# Riding a horse is 20 times more dangerous than riding a motorcycle! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2016, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439 "2016-05-23T04:53:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/21 "2016-05-24T14:06:07Z")
I doubt I have 350 hours of horseback riding and I had a serious injury on one. I agree with quote in one of Robert Downey’s Sherlock Holmes movies: “They’re dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle. Why would I want anything with a mind of its own bobbing about between my legs?” ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/22 "2016-05-24T16:10:36Z")
> [@saje](#): > > Ouch! Hope you heal quickly. > > I think too what is confusing is that falls from a horse are generally no big deal, until The One that is just right. Or wrong, I guess. > > I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come off over the years, and I’ve been lucky (and generally well prepared in terms of helmet and sometimes a crash vest) and have never been more than bruised and sore\*. But three serious competitors in Eventing have been killed this year, and I just saw a news bit about a 12 yo girl whose horse collapsed at a barrel race and crushed her ☹ > > \*And now I’m going to go knock on wood, find salt to throw over my shoulder, and do anything else I can think of to ward off the jinx I just put on myself! I had a horse collapse and die under saddle. Thankfully she reared up just before falling, and I was thrown aside. I was wearing a helmet which is good because I hit my head rather hard on pavement. She did not land on me. If she had, no doubt I would have, at the very least suffered a broken leg, possibly worse. Of course, I was a 30 year old grown woman at the time and not a 12 yrs old. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/23 "2016-05-24T16:25:49Z")
You are required to have training and a license to ride a motorcycle, and in most places you are required to wear a helmet. What are the legal requirements for riding a horse, again? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/24 "2016-05-24T16:27:24Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I also know how many people ride without, especially on their own property or around rural trails. I see it all the time. We have horses. My gf rides all the time; I’ll join her for a ride now and then. We do not own “helmets” nor had I ever considered the idea. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/25 "2016-05-24T16:52:24Z")
A helmet designed for horse sports can cost as little as $50. I wear one every ride, no matter what. It’s cheap insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/26 "2016-05-24T17:51:32Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You are required to have training and a license to ride a motorcycle, and in most places you are required to wear a helmet. What are the legal requirements for riding a horse, again? Despite the rules, a rather large percentage of motorcycle riders on the road are untrained and unlicensed. [According to the IIHS,](http://www.iii.org/issue-update/motorcycle-crashes) about 1/4 of motorcyclists killed in accidents do not have a “valid license” (not clear if this means _any_ motor vehicle license, or just the motorcycle endorsement). They also say that about 6 million riders have taken MSF training since 1974. I would imagine a great many of these people aren’t riding any more, and given that there are currently about 9 million registered motorcycles in the US, it seems probable that most riders are without training. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/27 "2016-05-24T17:59:06Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > We have horses. My gf rides all the time; I’ll join her for a ride now and then. We do not own “helmets” nor had I ever considered the idea. Really? I would have guessed that getting whacked in the head by tree branches would be a fairly common event while horseback riding, and that would certainly make me consider a helmet. ---
**Author:** ![Shearer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@Shearer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shearer)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/28 "2016-05-24T19:06:31Z")
Unsurprising. Motorbikes are designed for riding ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/29 "2016-05-24T19:33:25Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > “…Why would I want anything with a mind of its own bobbing about between my legs?” Just the same, as a confirmed male I’ll keep mine. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/30 "2016-05-24T19:36:45Z")
That article is way too short and click-baity. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > You are required to have training and a license to ride a motorcycle, and in most places you are required to wear a helmet. What are the legal requirements for riding a horse, again? That’s the first thing that I thought of. I remember visiting distant relatives with horses and all the kids riding. They were all used to horses but we were all completely clueless. The only safety measure was picking out an easy horse for the newbie city kids to take turns on. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/31 "2016-05-24T22:51:44Z")
I got bucked off a horse once, and my long slide along the ground afterward was interrupted by me impacting the barn headfirst. Very glad I was wearing a helmet at the time. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/32 "2016-05-24T23:41:28Z")
Just falling off a horse is a very common occurrence and rarely leads to a life-changing or even a serious injury. People who compete in horse sports where it’s likely they will fall always wear helmets and many wear crash vests that prevent minor damage from falling off. It’s when the horse falls on top of the rider that you get the bad injuries. People are also injured by horses when they aren’t even riding them. They are very large, very strong, very stupid, and react violently to minor events. Motorcycles don’t to do that. I know one person who is severely brain-damaged after a horse fell on top of her, despite her wearing a crashvest and a helmet. I also know someone who had to be helicoptered out and almost died after a horse she was washing spooked and smashed her into the wall. Me, I’ve fallen off umpteen-billion times and have suffered no worse than a few bruises. I always wear a helmet and quite often a crashvest. So I don’t know if the stats are true, but it’s certainly possible that they are. I don’t really know how they are going to gather accurate stats for either sport-how many casual riders of either machines or horses go around logging their riding hours? You can track deaths in major horse sports, but that won’t give you much of an idea of how dangerous it is to go out on a trail on horseback for a few hours once a week. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/33 "2016-05-24T23:55:01Z")
Sorry, I had to go stir the food. > [@](#): > > Serious injury rates exceeding one per 350 horse riding hours have been described, This estimate is impossibly high. One barn I used to ride out of only had two serious injuries over five years, and there were multiple people riding pretty much all day every day. Which doesn’t mean that horses are safer than motorcycles, just that there is no data. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/34 "2016-05-25T11:24:01Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Really? I would have guessed that getting whacked in the head by tree branches would be a fairly common event while horseback riding, and that would certainly make me consider a helmet. I’m pretty adept at sliding down on my horses side while he ducks under a branch. I asked my gf last night if we should look into helmets and she guffawed. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/35 "2016-05-25T11:43:33Z")
It’s not the branches you need a helmet for, it’s the ground and the hooves. (Though helmets are great for keeping deerflies from chewing on the top of your head!) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/36 "2016-05-25T12:30:05Z")
I believe the helmeted here, but cannot imagine wearing anything heavier than a baseball cap on horseback (or bicycling, for that matter). Too stifling? Although the more I read, the more Gary Busey I feel. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/37 "2016-05-25T14:27:33Z")
It’s cute when people are stunned that anything could be more dangerous than the devil _MOTORCYCLE RIDING_. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/38 "2016-05-25T15:41:53Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’m pretty adept at sliding down on my horses side while he ducks under a branch. I asked my gf last night if we should look into helmets and she guffawed. The same attitude many people have with bicycle helmets and other protective gear. No law against stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/39 "2016-05-25T15:48:33Z")
My niece who has a degree in equine studies, has been around horses all her life, and trains and cares for horses for a living was recently thrown and suffered internal injuries. And this wasn’t even the crazy former racehorse thoroughbred she owns. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439/40 "2016-05-25T15:50:39Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > The same attitude many people have with bicycle helmets and other protective gear. No law against stupidity. Well, this thread is the first place I’ve ever _heard_ of helmets for horseback riding. In fact, looking at a Google image search, [the only pictures where trail riders are helmeted are commercial facilities with rent-a-horses.](https://www.google.com/search?q=horseback+trail+ride&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiKloqvyfXMAhXBND4KHegVAOMQ_AUICigE&biw=1366&bih=635)(an insurance thing, no doubt) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-a-horse-is-20-times-more-dangerous-than-riding-a-motorcycle/755439.md?page=3)