Current Trends Injuries Associated with Horseback Riding
--United States, 1987 and 1988 Each year in the United States,
an estimated 30 million persons ride horses (1). The rate of
serious injury per number of riding hours is estimated to be
higher for horseback riders than for motorcyclists and
automobile racers (2). The following report uses data from the
National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) to
describe the epidemiology of horseback-riding-associated
injuries in the United States during 1987 and 1988. NEISS is an
emergency-room based active injury surveillance program of the
U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. NEISS records the most
severe diagnosis listed on the emergency room record. Reports
from NEISS can be used to develop national estimates of the
number of persons with product-related injuries treated in
hospital emergency rooms.* During 1987 and 1988, an estimated
92,763 emergency room visits were made in the United States for
injuries related to horseback riding. Although the