United States Eventing Association

Leesburg, Va.—July 30— The United States Eventing Association (USEA) Foundation is excited to share that The Game Plan: Emergency Response in Equestrian Sports, a new free educational video series designed to improve emergency preparedness and response throughout the equestrian community, is now available to the public.

Developed by The Sports Institute at UW Medicine in collaboration with leading physicians, emergency medical providers, athletic trainers, and equestrian safety experts, the comprehensive 12-part training series provides practical guidance for everyone involved in equestrian sport—from riders and volunteers to competition officials and emergency responders. The project was created in partnership with UW Medicine, the USEA Foundation, Seattle Fire Department Medic One, Aspen Farms, and The Distillery.

The sport of eventing can often present unique emergency response challenges. The combination of large animals, varied terrain, remote competition venues, and the potential for head and spinal injuries means that every member of the event team—from bystanders to EMS personnel—plays an important role when an accident occurs.

Recognizing the need for consistent, evidence-based training, the project team spent more than a year developing the series, carefully crafting realistic emergency scenarios and reviewing each module to ensure the information reflected current best practices.

"About a year ago, Dr. Cindy Lin with the University of Washington Sports Medicine contacted me after receiving a grant to create a training video in several modules," explained Rusty Lowe, Vice President of Safety for the USEA Board of Governors, who served as a consultant on the project. "The goal was to create educational resources not only for EMS providers, but also for bystanders and volunteers who may be first on the scene before medical professionals arrive."

Filmed over two days at Aspen Farms in Yelm, Washington, the series recreates real-world equestrian emergency scenarios, including incidents at water complexes, cross-country obstacles, sand arenas, and confined spaces. Individual modules cover topics such as emergency action planning, cervical spine stabilization, helmet and safety vest management, patient extrication and transfer techniques, and emergency vehicle and helicopter access.

"It actually took a year to plan," Lowe said. "We wanted everything to be as realistic and accurate as possible. We really picked every detail apart to make sure it was factual, and in the end we created a resource we're very proud of that anyone can use."

Although the series was developed with eventing in mind, Lowe emphasized that the information extends far beyond recognized competitions.

"It's primarily geared toward eventing, but many of the modules apply to trail riding, schooling, or really any equestrian activity," he said. "Sometimes we have seasoned volunteers who have seen emergencies before, but other times we have new volunteers or EMS professionals working their first horse event. We felt these videos would give everyone—from professional rescuers to first-time volunteers—an understanding of how emergency response should work at an equestrian competition."

The videos are available free of charge and are intended to be incorporated into competition preparations, volunteer and fence judge briefings, EMS orientation sessions, educational presentations, and individual learning. As part of The Sports Institute's award-winning GamePlan film series, the modules join previous sports medicine training films that have been adopted by medical and athletic organizations around the world.

"For years we've relied on fence judge briefings or quick conversations before an event," Lowe said. "These videos take the guesswork out of it. Organizers can email them before the competition, play them during volunteer training, or even use them in the field with an iPad during a briefing. The more people who know they're available, the better prepared our community will be."

The USEA Foundation is honored to support initiatives that strengthen the safety and future of the sport. By investing in educational resources like The Game Plan: Emergency Response in Equestrian Sports, the Foundation continues its commitment to protecting riders, horses, volunteers, officials, and everyone who makes the sport of eventing possible.

The complete The Game Plan: Emergency Response in Equestrian Sports video series is available free of charge here or on YouTube.

Special Thanks to these Partners and Sponsors:

Partners: Aspen Farms, The Distillery, Seattle Fire Department Medic One, United States Eventing Association, UW Medicine, and all the equestrian athletes, horses, medical professionals, EMS personnel, and volunteers who participated in creating this resource.

Gold Sponsors: Anonymous, Crotty Family Foundation

Bronze Sponsors: Adler Giersch PS Law Firm, USEA Foundation

Equipment Sponsors: Hit-Air Equestrian, Tipperary Equestrian

About the USEA Foundation

The fundamental mission of the USEA Foundation is to protect and preserve the sport of eventing for future generations and to provide support for the core educational, safety, and equine welfare programs of the USEA. In addition, the Foundation administers educational grants for riders with the intent of preparing them to reach their goals. Learn more about the USEA Foundation at www.useafoundation.org.