Introduction: Horse riding, with almost 200,000 participants, is the eighth most popular sport in Sweden. Severe\ninjuries can occur with horse riding accidents which is well documented. This study was undertaken to investigate\nif injuries associated with horse riding are common, which type of injuries occur, what mechanisms are involved\nand to estimate the costs to the society.\nMaterial and methods: All patients attending the emergency department at Link�¶ping University Hospital, during\nthe years 2003-2004, due to horse related trauma were prospectively recorded. The patients were divided into two\ngroups according to age, 147 children and 141 adults. The medical records were retrospectively scrutinized.\nResults: The most common mechanism of injury was falling from the horse. Most commonly, minor sprains and\nsoft tissue injuries were seen, but also minor head injuries and fractures, mainly located in the upper limb. In total\n26 adults and 37 children were admitted. Of these 63 patients 19 were considered having a serious injury. In total,\nfour patients needed treatment in intensive care units.\nThe total cost in each group was 200,000 Euro/year.\nConclusion: Horse riding is a sport with well known risks. Our results corresponds to the literature, however we\nhave not observed the same incidence of serious injuries. In contrast we find these to be fairly uncommon. The\ninjuries are mainly minor, with a small risk of long term morbidity. Over time regulations and safety equipment\nseem to have decreased the number of serious accidents.
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