Injury Prevention
The Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program
(CHIRPP), Health Canada, collects information from a network
of 15 emergency rooms (10 of which are children's hospitals in
major centres). It reports that of 1,756 cases from 1995-99,
more than 60% of equestrian injuries "involved a loss of
control and subsequent fall from the horse. The direct cause
of the injury was most often a surface (63.3%) or the horse itself
(26.2%)." It also says that approximately 30% were injuries
to the head, face or neck. Riding helmets were used in about
a quarter of incidences.
Helmets can help reduce the incidences of severe brain and head
trauma.
Skull fractures, concussions and cerebral contusions (bruises)
all fall under the category of head injuries and can result in
memory loss, paralysis, loss of motor function, and in worst
cases, even death.
Essentially the gravitational force that comes into play during
a fall from a horse is greater than from a bicycle or skateboard
due to the height of the animal; because the rider's head is
much further from the ground, the chance of injury increases
as more force is exerted on the body.
Therefore, standards testing for equestrian headgear takes all
the horse-related factors into account just as standards testing
for biking, mountain climbing or other activity headgear is geared
specifically toward the particular sport. (See sidebar "Wheels".)
The perfect helmet is one that is hard enough to withstand a
severe accident yet will absorb the energy of a fall instead
of the skull and brain. Add to that the factors of comfort and
appearance and helmet manufacturers have quite a challenge.
There is still a way to go before an absolutely safe, undestructable
riding helmet is constructed. But at least in the meantime, riders
can be assured there are a number of products on the market that
meet high safety standards.
|Heading OFF Injury|Injury
Prevention|
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