How dangerous is Eventing??

    Eventing is the second most dangerous sport in the world. It is extremely dangerous to the rider because falling off at a full gallop could easily disable you, or even kill you. Also if you fall off, there is a chance that your horse could step on you crushing your body.

    As of November 2008, 22 riders have died because of fatal eventing accidents. Recently, course designers have been designing courses that are a lot safer for both the horse and rider. They have also been creating safer jumps. Instead of the jumps being solid, they are more "breakable" which will bring down the number of falls. 

    To protect the rider in cross-country, it is a rule that you have to wear a safety vest approved by the USEA (United States Eventing Association). An addition to the safety vest, there is another vest called Point 2 Air Jacket. This vest has a CO2 air cartridge that is attached to the jacket. The jacket has a string that you clip on to your saddle. When this string comes unclipped, within 1 second the vest is inflated to protect your body.