Thoracic Injuries in Equestrian Activities: Clinical Presentation, Imaging and Management

Equestrian activities are incredibly popular across the world, with tens of millions people riding horses globally. However, the sport is more dangerous than most, with the risk of falling off horses typically leading to major injuries.

Therefore, lessons are incredibly important to increase knowledge of riding, while those involved should only sit on top of a horse if they are comfortable navigating the equine.

Watching equine sports is also very popular, with many fans of horse racing keeping tabs on the Kentucky Derby prep races ahead of the opening leg of the Triple Crown at the start of May. But, for those involved in equestrian activities, what are the most thoracic injuries, and how are they best treated?

What Are The Common Thoracic Injuries?

Injuries are part and parcel of equestrian activities, and that is something that all newcomers to the sport should be aware of. Injuries can be painful, with common setbacks including rib fractures and collapsed lungs.

The latter will see air enter the space between the lung and chest wall. Other common injuries include Hermothorax, which sees blood building up in the chest cavity.

Pulmonary contusions and flail chest are also common, while Thoracic Spine Fractures can also be suffered, although these mid-back injuries are more uncommon and are only suffered after very serious falls.

How Are Thoracic Injuries Caused in Equestrian Activities?

Being on top of powerful horses comes at a great risk for those involved, and just like any other sport, injuries can be suffered if something goes wrong. The most common way to pick up an injury in equestrian activities is by falling off the horse.

This can often leave the rider falling from a great height onto the ground, or in the worst case toward objects such as trees. Of course, more serious injuries for fallers are common when sitting on top of more powerful horses, while falls running at speed can be extremely painful.

Riders can also pick up injuries due to horses bucking or making sudden movements. These will give the rider limited reaction time to recover, and often leaves more inexperienced riders on the floor due to being forced into hyperflexion. Of course, a common way of picking up an injury when taking part in equestrian activities is via direct trauma.

Horses are unpredictable animals, and they can react to being spooked by kicking out. Therefore, it is always important that newcomers to the sport are trained by experienced riders. Calmer horses are also preferred when riding, as energetic equines can often be too much for even experienced riders to control.

How Serious Could Injuries Be?

Thoracic injuries in equestrian activities are very common, and the severity of the injuries can largely depend on the injury itself.

However, for the most part there is a high frequency of setbacks, with falls being the most common cause. Some injuries could take weeks to recover from, while other may take months. Being safe around horses is the most important tip for all those involved to follow, as direct trauma injuries to the head can lead to long-term health concerns, and in some cases, death.

Spinal risks are a common area of concern for riders involved in the sport, meaning that all precautionary measures should be followed in order to minimise the risk of long term back injuries that could impact mobility.

How to Prevent Injuries

Preventing injuries in equestrian activities can be challenging, and there is no way to reduce the risk of injury to nil. However, steps can be taken to ensure that riders are best prepared to deal with all scenarios while riding a horse, while also wearing the correct equipment to make sure that impacts will be reduced.

Experienced riders have a lower injury rate than beginners, meaning that newcomers should start their riding journey on smaller and less powerful horses before gradually stepping up with improved confidence. The age of riders will also have an impact in the severity of injuries, with women post-menopause having a higher risk of trunk factures.

Therefore, steps should be taken to ensure that the risk is minimised when riding horses. Importantly, all those sitting on top of a horse should ensure that they have the correct protective gear. A helmet is a must to predict the head, while safety vests are the most crucial for preventing thoracic injuries. Vests will also reduce the severity of an injury should a rider fall off their mount.

This is especially important for experienced riders, who will typically avoid wearing the protective equipment due to believing that they have control.

However, as mentioned, horses can be unpredictable, and the power that they posses means that all potential safety requirements should be followed to avoid sustaining a life-impacting injury.