Sport
Riding is moderate exercise that asks a lot of your trunk and hips: a riding lesson averaged about 5 metabolic equivalents (METs), and your body has to absorb the horse's movement while your head stays steady. Back pain is common in riders, and in young riders, weaker trunk endurance went with it. Shorter stirrups and a rising trot reduced the jolts through the spine.
The serious risks come from falls, from a height of about 2.7 metres at up to 40 mph, and from kicks and crushes on the ground. Riding hats prevent skull fractures and serious brain injuries but not all concussions, and body protectors and air jackets have firm rules but mixed evidence. This guide covers hats, body protectors, falls, roads and the concussion rules in British equestrian sport, with a 10-minute warm-up and a strength workout for riders, each with a 3D demo of every move.
A 45-minute riding lesson averaged 5.0 to 5.3 METs, about half of riders' aerobic capacity, and the Compendium of Physical Activities gives trotting 5.8, cantering 7.3 and jumping 9.0. A review puts the rider's head about 2.7 metres off the ground, at speeds up to 40 mph.
In British Columbia, riding led to 0.49 hospital admissions per 1,000 hours and one death per 10,000 riders a year, mostly from head injuries. In Swedish eventing, novices had more injuries than qualified riders.
Riders without hats had about 9 times the odds of bleeding in or around the brain. But of head injuries in riders whose hats were returned after falls, 91% were concussions, and many of those hats were undamaged.
A Level 3 body protector is compulsory for cross-country in British Eventing and the Pony Club, and an air jacket goes over it, not instead of it. Air jackets haven't been shown to reduce injuries.
People crushed or kicked by horses had far more injuries to their abdominal organs than riders who fell, and kicks caused 64% of horse-related facial injuries at a UK major trauma centre.
British Equestrian's guidance: if in doubt, sit them out, and riding again not before day 21. British Eventing suspends concussed riders for 21 days. In our reading of the National Health Service's (NHS) list, a head knock in a fall from a horse is a 999 call.
In 16 female recreational riders aged 17 to 54, a 45-minute lesson based on a British Horse Society (BHS) Stage 2 lesson averaged 5.0 METs at walk and trot and 5.3 at trot and canter, and 4.2 for work without stirrups. In 20 riders, walking was about 2 METs and trotting 3.2, but a long trot reached 6.2 at 152 beats a minute and canter about 6. Apprentice jockeys riding six horses a morning cantered for about 30 minutes at an average heart rate of 129, an easy to moderate load.
The Compendium gives riding in general 5.5 METs, walking 3.8, trotting 5.8, cantering or galloping 7.3, jumping 9.0 and grooming and saddling 4.5, all measured values.
In jockeys, the legs absorbed the horse's movement and the trunk and upper body steadied the rest, cutting head movement threefold. In 21 dressage riders, the load through the spine rose from walk to rising trot to canter to sitting trot. In 13 riders, shorter stirrups and the standing phase of rising trot cut the jolts at the base of the spine, the neck and the head, and their strength didn't explain the difference, pointing to technique.
In 12 junior elite riders, the adductors were 8% to 19% stronger than the abductors, and every show jumper had tight hip flexors. Competitive riders had better core stability than recreational riders, who were better than non-riders. Dressage riders at higher levels were more lopsided in posture, and collegiate female riders' aerobic fitness was below the norms. More experienced jockeys kept their heads steadier. These are associations from small studies.
Most serious injuries follow a fall or being thrown, at a head height of about 2.7 metres and up to 40 mph. Off the horse, people are kicked, crushed and trodden on: in US emergency data, most people hurt while not riding had been kicked.
Trunk endurance, hip strength and mobility for the seat, leg strength for the jumping position and for mounting, upper back and grip for the yard, balance, and riding technique, which mattered more than strength for the jolts through the spine.
Each study counted injuries its own way, so figures in different lines aren't comparable. The studies come from the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, North America and Australia.
