Look Before You Leap: What Are the Obstacles to Risk Calculation in the Equestrian Sport of Eventing?

This paper examines methods for calculating injury risk for riders in eventing. It suggests the primary risk is the horse jumping and the jump itself. The paper argues risk calculation should focus on this.

• 1
  The primary locus of risk for riders and horses is the jump itself, and the action of the horse jumping.
• 2
  Calculations of risk in eventing should concentrate first on measuring the number of rider and horse/rider falls and the number of rider injuries in relation to the number of jumping efforts performed by the horses.
• 3
  Risk calculation based on the number of rider injuries and deaths as a proportion of the number of jumping efforts would indicate that eventing is unlikely to be as dangerous as motorcycle racing.