Horse riding can lead to a wide range of injuries, but injuries to the head and brain are among the most serious. A rider can hit their head after being thrown from a horse, in a road traffic collision or after being kicked or crushed while handling a horse from the ground.

Recent UK accident data gives us a useful picture of how often horse-related incidents are reported, particularly on the road, and hospital and trauma-centre studies are also important for understanding how often head injuries feature in equestrian accidents and how severe they can be.

In this blog, the horse riding injury compensation solicitors at Switalskis look at recent horse riding accident statistics, what medical research tells us about equestrian head injuries, and what riders should know about concussion, traumatic brain injury and compensation.

Horse riding head injury statistics at a glance

Research from the UK and elsewhere shows that head injuries are a significant risk in horse riding accidents. Some  figures that show the scale and extent of the problem include:

• The British Horse Society (BHS) recorded 2,810 road incidents involving horses in 2025, with 86 people injured. Between 2016 and 2025, it recorded a total of 19,528 horse-related road incidents, in which 999 people were injured and eight were killed.
• A Kent and Sussex hospital study found that 38 of 155 patients with horse-related injuries, or 24.5%, had sustained a head injury.
• A UK major trauma centre study found head injuries in 19.3% of 301 patients admitted with severe horse-related injuries.
• At one South of England neurosurgical centre, horse riding accounted for 31 of 76 sports-related head injury admissions.
• In a study of equestrian helmets collected after real-world accidents, 91% of the reported head injuries were concussions.

How common are horse riding accidents in the UK?

The most recent figures from the BHS show that horse-related road incidents remain common. In 2025, the charity recorded 2,810 incidents involving horses on UK roads. A total of 86 people were injured, while 59 horses died and 82 were injured. The BHS also reported that 83% of reported incidents involved a vehicle passing too quickly.

Looking across the ten years from 2016 to 2025, the BHS recorded 19,528 road incidents involving horses. Over that period, 999 people were injured and eight were killed. These figures are based on incidents reported to the BHS , so they do not represent every horse riding accident in the UK.

Road accidents are only one part of the wider picture. Horse riding accidents also happen in arenas, on private land, at riding schools, during competitions and while handling horses. If you have had a horse riding accident that was caused by someone else's negligence, our horse riding accident compensation claims team can explain your legal options.

How common are head injuries in horse riding?

UK hospital research suggests that head injuries make up a substantial proportion of horse-related injuries requiring medical treatment. These are selected hospital samples, rather than population-wide estimates, and some of the research uses older data: the Kent and Sussex study examined presentations in 2010, and the South of England neurosurgical study covered admissions from January 2011 to December 2016.

A study of 155 patients who presented with horse-related injuries in Kent and Sussex found that 24.5% had sustained a head injury. Head injuries were the second most commonly affected area after injuries to the arms and legs.

A separate seven-year review of 301 severe equestrian injuries admitted to a UK major trauma centre found that 19.3% involved head injuries. The study also recorded three deaths, all of which were linked to severe traumatic brain injury.

The importance of horse riding as a cause of serious sports head injuries was also highlighted by a study at a tertiary neurosurgical centre in the South of England. Of 76 patients admitted with sports-related head injuries over six years, 31 had been injured in horse riding accidents. This represented 40.8% of the cases and made horse riding the most common sport represented in that particular hospital sample.

Horse-related injuries can also include broken bones, soft tissue injuries, spinal injuries, chest injuries and multiple injuries affecting more than one part of the body. The UK major trauma centre study found orthopaedic, spinal and chest injuries alongside head trauma.

What head injuries can happen in horse riding accidents?

Horse riding head injuries range from concussion , a form of traumatic brain injury, to severe traumatic brain injury. The effects vary significantly depending on the force of the impact and the part of the head or brain affected. Concussion should not be dismissed as a minor injury: symptoms can persist, and loss of consciousness is not necessary for a concussion to occur. It can also follow a blow to the body that causes rapid movement of the head, without a direct head impact.

Possible injuries include:

• concussion
• a skull fracture
• bleeding around or within the brain
• cerebral swelling
• a diffuse axonal injury, where rapid movement damages nerve fibres within the brain
• a severe traumatic brain injury that can cause lasting cognitive, behavioural or physical problems.

A study analysing 216 equestrian helmets collected after real-world accidents provides useful insight into the types of head injury seen after falls. Injury information was available for 189 accidents, with 139 reported head injuries. Of those head injuries, 126, or 91%, were concussions. Six were skull fractures, while the remainder included more serious injuries such as subdural haematoma, cerebral oedema and diffuse axonal injury.

This was a selected sample based on helmets returned after accidents, so it should not be read as evidence that 91% of all equestrian injuries are concussions. It does, however, show how prominent concussion can be among riders who sustain head trauma.

Our guide to concussion in equestrian sports explains the symptoms riders should be aware of and why a concussion should be taken seriously. Our brain injury claims team supports people affected by the long-term consequences of concussion and other traumatic brain injuries.