The numbers, by group:
Head injuries were 48% of major horse-related trauma in two hospital series, and 60% of deaths in British Columbia. Concussions were 9.7% to 15% of riding injuries treated in hospital. Jockeys with repeated concussions did worse on thinking tests years later. Our concussion guide covers the graduated return.
In UK spinal units, head injuries outnumbered spinal injuries five to one, but riding brought more injuries to the middle and lower back than to the neck, and jumping was the activity most likely to cause them. Most spinal fractures were where the chest spine meets the lower back, and 22% of patients were left with a lasting disability at work. Older riders had more spinal fractures. We don't have a guide to spinal cord injury; our back pain, spinal compression fracture, neck pain and whiplash guides cover the rest.
The chest was injured in 54% of riders with major trauma in one trauma centre's series, and in New South Wales the chest was the commonest injured area, severely in two-thirds. Being crushed by a horse often broke ribs. Our rib injury guide covers these.
In Sweden's fracture register, the wrist was the commonest fracture (21%), and about half of US riders' fractures were in the arms. Children's arm fractures usually needed an operation. Our broken collarbone, shoulder dislocation, acromioclavicular (AC) joint, broken wrist, scaphoid fracture and broken elbow guides cover these.
Of 30 amateur riders referred to Ireland's pelvic trauma centre, 73% had broken the pelvic ring, from falls, crushes, kicks and saddle injuries, and half needed surgery. Children's feet were crushed when the foot stayed in the stirrup under a falling horse. We don't have a guide to pelvic fractures; our hip fracture, broken ankle, broken foot and Lisfranc injury guides cover the rest.
Kicks caused 22% of horse-related admissions at a Kentucky trauma centre, and 2 of its 3 deaths, from kicks to the head. At a UK major trauma centre, kicks caused 64% of horse-related facial injuries, and two-thirds of those injuries needed an operation. In Scotland, people crushed or kicked had far more injuries to their abdominal organs than riders who fell (22.7% against 0.7%). We don't have a guide to these injuries; the NHS's advice is in the warning signs below.
Across 14 studies, 27.9% to 87.9% of riders had low back pain at any one time. In 347 Portuguese riders, 61.7% had it in a year, more with heavier riding loads, riding as a job and daily stable work. Elite riders had far more back pain than non-riders (88% against 33%), without more wear in their discs on scans. Our back pain guide covers this.
Junior show jumpers all had tight hip flexors, and junior riders' adductors were stronger than their abductors. Our hip flexor pain, groin strain and knee pain guides cover these complaints.
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After major trauma, 55% of riders had lasting physical problems; 35% of adults admitted to one hospital were still in moderate or severe pain or disability after 6 months; and 41% of children treated in hospital still had a disability 4 years later.
Associations in the studies:
No exercise or education programme has been tested on riding injuries. The best evidence is for riding hats; the rules on hats, body protectors and stirrups are the governing bodies' own, and are set out in the next sections.
In 20 matched pairs of injured riders, those without hats had about 9 times the odds of bleeding in or around the brain. In children, no hat went with 2.5 times the odds of a brain injury, and hats went with milder brain injuries and shorter hospital stays. A review found hats cut the absolute risk of head injury by 40% to 50%. One rural US series found hats reduced only surface injuries, a reminder that they can't prevent everything. These are observational studies, consistent across countries.
Of 139 head injuries in riders whose hats were returned after falls, 91% were concussions and 4% skull fractures, and 46% of the hats were undamaged, suggesting many are too stiff for the turf or sand they hit. Real concussive falls were angled, softer and longer impacts than the drops onto steel that certification tests use. In one survey, only 12% of riders knew that hats can't prevent concussion.
In laboratory tests, the foam liner of jockey hats was compressed by 5% to 39% after one impact and by 33% to 70% after four, protecting less each time. The Pony Club says hats "must be replaced after a severe impact as subsequent protection will be significantly reduced". Yet 46% of riders in one survey had reused a hat after a hit to the head, and 78% of collegiate riders wouldn't replace one after every fall.
