Degree Name
Master of Science
Department or Program
Human Sciences
Advisor
Wallace, Juliane P
Abstract
The aim was to investigate the overall injury trends of equestrian sport injury to determine if it is prevalent enough to warrant further medical care and scientific research. A search across four databases yielded 4559 articles and after an investigation for inclusion criteria, 17 articles were deemed appropriate for this review. Strong evidence suggested that equestrian sport athletes experience injury at similar, and sometimes higher rates, than athletes of more traditional sports like football or soccer. Most equestrian athletes reported head and neck injuries, though it was not the primary cause of the few fatalities reported. Most often, injuries were due to some impact between the rider and another force (horse, ground, or other). This was experienced most prevalently through falls and being kicked or stepped on by a horse. There were also reports of both upper and lower extremity injuries, warranting less severity, but accounted for a higher number of surgeries among riders. Due to these findings, the conclusion can be drawn that equestrian sport athletes experience a significant amount of injury in their sports and need further care to improve their health for participation. Future research should focus on broadening participant population to more accurately define the injury risks associated with equestrian sport injury.