Horse Riding is seen as a lovely relaxing sport, with many children starting horse riding when there 4 or 5. People often don’t realise the weight and power of horse’s even small young ones. In America alone there are over 30 million people riding horses every year and 2,300 under the age of 25 are injured every year and need hospital treatment.

Horses are heavy creatures and can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and can be as high as 3 metres tall. There are different kinds of horse riding from jumping, cross-country, stock work to pleasure riding. In jumping and cross-country the horses can travel as fast as 30mph and you’re on the back no straps just sitting on the saddle holding onto the ropes.

The most common way to injury yourself on a horse is to fall off, of course this can be very serious. Other ways are that of the horse bucking and throwing you off, you may be lucky and get thrown into some bushes but then you may not and you may become lodged in your stirrups and then get dragged along by the horse. Horse riding accidents don’t just happen whilst out on the horse, they also happen when someone’s handling, feeding or grooming the horse as some horses may be domesticated but no horse is 100% safe.

If you’re an inexperienced horse rider you should always tell the instructor, many instructors will then offer you one to one instruction. If you go out on a hack you may have someone holding your horse as well as yourself to keep the horse under control.

For safety reasons all horse riders should wear a hard shell helmet that is securely fastened and in good condition to protect your head if you have an accident. Fitted boots and nonskid gloves should be worn as well as fitted trousers and top. Before you venture out all your equipment should be checked and your stirrup positioned correctly for you. Many centres are now encouraging people to use body protecting gear including the body protector which protects your ribs and soft tissues if you fall and the rest of your chest.

The most common injuries in horse riding are:

• Wrist, Elbow and Shoulder Injuries

• Knee, Ankle and Foot Injuries

• Spinal Injuries

• Bruises, Sprains and Strains

• Broken Bones and Dislocations

• Head Injuries and Concussion – this is the injury which causes the most deaths

If you’ve fell of a horse, been kicked by a horse, trodden on by a horse whatever the situation if the accident wasn’t your fault and you believe you were given the correct training, right equipment you have a legal and civil right to claim compensation.

If you think you can’t afford to make a compensation claim then use a company who work on a No Win No Fee basis. This means you don’t have to pay a penny in legal fees. If your case is successful you will receive the full compensation payout, your solicitor will claim their costs from the other party’s insurance. If your case is unsuccessful you still don’t have to pay a penny, so what are you waiting for, don’t suffer in silence claim today!!