In 357 collegiate riders, head injuries were as common with hats with a Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS) liner as without. In a laboratory fall onto sand, MIPS hats didn't reduce peak forces on the head, though the impact lasted a little less long. What matters is a hat to a current standard, well fitted and replaced after a fall.
The British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) says its Level 3 body protector "should prevent minor bruising that would have produced stiffness and pain, reduce soft tissue injuries and prevent a limited number of rib fractures". In US Pony Club incident reports, vests in cross-country went with 56% fewer injuries, but not on the flat or in show jumping. In 92 children who fell onto their trunk, vests weren't linked with fewer trunk injuries, in a study too small to be sure. A review found vests weren't linked with fewer spinal cord injuries, though they may protect the chest.
Air jackets are worn over a Level 3 body protector for cross-country, as the rules require, not instead of one. They haven't been shown to reduce injuries. In 3,305 falls in international eventing, riders in air jackets had about 1.7 times the odds of a serious or fatal injury, an association that may reflect who wears them and how they ride; the researchers couldn't explain it. A review reached the same view. In British Eventing's 2022 falls, 47% of riders who fell wore one.
The Pony Club says it is "strongly recommended that the design of the stirrup chosen allows the foot to be released easily in the event of a rider fall", with stirrups about 7 mm wider than the boot on each side, and the Highway Code advises boots or shoes with hard soles and heels. A small series of children's feet crushed after staying in the stirrup supports this, but no trial of safety stirrups has been done.
A riding qualification and older age went with fewer injuries in Switzerland, qualified eventers were hurt less than novices, and a risk-taking attitude predicted injury. Riding many different horses went with more injuries, and Pony Club horses misbehaved more when competing, fat, on lush grass or rarely exercised. The Highway Code suggests the BHS Ride Safe Award for less experienced riders. Our suggestion: lessons with a qualified instructor and a horse that suits your level.
British Eventing made frangible pins, which let a rail drop when a horse hits it, compulsory on all suitable cross-country fences in 2006, to cut rotational falls in which the horse somersaults. Since 2002 to 2003, falls per jump have fallen by nearly a quarter, and the share of riders killed or seriously injured by 71%, alongside several other changes. In 2022, when a frangible part broke, none of the horses somersaulted.
In 80 filmed race falls, jockeys who didn't tuck and roll had about 5 times the odds of a high-risk landing, and those who hung on to the reins about 7 times. In eventing falls, faster approaches and a horse that carried on going went with high-risk falls. Our suggestion: let go of the reins, tuck your chin and roll away from the horse. Fall training hasn't been tested.
Kicks cause many of the worst injuries, including to the head, and the Kentucky trauma researchers and an Australian children's hospital both advise hats when handling horses as well as riding. Our suggestions: a hat when leading, lungeing or handling young or unfamiliar horses, boots, never kneeling or sitting by a horse's legs, and getting checked after any kick to the head, chest or tummy, even if you feel fine.
Measures without good evidence in riding:
Collegiate female riders' aerobic and anaerobic fitness was below the norms; competitive riders had better core stability than recreational riders; junior riders had weaker abductors than adductors and tight hip flexors; dressage riders became more lopsided at higher levels; and experienced jockeys kept their heads steadier. In 14 jockeys and work riders, lower aerobic and anaerobic fitness, but also greater strength, and riding with the whole foot in the stirrup went with falls. These are associations from small studies.
Four riders who did gym sessions 3 times a week for about 60 minutes over 60 days sat more evenly on the saddle afterwards. A review reports that core training improved riders' balance and back pain, from studies we couldn't check. In 9 riders with long-term back pain, an 8-week exercise programme improved pain and riding, with no comparison group.
