Uneasy Riders: Horses Riskier Than Motorcycles

"If you're 47 years old, a good experienced rider and it's sunny out, you can still get seriously hurt or die," said Rob Mulloy, an assistant professor at the University of Calgary and co-author of the study. The reason this happens, he said, is that "horses are independent beings with their own agenda." Not to mention that horses weigh up to 500 kilograms, move at a speed of up to 65 kilometres an hour, elevate riders up to three metres above ground and kick with a force of nearly one ton. The research, published in the American Journal of Surgery, is based on a decade of trauma data collected at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary. From 1995 to 2005, there were 7,941 trauma patients at Foothills, including 151 who were severely injured while horseback riding. Seven per cent of the riders died of their injuries and 45 per cent required surgery, the study said. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070924.whorses24/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home [Proofreader’s note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on September 25, 2007]

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