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Dec 12, 2018
Take the Equestrian Helmet Use Survey!
Dr. Koren Ganas of the University of Illinois College of Medicine Department of Health Sciences Education is conducting a brief survey on helmet use in equestrians across a variety of disciplines and wants your feedback! The survey is designed to gather information on riders' attitudes toward wearing helmets.
"As a health researcher and equestrian, I was prompted to do this study after seeing data that horse riding and equestrian sports are the leading cause of sports-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) in adults, published by the National Trauma Databank," said Dr. Ganas. "In fact, equestrian sports accounted for 45.2% of reported TBI, compared to just 20.2% from contact sports like football and soccer."
"While media articles and blogs purport to list reasons riders do not wear helmets, I was not able to find any academic or scholarly inquiry in the US about equestrian’s attitudes toward helmet use, and could only find estimates regarding frequency of helmet use," she continued. "I developed this survey based on similar surveys that have been used in cycling and ski sports – two sports that had great success in increasing helmet use rates and decreasing TBI in the past decade."
"Given the American Medical Equestrian Association (2010) has calculated that American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or Safety Equipment Institute, Inc. (SEI) approved equestrian helmets have reduced all riding-related head injuries by 30% and severe head injuries by 50%; I hope to use the data gathered to understand rates of helmet use and develop interventions to lower the rates of TBI in equestrians."
To assist Dr. Ganas in her research, click here to take the survey.
Any questions about the survey should be directed to Dr. Ganas at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at [email protected].
Dec 22, 2024
USEA Foundation
Top Tips for Applying for a USEA Foundation Grant
Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!
Dec 21, 2024
Education
3 Ways to Help Eventing Thrive in 2025
With the start of the New Year just days away, now is the time to consider how your actions can have a positive impact on the sport of eventing in 2025. Each and every member of the eventing community has an important role to play in ensuring the sport continues to grow and thrive. From fostering educational opportunities to supporting grassroots initiatives and participating at all levels of the sport, there are so many ways to get involved.
Dec 20, 2024
Sponsor
“Happy Horse Equals Happy Judge”: Ask An Expert with Dressage Judge Peter Gray, Brought to You by Ride iQ
Ride iQ’s popular “Ask An Expert” series features professional advice and tips from all areas of the horse industry. One of the most-downloaded episodes is an expert session with Peter Gray, an accomplished dressage judge and Olympic eventer. He has recently judged at events like the five-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and he served on the ground jury at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy. His background as a competitor in the Olympic Games riding for Bermuda and as a coach and selector for the Canadian eventing team adds depth to his understanding of the sport.
Dec 19, 2024
Volunteers
The VIP Volunteer: Cathy Hale Has A Thirst for Adventure and a Love for Volunteering
With a total of 382 volunteer hours in 2024, Catherine “Cathy” Hale not only topped the USEA Area III VIP Volunteer leaderboard, but she also ranked fourth out of all eventing volunteers across the country. Hale (The Villages, Florida) has worked as a travel agent for over 30 years, a career that suits her love of travel nicely. At the time of being interviewed for this article, Hale was passing the equator on a cruise to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.