Shorter stirrups and the standing phase of rising trot cut the jolts at the base of the spine, the neck and the head, and riders' strength didn't relate to the jolts. The authors suggest technique training, so riders use their legs and trunk to absorb the movement. Sitting trot loaded the spine most.
A riding lesson is moderate exercise, and trotting, cantering and jumping are harder. The NHS asks adults for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, and strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week; riding counts towards the first.
Strength work twice a week off the horse, on days you don't ride or after riding, with the unmounted warm-up before every ride (our suggestion). For back pain, look at stirrup length and rising trot as well as trunk strength.
Older riders have more spinal and chest fractures in falls, so bone-loading and balance work suit them (our suggestion; our osteoporosis guide has more). Children should average at least 60 minutes of activity a day across the week, and riding counts.
A hat whenever you're mounted, to one of these standards with its safety mark: Snell E2016 or 2021, PAS 015:2011, EN 1384:2023, VG1, ASTM F1163 (2015 or 2023) or AS/NZS 3838 (2006). The chinstrap is fastened and adjusted so the hat can't move in a fall, and the hat "should not move on the head when the head is tipped forward". Replace it after a severe impact, and after 3 to 5 years depending on use. A hat tag checks the label, not the fit or condition. The Pony Club strongly discourages second-hand hats and buying without a professional fitting, and bans hat cameras.
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British Eventing: "An approved and tagged hat is compulsory in all phases with no fixed peak for XC" (cross-country). The Highway Code, rule 49: "Children under the age of 14 MUST wear a helmet which complies with the Regulations. It MUST be fastened securely." Other riders should too.
BETA's 2018 standard has three levels:
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British Eventing requires a body protector to the current standard for cross-country, and allows an air jacket over it, or on its own in dressage and show jumping. The Pony Club requires a BETA 2018 Level 3 body protector for all cross-country riding and pony racing, recommends one no heavier than 2% of the rider's body weight, and allows air jackets only on top of one; after a fall, the air jacket must be deflated or taken off and the body protector kept on.
Stirrups should be about 7 mm wider than the boot on each side. Feet must never be attached to the stirrups. Magnetic stirrups aren't allowed, because riders should learn to recover a lost stirrup, and nor are interlocking soles and treads.
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For everyone in equestrian sport: "IF IN DOUBT, SIT THEM OUT". Stand down at once from riding and anything strenuous. Don't move the person or remove their riding hat unless you're trained, unless they're having difficulty breathing. They shouldn't be left alone or drink alcohol for 24 hours, or drive until cleared. British Equestrian's stages, in its own terms:
British Eventing: a rider concussed after a fall "will be medically suspended for a mandatory 21 day period", and the event doctor checks every rider who falls before they remount or go home. The British Horseracing Authority stands licensed jockeys down for at least seven full days, with return subject to its medical department's clearance; racing staff and riders without a licence follow a graduated return in line with the UK guidelines, with no riding for at least 21 full days.
The UK guidelines for grassroots sport: if in doubt, sit them out; no return that day; assessed within 24 hours by a healthcare professional or NHS 111 (the National Health Service's urgent advice line); relative rest for 24 to 48 hours; a graduated return; and no competition before day 21. Our concussion guide sets out each stage.
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The NHS's list of reasons to call 999 includes anyone who has hit their head and "has fallen from a height of more than 1 metre or 5 stairs". A rider's head is about 2.7 metres up, so in our reading, a head knock in a fall from a horse meets that test.
For riders and drivers:
Wear hi-vis and reflective kit, "ideally on both you and on the horse", at least a tabard or jacket for the rider and leg bands for the horse; consider lights; take the Ride Safe Award; and carry a charged phone for emergencies. In 2025, riders reported 2,810 road incidents to the BHS, in which 59 horses were killed and 86 people injured; 78% involved a driver passing too close. These are reported incidents, so they show the least it could be. No study has tested hi-vis for riders.
