Eventers with poor dressage scores could be blocked from cross-country, as 16 horse fall risk factors identified

Horse and Hound

A CAP on dressage penalties could make eventing safer – as findings from one of the sport’s biggest ever studies identifies 16 risk factors for cross-country horse falls.

The study, “Towards a safer sport: risk factors for cross-country horse falls at British Eventing competition”, was carried out by researchers from the University of Central Lancashire and the University of Nottingham Trent, with funding from Myerscough College.

The aim was to determine risk factors associated with horse falls by analysing data from 749,534 British Eventing (BE) cross-country starts from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2015. Of these starts, 2,633 horse falls were recorded, 3.5 falls per 1,000 starts and 16 risk factors were identified.

The findings included that male riders were associated with a greater odds of a fall than females, and older riders were less likely to have a fall than younger ones. Horses who started in the previous 15 to 21 days were less likely to fall than horses whose last start had been in the previous one to 14 days, and the risk of horse falls increased through higher levels of competition. Mares were more likely to have a fall than geldings, and ponies more likely to fall than horses between 15.3hh and 16.2hh.

Lead researcher Heather Cameron-Whytock, who has evented, told H&H the more “statistically significant” risk factor identified was the level of competition.