Editing Eventing (section)

===Safety===
Between 1997 and December 2008, at least 37 eventing riders died as a result of injuries incurred while competing in the cross-country phase of eventing at national or international level or at Pony Club. Of these, 18 riders died in the period 2006–2008. These 37 fatal falls have been at all levels of the sport, from domestic one-day events up to regional championships level, and they have occurred in most of the recognized eventing countries around the world, with concentrations in the United Kingdom (14) and the United States (8). At least 25 of these 37 deaths have resulted from a somersaulting (rotational) fall of the horse, with 11 of the 16 deaths in 2007 and 2008 being reported as having resulted from [[rotational falls]].&nbsp;<ref name=Horsetalk081219>Horsetalk – [http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/saferide/131-eventingincrisis.shtml Eventing in crisis?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220214742/http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/saferide/131-eventingincrisis.shtml |date=2008-12-20 }} 19 December 2008</ref> The FEI reports that horse falls happen at a rate of 1 per every 63 starters on cross country, with rotating falls happening once in every 572 starters.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Autry |first=Jenni |date=2018-08-01 |title=Eventing's Quest for a Safer Sport |url=https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/training/eventings-quest-for-a-safer-sport/ |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Practical Horseman |language=en-US}}</ref>

Information about horse fatalities is difficult to locate, but at least 19 eventing horses, many of them top-level performers, died in 2007 and 2008.&nbsp;<ref name=Horsetalk081219 />

Over time, course design has become increasingly more focused on the safety of the horse and rider. The layout of the course and the build of the obstacles encourage the horse to have a successful run. This includes greater use of precision fences, such as [[corner (fence)|corner]]s and "skinny jumps", that are very good tests of the rider's ability and the horse's training but allow the horse to simply run around the jump if the rider misjudges it. Safety measures such as filling in the area between corner-shaped jumps on cross-country or rails of a fence help prevent the entrapment of the legs of the horse decrease the number of serious falls or injuries.

The newest improvement in cross-country safety is the ''frangible'' fence, which uses a pin and other techniques which allow the fence to "break or fall" in a controlled manner to minimize the risk of injury to horse and rider. This can help to prevent the most dangerous situation on cross-country, when the horse hits a solid fence between the forearm and chest, and somersaults over ([[Rotational falls|rotational fall]]), sometimes falling on the rider. This type of fall has caused the deaths of several riders and horses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eventingsafety.wordpress.com/|title=Eventing Safety and Risk Management|website=Eventing Safety and Risk Management|access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref>

Rules protecting riders have improved as well. Riders are now required to wear a safety vest ([[Body protector (equestrian)|body protector]]) during cross-country, as well as an [[ASTM]]/[[Safety Equipment Institute|SEI]] or [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]] approved [[equestrian helmet]] equipped with a retention harness,<ref>[http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/tack_apparel/english/safety100703/ Barakat, Christine. "Riding Helmet Safety Standards Explained" ''Equisearch''. Web page accessed September 23, 2009] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107085527/http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/tack_apparel/english/safety100703/ |date=January 7, 2011 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.instruction.ponyclub.org/PDFs/Helmet%20Fitting%20Info.PDF Pony club educational materials, referring to helmet retention system as a "harness"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307134524/http://instruction.ponyclub.org/PDFs/Helmet%20Fitting%20Info.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307134524/http://instruction.ponyclub.org/PDFs/Helmet%20Fitting%20Info.PDF |archive-date=2010-03-07 |url-status=live |date=2010-03-07 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk/P/Dublin_Onyx_Web_Harness_Helmet_sizes_53-55cm-(82).aspx|title=UK Site calling the helmet attachment a "Harness"|website=thesaddleryshop.co.uk|access-date=26 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409054459/http://www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk/p/dublin_onyx_web_harness_helmet_sizes_53-55cm-(82).aspx|archive-date=2016-04-09|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thornhillusa.com/helmets.html|title=USA site using term "retention harness"|website=thornhillusa.com|access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref> which must be fastened while on the horse. Eventing was one of the first sports to require the use of a helmet with harness when jumping. As of 2010, more riders were wearing [[air bag vest]]s, which automatically inflate if a rider falls off the horse.<ref>Thomas, Katie. [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/sports/24airbag.html "Added Safety in the Saddle"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', August 23, 2010. Accessed August 25, 2010.</ref>