Built on the site's warm-up guide (editorial): no warm-up has been tested on riding injuries. The doses come from the site's dynamic warm-up and other routines; the shorter hip flexor stretch and the jumping position hold are our choice.
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The movement on the figure: Hip-hinge practice
The strength workout's trunk endurance, hip, leg, back and balance work. Each has a 3D demo.
3D demoMcGill curl-upBeginner · No equipment
3D demoSide plankIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoBird dogBeginner · No equipment
3D demoDead bugBeginner · No equipment
3D demoSide-lying leg raiseBeginner · No equipment
3D demoLateral band walkBeginner · A band
3D demoSingle-leg glute bridgeIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoHalf-kneeling hip flexor stretchBeginner · No equipment
3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoStep-upBeginner · A step
3D demoWall sitBeginner · A wall
3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoFarmer's carryBeginner · A dumbbell + A kettlebell
3D demoSingle-leg standBeginner · A wallThe first two are new: the warm-up and a strength workout for riders. The others add core and Pilates work, hip mobility and strength, back care, balance, bone strength, easy cardio and light exercise after a concussion.
A 10-minute warm-up before you ride: marching, arm circles, cat-cow, thoracic rotations, hip circles, Cossack squats, bridges, balance and hip hinges.
10 minBeginner10 movesA wallA 40-minute off-horse session for riders: curl-ups, side planks, bird dogs and dead bugs, hip work, squats, step-ups and wall sits, rows, carries and balance.
40 minBeginner17 movesA wall, A bandA 15-minute beginner core workout on the floor: dead bugs, bird dogs, knee planks, side planks and curl-ups.
15 minBeginner6 movesNo equipmentA gentle 15-minute Pilates-based routine for ongoing low back pain, built from neutral-spine moves with options for backs that dislike bending or arching.
15 minBeginner10 movesNo equipmentA 15-minute hip opener: 90/90 switches, windshield wipers, CARs, Cossack squats, frog and pigeon.
15 minIntermediate8 movesA wallA hip-opening yoga sequence: low lunge, lizard, goddess, pigeon, bound angle and happy baby.
20 minBeginner7 movesNo equipmentA 25-minute glute workout with bodyweight and a mini band: bridges, clamshells, band walks, kickbacks and lunges.
25 minBeginner9 movesA wall, A bandStrength and balance in one session: squats, Romanian deadlifts, push-ups, rows, step-ups, back extensions, carries and single-leg balance.
45 minBeginner14 movesA wall, A dumbbellSeven gentle stretches and mobility moves for a stiff lower back, done lying and kneeling.
12 minBeginner7 movesA wallA 20-minute mat Pilates workout for complete beginners. It covers breathing, spine position and the foundation moves, each with an easier option.
20 minBeginner13 movesNo equipmentA steady 30 to 45 minute cardio session at talk-but-not-sing pace: walk, cycle, row or cross-train, counting toward weekly activity guidelines.
40 minBeginner3 movesCardio machine, A wallImpact, strength and balance for stronger bones, following UK osteoporosis consensus advice, with options for every level.
40 minBeginner14 movesA kettlebell, Other / check instructionsA 20-minute light session after a concussion: a symptom check, 10 to 15 minutes of easy cycling or walking, gentle bodyweight moves and a cool-down.
20 minBeginner8 movesCardio machine, A bench or boxTwo strength sessions a week off the horse are enough for most riders.
A free 4-week, 3-day Pilates plan for complete beginners. Two mat days and one wall day, with clear rules for when to move each exercise to its harder version.
3 training days25 minBeginner3 days a weekA 12-week beginner barbell program: squat every session, alternate bench and row with press and deadlift, and add weight each time until it stalls.
3 training days50 minBeginner3 days a weekA weekly plan for women over 50: strength, bone-loading and balance on 3 days plus walking, built on UK osteoporosis consensus advice.