How do horse riding head injuries happen?

Falls are one of the main ways horse riders sustain serious injuries. In the  study of equestrian injuries at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, 72.8% of severe horse-related injuries followed a fall from a horse. Being kicked was the second most common cause of injury, accounting for 14.6% of cases.

A rider who falls can hit their head directly on the ground, a fence, a jump or another hard object. The speed and height involved can make the impact severe, particularly during cross-country riding or other faster equestrian activities.

Head injuries can also occur without the rider being mounted. Horses are large, powerful animals and can cause serious injury by kicking, striking, crushing or trampling a person.

Road traffic collisions create another risk. A horse and rider may be struck by a vehicle, or the horse may react suddenly to traffic and cause the rider to fall. These incidents can involve more than one impact and lead to multiple injuries rather than an isolated head injury.

Do riding helmets reduce the risk of serious head injuries?

A properly fitted riding helmet is an important piece of safety equipment, but no helmet can prevent every head or brain injury.

Riding hats and helmets are designed to minimise potential head injury, but no hat can protect every rider in every situation. The BHS recommends wearing a correctly fitted helmet that meets an accepted safety standard and replacing a riding hat after a fall, particularly if it has made contact with the ground.

Research also suggests that helmets can reduce the severity of some injuries. In a small matched-pairs study of 40 riders with traumatic brain injuries, intracranial bleeding occurred in 10 unhelmeted riders compared with two riders who had been wearing helmets. Within that study, the relative risk of intracranial bleeding was five times higher for unhelmeted riders. While this was a small, retrospective study of injured patients , not a measure of the risk reduction for all riders or all equestrian accidents, it indicates the role helmets play in preventing injury.

However, helmets do not eliminate the risk of concussion. The real-world helmet study discussed above found that concussion remained common even where a helmet had been worn. The researchers suggested that helmets were likely to reduce the severity of head injury, while also identifying limits in how well some helmets protect against impacts that can still cause traumatic brain injury.

Helmet fit and condition therefore matter. Riders should follow current BHS helmet guidance and make sure their safety equipment is suitable for the activity they are taking part in.

What should you do after hitting your head while horse riding?

You should seek medical attention as soon as possible if you hit your head in a horse riding accident. A head injury should not be ignored because you feel well immediately afterwards. Some symptoms can appear later, and even an apparently minor head injury can require medical assessment.

Call 999 if someone has been knocked unconscious and has not woken up, cannot stay awake, has a seizure, develops problems with vision or hearing, has new weakness or numbness, or has problems with walking, balance, speaking or understanding. You should also call 999 after a head injury involving a fall of more than one metre or an impact at high speed, or where there are signs such as clear fluid from the ears or nose, bleeding from the ears, bruising behind the ears, or a dent in the head. This is not an exhaustive list; follow NHS guidance and do not drive yourself to A&E.

Other symptoms that can follow a head injury include headache, dizziness, vomiting, confusion and memory problems. If you are unsure what to do after an accident, seek medical advice rather than trying to judge the seriousness of the injury yourself. Seek help from NHS 111 for vomiting, dizziness, any condition that thins the blood (or if you are taking blood-thinning medication), or for other worrying symptoms after a head injury. If concussion is suspected, stop riding and other equestrian activity immediately, do not return to riding that day, and seek assessment by a healthcare professional. Return to riding should be gradual and follow medical advice and British Equestrian’s return-to-riding guidance .

Our article on the signs of a serious head injury explains the warning signs in more detail.

Can you claim compensation after a horse riding head injury?

Horses can behave unpredictably, and accidents can happen even where everyone involved has taken reasonable care. However, you may be able to make a personal injury claim if your head injury was caused by someone else's negligence. Examples can include poorly maintained riding facilities, inadequate instruction or supervision, defective riding equipment, or a road traffic accident caused by another road user. Negligence is not the only possible basis for a claim. In England and Wales, a horse’s keeper may also be liable under the Animals Act 1971 without proof of negligence, but only where the statutory conditions are met and no applicable defence succeeds.

The exact circumstances matter. A solicitor will consider how the accident happened, who owed you a duty of care and whether their actions or failures caused your injury. We will also consider any relevant statutory or product liability, the evidence needed to establish it and any available defences.

Our horse riding accident compensation claims page explains the claims process in more detail, including the evidence that may be needed and the losses compensation can cover. You can also read our advice on when you can make a head injury claim for more information about proving negligence.

How Switalskis can help

A serious head or brain injury can affect far more than your immediate recovery. It may affect your ability to work, your independence, your relationships and the support you need in the future.

At Switalskis, our personal injury team can investigate how a horse riding accident happened, gather medical and accident evidence and establish whether another party was responsible. Where you have suffered a traumatic brain injury, our specialist brain injury solicitors can also help you access rehabilitation and support while pursuing compensation for your immediate and future needs.

If you have suffered a head injury in a horse riding accident and want to understand your legal options, call Switalskis on 0800 138 0458 or contact us through the website .