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Horseback riders should wear helmets: researchers  
Updated Sun. Sep. 23 2007 8:10 PM ET  
CTV.ca News Staff  
A new study wants to reign in the number of injuries caused by horseback riding.  
Researchers at the University of Calgary have found that getting on the saddle is more dangerous than motorbiking, skiing, or playing football.  
They studied 8,000 people who received traumatic injuries over the past decade and discovered that 151 of the patients were severely injured while riding horses.  
Many of the patients weren't new to horseback riding, and that has health specialists calling for safety changes to reduce the chances of serious injuries in the sport.  
"One of the main things we found was a lot of the people involved in horse injuries were actually very expereienced riders. Their average years of experience was actually 27 years," occupational therapist Jill Ball told CTV Calgary.  
The experience of the riders is forcing researchers to rethink earlier assumptions about horseback riding injuries.  
Common assumptions held that many riding injuries were due to inexperienced riders. The new study suggests that just isn't so.  
Researchers say they want riders to strap on helmets and vests before mounting a horse - no matter what their level of experience.  
Only nine per cent of riders were wearing helmets when they were injured. Doctors and therapists say that if more riders wore protective gear, the number of head and chest injuries would be significantly reduced.  
My question is, should there be an age limit for riding horses?