3 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekA 12-week exercise plan for over-65s: strength and balance three times a week, short balance sessions and daily walks, based on falls-prevention trials.
3 training days40 minBeginnerThe PAR-Q+ (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone) asks about a heart condition or high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness or losing consciousness, other long-term conditions and their medicines, a bone or joint problem that activity could make worse, and being told to exercise only under supervision. If you answer yes to any, check with your doctor or a qualified exercise professional first. If you're over 45 and not used to hard exercise, ask a qualified exercise professional before the hardest sessions, and delay if you're ill.
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A past concussion raises the risk of another, and recovery can take longer; jockeys with repeated concussions did worse on thinking tests. Follow British Equestrian's stages, and see your GP if symptoms aren't improving after 21 days.
British Equestrian notes that under-18s are more susceptible to brain injury and usually take about four weeks to recover from concussion, against two for adults. Teenage girls were the largest group in US emergency visits. Qualified instruction, supervision and a hat to the Pony Club's standards; under-14s must wear a helmet on the road.
Major trauma was most common at 40 to 59 in New South Wales, and older riders had more spinal and chest fractures. A horse that suits you, and bone-loading and balance work, as our osteoporosis guide explains (our suggestion).
Common in riders, and worse with heavy riding loads and stable work. Our back pain guide has the warning signs, and stirrup length and rising trot change the jolts through the spine.
Our pregnancy guide lists horse riding among activities with a high risk of falling, and the NHS advises against sports where you could fall or bump your tummy. Avoid riding, and talk to your midwife; our pregnancy workouts are safer options.
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Our epilepsy guide explains that in the International League Against Epilepsy's grouping, horse riding is a sport where a seizure could injure you but not others, and horse racing one where it could be fatal.
Our Down syndrome guide notes that the Down's Syndrome Association says there's no evidence that early horse riding carries more risk for a child with Down syndrome and no symptoms. Ask the child's doctor about any neck symptoms.
Less experience went with more injuries. Lessons with a qualified instructor, a quiet horse, and the BHS Ride Safe Award before riding on roads, as the Highway Code suggests.
Kicks cause some of the worst injuries, to faces, heads and tummies. Wear a hat when handling horses, and stay out of kicking range (our suggestion).
The NHS's 999 list includes anyone who has hit their head and has fallen from a height of more than 1 metre, which in our reading covers a fall from a horse. British Equestrian's red flags need immediate help from a medical professional, or 999 if none is there: neck pain, a severe or worsening headache, double vision, weakness or tingling in the arms or legs, being sick, losing consciousness or getting drowsier, a fit, or restless, combative or agitated behaviour. Don't move them or take off their riding hat unless you're trained, unless they're having difficulty breathing.
No more riding that day: if in doubt, sit them out. They shouldn't get back on, go home alone or drive, and should be seen by a healthcare professional or NHS 111 within 24 hours. Contact NHS 111 straight away if they feel dizzy or take medicine that thins the blood.
Tingling or pins and needles on one or both sides, problems walking or sitting upright, a sudden "electric shock" feeling, or weak hands, arms or legs need urgent help. Call 999 or go to A&E (accident and emergency) for back pain after a serious accident, with symptoms in both legs, or with changes in your bladder or bowels.
After a rib injury, call 999 or go to A&E if your breathlessness or chest pain is getting worse, you have pain in your tummy or shoulder, or you're coughing up blood. Kicks and crushes can injure organs in the tummy without much to see, so get checked the same day after a kick to the tummy or chest, even if you feel fine (our suggestion).
Go to A&E or call 999 if an eye was hit at high speed, your sight has changed or the pain is severe. Call 999 or go to A&E for a nosebleed that won't stop or clear fluid from the nose. A broken tooth needs a dentist: keep any piece in milk or saliva.
Go to A&E if you can't move your arm, the shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape or swollen very quickly, or bone is through the skin. For an arm or wrist that's numb or tingling, bleeding heavily, or at an odd angle, go to A&E or call 999.
