Have you suffered from a head injury?

[maddiekj]

Hi, I’m doing a questionnaire for my undergrad dissertation looking at head injuries, I’m hoping this study can help improve understanding and allow development in the equestrian sports, I would really appreciate anyone’s participation. If you could please share I’d also really appreciate it, I think head injuries need to be taken much more seriously. Link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/kmRKLvUF4z

 

[humblepie]

Done. Mine was a delayed concussion so actually the symptoms were four or five days down the line, not particularly at the time of the event although realistically by the afternoon my eyesight was blurry. Stupidly didn’t actually go to the doctors for a few days.

 

[Ruftys mum]

I don't know if I would be of use. I fell off and was unconscious for a few minutes. The only after affect was a loss of memory

 

[Identityincrisis]

Done, I fractured my skull in a very low key incident

 

[Korg]

Does it have to be from a fall? I've had two recently, one when I got kicked in the head and one in a biking accident. The former was an average concussion with blood, possibly a mild fracture. The latter was more dramatic. Do you want any of those?

 

[smolmaus]

My only interesting head injury has been non horsey, which is annoying as it was a good one (unconscious for 3 days!!!!) I can fill it in for the accidental headbutt I suppose

 

[Fullers1845]

Not riding but had a football one many years ago, was semi-conscious but lost my self-identity for a few hours. I knew my name but didn't know where I lived, what job I did or even who my family was, very frightening.

 

[Skib]

I have filled up your form

 

[Tiddlypom]

Bit restricted in my responses as my major fall and concussion happened whilst hacking alone on the road, so not in training or competition.
Got myself back on the horse and rode home but was talking nonsense so OH carted me off to A&E. In overnight.

 

[Surbie]

Done - but there is no option for not currently riding so I left that one blank. I choose not to jump now.

 

[Widgeon]

Done

 

[cold_feet]

Done, but my most serious injury was handling horse on the ground, not when riding. This was not covered in survey.

 

[Mrs Jingle]

Done

 

[PSD]

Completed. I had a nasty fall 2 years ago and landed on my head, stupidly I got back on and carried on and even drove home. I think us as riders don’t take concussion seriously enough and we should.

 

[Meredith]

Done, but not enough options.

 

[smolmaus]

Completed. I had a nasty fall 2 years ago and landed on my head, stupidly I got back on and carried on and even drove home. I think us as riders don’t take concussion seriously enough and we should.

Agreed. It takes a good scare I think for people to take it as seriously as they should but sadly not everyone gets a good scare, sometimes you get terribly unlucky.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

I don't know if I would be of use. I fell off and was unconscious for a few minutes. The only after affect was a loss of memory

Sounds like a head/brain injury? Seems relevant to the study.

 

[dreamcometrue]

Done.

 

[Burnttoast]

Filled in survey, but I was injured while on the ground so left the question about riding. I was knocked out when putting hind boots on a horse in the rain and the owner's husband thought it would be funny to put his umbrella up over the horse's head. Came round laid out on the trailer ramp. Had a headache. And once I fainted while life modelling a standing pose. Hit my head when I fell, fitted and later threw up. Not relevant here obviously but the life modelling part always makes it worth relating On neither occasion (of course) did I go to hospital...

 

[FieldOrnaments]

Can you do it if it happened on the ground or ridden only

 

[Surbie]

I think us as riders don’t take concussion seriously enough and we should.

I agree. People at the yard told me to get right back on when I came out of hospital and thought I was a wuss for staying on the ground, but my doctor friend had made me promise I would wait.

I was bucked off in a jump lesson. I was out cold for a bit then held down on the ground by my friend, repeatedly asking if my horse was ok as I couldn't retain the answer. We had the air ambulance to bring medics & apparently I would not calm down till they agreed to unzip my body protector and chaps, instead of cutting them....(priorities! )

I was in hospital being monitored for 3 days and still have no memory of that day, 7 years on, other than briefly waking up in the ambulance. I had post-concussion syndrome (miserable!) and I still have issues with my memory.

 

[Suechoccy]

Done... the questionnaire is about head injuries from falls while riding....my head injury was from injury while leading a horse so some of the questions didn't fit for me (or maybe I shouldhave done the survey). Best wishes with your research, it's definitely an injury to be taken seriously.

 

[Escapade]

Another who has been injured on the ground and not from falls

 

[Skib]

People at the yard told me to get right back on when I came out of hospital and thought I was a wuss for staying on the ground, but my doctor friend had made me promise I would wait.

My doctor daughter likewise told me to wait. The reason, she explained, is that one needs the first head injury to fully heal before riding again and risking a further head injury. A second knock to brain tissue that is not yet healed can cause real problems.

There were also one or two well publicised cases where an apparently trivial knock to the head caused a death a few days later.
The death of the actress Natasha Richardson following a ski accident is possibly an example.

 

[humblepie]

There are concussion protocols for horse riders and the standdown period is quite a significant time I can’t remember what it is without looking but it is weeks not days and as above another injury within six months can have significant complications. I think you can probably find the protocol on British Equestrian website and on the BHA website. It may be on other organisations as well.