ARCHIVED - Injuries associated with... EQUESTRIAN ACTIVITIES

CHIRPP database, summary data for 1996, all ages

SUMMARY (1179 records)

Almost half (48.1) of equestrian-related injuries were sustained by children 10 to 14 years of age, and 76.5% of all equestrian injuries were to females. Equestrian injuries were most common in the summer (40.9%), on weekends (46.9%) and between the hours of noon and 8 p.m.(62.2%). Most of the injuries (62.1%) occurred when a rider fell from a horse. Equestrian injuries most often occurred in outdoor recreational areas (43.3%). A total of 48.6% of equestrian injuries required advice only or minor treatment, 36.5% required medical follow-up after leaving the emergency department and 14.3% of the patients were admitted to hospital. Injuries to the arm or hand accounted for 37.8% of all injuries. The most frequent type of injury was abrasions, bruises or inflammations (39.6% of all injuries). Use of protective equipment was reported by 21.8% of persons injured.

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE SEARCH

An April 1995 search of the entire CHIRPP database (423,663 records) was conducted. There was no age restriction. Records were selected if the injury was coded for horseback riding (factor code 1239) or horses (factor code 6203) or if the text fields included the word and word segments "horse", "cheval", "eques," "chevaux," "cavalier," or "equitation." Records were excluded if the person was not injured i) by a horse, ii) by a fall from a horse or iii) while handling and/or near a horse. Injuries to persons who fell off wagons or other vehicles pulled by horses were not included unless the horse stepped on or kicked the victim. The total number of records identified was 1179.

OVERALL OCCURRENCE

The proportion of records in the entire CHIRPP database accounted for by equestrian injuries was 0.28%. The proportion of equestrian injuries among all CHIRPP records for each year ranged from 0.25% to 0.32% for the years 1990 to 1994.

AGE AND SEX DISTRIBUTION OF INJURED PERSONS

SEASON DURING WHICH INJURY OCCURRED

TIME AT WHICH INJURY OCCURRED

DAY OF WEEK WHEN INJURY OCCURRED

WHERE THE INJURY OCCURRED

SAFETY DEVICE USED AT TIME OF INJURY

EQUESTRIAN ACTIVITY OR CIRCUMSTANCES CONTRIBUTING TO THE INJURY

The following is a list of frequently occurring circumstances and factors leading to equestrian injury. Each case has been assigned to only one category and percentages are based on 1179 persons injured. Category assignment is based on the level of detail available in the description of the injury.

TREATMENT PROVIDED

NATURE OF INJURY AND BODY PART INJURED

PROFILE OF PATIENTS ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL

Of the 169 patients admitted to hospital, 128 were female and 41 were male; 23 were one to four years old, 46 were five to nine years old, 76 were ten to fourteen years old, 22 were fifteen to nineteen years old and 2 were over nineteen years of age. A fall from a horse was reported by 103 of these patients, 37 were kicked by horses, 13 were stepped on by horses, a horse fell or rolled over onto 8 patients, 2 patients were bitten, 2 patients were knocked over, one was butted by a horse, one was participating in a rodeo event, one was pushed off the horse by another person and the circumstances of the injury are unknown for one patient. Fracture was the primary injury of 108 patients (48 of the arm, 33 of the head, 21 of the leg, and 6 of the trunk), 21 patients suffered concussion, 17 patients had haematoma or inflammation (3 of internal organs, 3 of the head, 3 of the respiratory tract, 3 of the brain, 2 of the spine, one of the kidney, one of an unspecified part of the gastrointestinal tract, and one of the abdomen), 11 patients suffered cuts and lacerations (5 of internal organs, 3 of the head, one of the mouth, one of the genitalia and one of the kidney), 5 patients suffered multiple system trauma, 3 patients had minor head injuries, 2 had bites, one sustained a dental injury, and one suffered a brain hemorrhage.