Call 999 if someone faints while exercising, or has chest pain that doesn't go away, spreads to the arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness.
Hats prevent skull fractures and serious brain injuries, but 91% of head injuries in hats returned after falls were concussions, and test standards don't copy real falls onto turf. British Equestrian says the same. Only 12% of riders in one survey knew it.
The foam liner compresses with each impact and protects less, damaged or not on the outside. The Pony Club requires replacement after a severe impact.
For cross-country, air jackets are worn over a Level 3 body protector, not instead of one. They haven't been shown to reduce injuries; in eventing falls, wearers had more serious injuries, an association that may reflect who wears them.
They're designed for soft tissues and some rib fractures, and weren't linked with fewer spinal cord injuries.
A riding lesson is moderate exercise, about 5 METs, and trotting, cantering and jumping are harder still.
Side planks have the one link with riders' back pain, in a small study of children, and no exercise has been tested on riders' injuries. For the jolts through the spine, technique mattered more than strength.
Kicks and crushes on the ground cause many of the worst injuries, including 2 of 3 deaths in one trauma series.
Trunk endurance work such as side planks, bird dogs and curl-ups, hip strength and mobility, leg strength through squats, step-ups and wall sits, and balance. Young riders with weaker side-plank endurance had more back pain, and junior show jumpers had tight hip flexors and weaker abductors. No programme has been tested on riders' injuries; our strength workout covers these.
After any severe impact, because its protection is significantly reduced, and every 3 to 5 years depending on use, as the Pony Club's rule says. In laboratory tests, the foam liner was compressed by up to 39% after a single impact. Don't buy second-hand.
The Pony Club, in line with other British equestrian bodies, accepts Snell E2016 and 2021, PAS 015:2011, EN 1384:2023, VG1, ASTM F1163 (2015 and 2023) and AS/NZS 3838 (2006), each with its safety mark. A hat tag confirms the label, not the fit or condition, so get it fitted.
On the road, children under 14 must wear a riding helmet that complies with the regulations, securely fastened, and the Highway Code says other riders should too. Competitions and the Pony Club require hats whenever you're mounted.
BETA's Level 3 is the standard for general riding, competition and working with horses; it should prevent minor bruising, reduce soft tissue injuries and prevent a limited number of rib fractures. It's compulsory for cross-country in British Eventing and the Pony Club. Replace it every 3 to 5 years, or if it keeps a dent after a fall.
They haven't been shown to reduce injuries. In international eventing falls, riders wearing them had about 1.7 times the odds of a serious or fatal injury, an association that may reflect who wears them and how they ride. They're worn over a Level 3 body protector, as the rules require, not instead of one.
Under British Equestrian's guidance: complete rest for 48 hours (its wording; the UK guidelines advise relative rest), light activity, then groundwork from day 7, harder training from day 14, and riding a suitable horse, supervised and without competing, not before day 21. British Eventing suspends concussed riders for 21 days. See your GP if symptoms aren't improving after 21 days.
Back pain is common in riders: 61.7% of Portuguese riders had low back pain in a year, more with heavy riding loads and daily stable work. Shorter stirrups and rising trot reduced the jolts through the spine, and in a small study an 8-week exercise programme helped. Our back pain guide covers the warning signs.
No fall-training programme has been tested. In videos of jockeys' falls, not tucking and rolling and hanging on to the reins went with much riskier landings, so let go of the reins, tuck your chin and roll away from the horse (our suggestion). If you hit your head, stop riding for the day.
Yes: a 45-minute lesson averaged 5.0 to 5.3 METs, moderate exercise, and trotting, cantering and jumping are harder still. Grooming and stable work count too.
Exercise education for people who play sport, not a personal prescription or a diagnosis, and clinical review of these pages is pending. Check with a GP or physiotherapist before hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or an injury that isn't settling, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
