Purpose: To investigate the possible development of long-term disabilities arising from paediatric equestrian injuries.
Method: All patients, aged 17 years or younger, treated in a hospital setting because of an equestrian injury during a five-year period received a questionnaire. A reference population and healthy friends served as controls.
Results: Four years post-injury, 41 of the 100 respondents still experienced disabilities following the injury. The median Injury Severity Score was 4. Absenteeism from school lasted 2 weeks, and from horse riding, 4 months. Compared to the reference population, the results of the Child Health Questionnaire were poorer considering most of its subscales. In comparison with the friends, the patients only scored lower on 'physical functioning'. The risk factors concerning poor long-term outcomes were being an advanced rider, sustaining injuries other than fractures of the extremities or sustaining subsequent injuries following the riding accident.
Conclusions: Although equestrian injuries in children are minor to moderate in their severity, these injuries are significant considering that a large proportion of patients experience long-term disabilities.