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The riskiest cross-country fence types in top-level eventing have been identified by researchers, who suggest the most challenging obstacles should be placed near the start of courses.

Cross-country falls in eventing can be particularly hazardous, resulting in serious or fatal injuries for the horse and rider. The nature of cross-country courses, including fence design, are crucial in the safety equation for the discipline.

Euan Bennet and his fellow researchers, in a study to be published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, said rotational falls are of particular concern.

“Despite the sport’s long history, it was not until 1999 that safety in eventing achieved global attention, when five athlete fatalities in the United Kingdom that year prompted major reviews of safety,” they said.

The Conversation – Dr Heather Cameron-Whytock

It’s hard to ignore the power and beauty of a horse when it runs at full throttle or jumps over a massive hurdle.

This much loved and gentle animal is a spectacular athlete, capable of running world record speeds of almost 44 miles per hour and gravity-defying leaps as high as 2.47 metres. They have impressive stamina too – some breeds, such as Arabians, are able to cover up to 100 miles in a single day during endurance competitions.

These are astounding feats, made all the more amazing when you consider that they weigh from 400-800kg.

Compared to other similarly sized mammals, horses have a superior ability to use oxygen – their aerobic capacity is around two and half times that of cattle, and this is a large part of what gives equines their athletic edge.

Horse Journals

A recent study has identified factors associated with an increased risk of falls during the cross-country phase of eventing and has suggested modifications that could reduce the risk of injury, making it safer for horse and rider. 

Higher-level events, longer courses, more starters in the cross-country phase, and less experienced horses and athletes all showed an increased risk. Identifying these risk factors allows riders and event organisers to assess the level of risk for individual horse, rider, and event combinations. 

The research, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, recommends simple improvements such as adjusting minimum eligibility requirements (MERs) to ensure horses and riders always compete at a level appropriate to their ability. 

The study, based in the UK and led by Bristol Veterinary School’s Dr Euan Bennet and Professor Tim Parkin, with Dr Heather Cameron-Whytock of Nottingham Trent University, was funded by Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).

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Researchers in Britain who undertook the first study of horse falls in Eventing in more than 20 years hope the FEI will use the findings to introduce evidence-based rules for the discipline, which they say will improve safety without compromising competitiveness.

The University of Bristol academics say they have identified simple interventions to reduce the risk of injury for both horses and riders.

Their study, reported in the Equine Veterinary Journal, pinpoints characteristics associated with an increased risk of Eventing falls, such as higher-level competitions, longer courses, more starters at cross-country phase, and less experienced horses and riders.

Identifying these risk factors allows riders and event organisers to assess the level of risk for individual horse, rider and event combinations.

The FEI-funded study recommends simple mitigations such as adjusting minimum eligibility requirements to ensure horses and riders always compete at a level appropriate to their ability.

Horse and Rider – A study funded by the FEI has found the most effective ways to prevent falls during the cross-country phase of eventing

Researchers have identified characteristics that are commonly associated with an increased risk of falls in eventing. Findings included higher-level events, longer courses, more starters at cross-country phase and less experienced horses and riders.

Determining these risk factors allows riders and event organisers to assess the level of risk involved for each individual horse, rider and event combinations. The study, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, recommends simple mitigations such as adjusting minimum eligibility requirements to ensure combinations always compete at a level appropriate to their ability.

Led by Bristol Veterinary School’s Dr Euan Bennet and Professor Tim Parkin with Dr Heather Cameron-Whytock of Nottingham Trent University, and funded by the FEI, it’s the first large scale study using a global data set of every FEI eventing competition over an 11-year period. This data included every horse start worldwide in all international, championship, Olympic and World Equestrian Games competitions between January 2008 and December 2018. This amounted to over 200,000 starts, allowing researchers to specifically analyse the cross-country phase and identify any common factors.