Cap on dressage penalties may help prevent cross-country falls

A major study on eventing safety found higher dressage penalties meant increased risk of horse falls

- BECKY MURRAY

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

The aim of the study, conducted by researchers from the University of Central Lancashire and the University of Nottingham Trent, was to determine risk factors associated with horse falls. It used data from 749,534 British Eventing (BE) cross-country starts from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2015. Of these, there were 2,633 horse falls.

The findings included that older riders were less likely to fall than younger ones. Horses who started in the previous 15 to 21 days were less likely to fall than those whose last start had been in the previous one to 14 days, and the risk of horse falls increased through higher levels of competition.

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