Equestrian sports

Abstract

Statistically, riding is a dangerous sport despite many prevention campaigns and improved safety gear. This is - and always will be - because equitation is about the interaction between a human and an unpredictable large animal. Most injuries sustained in equitation are of minor severity and most of them probably do not lead to a doctor's visit. However, those that are admitted to hospital are severe and have a poor outcome. Concerning specific foot injuries in equitation, literature is limited to just a few case reports. The most common foot injures are soft tissue injuries, such as bruises and contusions from horses standing on the feets or kicks with hoofs. Injuries to ligaments and bones can result from falls from the horse or due to trapping the foot under the horses' body in falls with the horse.