75% OF SERIOUS INJURIES AFFECT AREAS PROTECTED BY THE AIRBAG.
Horseback riding is a dangerous sport, both for leisure and high-level practice, and interactions with horses can lead to serious or even fatal injuries. On foot or on horseback, injuries can reach high severity levels, though they may differ in nature.
Just as head protection is essential, protecting the upper body should also be a priority for every rider. While wearing a helmet is obvious, 75% of severe injuries (AIS4+) observed in horse falls affect the areas covered by airbag vests [1] and [6]. For this reason, Horse Pilot, in collaboration with In&motion, chose to develop an airbag for riders.
AN AIRBAG THAT PROTECTS THE BUST AREAS MOST AFFECTED IN HORSE FALLS
Thorax, abdomen, spine, and cervical region.
THERE IS 1 INJURY FOR EVERY 1000 HOURS OF RIDING.
Contrary to popular belief, equestrian-related injuries are less frequent than in other sports. For 1,000 hours of sport, there are 6.1 injuries in American football, but only 1 in horseback riding [1].
However, the risk of serious injury and mortality in equestrian sports is higher than in other sports. The mortality rate is estimated at 1 per 1 million people, the highest among all sports [2].
54% OF HORSE-RELATED INJURIES ARE CAUSED BY IMPACTS AFTER A FALL FROM A HORSE.
“THE MOST FREQUENTLY INJURED RIDER IS A WOMAN UNDER 30, WHO HAS FALLEN FROM A HORSE DURING A LEISURE EQUESTRIAN ACTIVITY.”
To improve rider protection and reduce the 18.7 injuries per 100,000 horse interactions (on average) [1], it is essential to understand the circumstances of accidents and identify injury mechanisms.
Epidemiological and accidentology studies [1] and [2] show that horse falls are the main cause of injury (54-63%), followed by horse kicks (22-28%).
Additionally, interesting figures were found regarding the type of activity [1] : leisure vs professional. During leisure activities, horseback injuries are more common than on-foot injuries: 92% vs 68%. In professional contexts, the trend is reversed: on-foot injuries are more frequent than horseback injuries, 32% vs 8%.
“THE MOST SEVERELY INJURED RIDERS ARE SHOW JUMPING COMPETITORS WHO HAVE FALLEN FROM A HORSE, WITH TRAUMAS MAINLY LOCATED IN THE UPPER BODY.”
It is easy to understand why horse falls can be extremely dangerous or fatal for riders: speeds up to 65 km/h, a horse weighing over 450 kg, a horse's kick force reaching 1,000 kg, and the rider's head up to 2.7 meters from the ground. The human body can be subjected to very high and potentially injurious forces [3], [4] and [5].
The location of injuries from horse falls varies with injury severity. For severe injuries (AIS4+), the most affected areas are the thorax (40%), head (23%), and spine (23%). Regarding trauma types, the most observed injuries in the upper body are rib fractures, spinal fractures, clavicle fractures, and lung injuries [2]
