kind of horse jumping competition.

Cross country event in which a horse and rider are required to clear a 2′ 6″ stone wall.

Even though jumping takes a lot of practice and preparation, you can still do it safely. I’ve been competing in hunter/jumper events for years. I seldom see anyone become injured. And the ones I see are seldom serious.

But cross country jumping is different. What makes it so dangerous is the jumps, themselves: they’re immovable.

That means if your horse gets out of his rhythm when going over one, he can’t just plow right through it like he could in a hunter/jumper event. If your horse misses a cross country jump, both he - and you - will crash. Usually into the jump itself and sometimes at very high speeds.

solid picnic table-style jump at cross country event

Safety Equipment Is Key

Please don’t think that I’m against the sport of cross country eventing. I’m not. But I do want to get your attention and underscore your need for safety equipment. And the most important piece of horse riding safety equipment you can buy is a good equestrian helmet.

When you’re evaluating horse helmets, you want to look for the words “ASTM/SEI certified” on the label. ASTM is American Society for Testing and Materials. They’ve been around over 100 years and certify everything from children’s playground toys to firemen’s protective gear.

SEI is the Safety Equipment Institute. They’re more focused on the process the helmet manufacturer used when building your helmet. SEI representatives have been known to drop in unannounced and do a random spot check on helmet makers, just to make sure they’re doing things the right way. Very effective - I like that.

You can get ASTM/SEI certified helmets online. My two favorite places are StateLineTack.com and Crazy Horse Tack and Gift Shop. Just click the link and type “helmet” into their search boxes and look for the ASTM/SEI label. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t consider buying a helmet that didn’t have one.

Your Safety Is The Most Important Thing

Whether you ride Cross country, English, Western, or just like to ride trails, your safety is my #1 concern. When you’re riding horses, you’re high enough off the ground to really hurt yourself if you fall and hit your head.

Please, please, pleeeeease, wear a horse helmet. It will save your life.

Yours for Better Horse Safety,

Sierra Lynch

Tags: Horse Riding

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