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Around half a million Swedes engage in horse riding – a sport that is far from risk-free.
Every week around twelve riders suffer a head injury, shows a review from the insurance company Folksam.
– Those are the ones that are the most serious, says Helena Stigson at Folksam.
In addition to the fact that half a million Swedes compete or engage in horse riding in their spare time, equestrian is also one of the largest children’s and youth sports in Sweden, second only to football.
Folksam’s mapping, which reviewed personal injuries among the Equestrian Association’s members during the years 2017-2021, shows that around 1,400 people in equestrian sports are injured each year. In most cases, it is about riders who fell off their horses.
Head injuries are the most common injury (44 percent) and according to the insurance company, around twelve people a week experience this type of injury in connection with training, competition or handling horses.
– Heads make up such a large proportion of injuries, but at the same time we know that helmet use is very high. There are very few who ride without a helmet, says Helena Stigson who is responsible for research at Folksam.
Consisting but
In the younger age group, 7-20 years, injuries to the head are the most common injury. But it is not the very youngest who run the greatest risk of having an accident.
The risk is highest in the 21-40 age group, but it is difficult to say what this is due to:
– What you can imagine is behind it is that you become a more experienced rider and perhaps compete at higher levels. The very youngest do not compete at all, and you know that the competitive moment is always a moment of risk in all sports.
Folksam also states that more than one in ten injuries lead to permanent problems.
– They are mainly arm injuries, but there are also head injuries and those are the most serious.
Gotten better
Since the use of helmets in equestrian sports is generally high, it is important to find other ways to prevent accidents from actually happening, says Helena Stigson.
In addition, it is important that the equipment used provides the best possible protection.
– A riding helmet removes about half of the injuries, it has a protective effect. We also see that the helmets are getting better, but not at all at the same rate as with bicycle helmets, for example, says Helena Stigson.
FACT People’s overview of riding injuries
Folksam has reviewed 7,000 reported personal injuries among the Swedish Equestrian Association’s members between 2017 and 2021.
The most common accident is the rider falling off the horse, 81 percent.
Around twelve percent of the injuries lead to permanent problems.
The most common injury is a head injury, affecting 44 percent of riders.
About 18 percent of those who are injured suffer a concussion.
In the age group 7-20 years, head injuries make up half of the reported personal injuries.
People in the 21-40 age group are most at risk of having an accident.
Around 155,000 riders in Sweden are insured with Folksam.
Source: Folksam
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