Human Injuries Associated with the Transport of Horses by Road.
Authors: Riley Christopher B, Padalino Barbara, Rogers Chris W, Thompson Kirrilly R
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Road transport of horses carries substantial injury risk not only for equines but also for their handlers, prompting Riley and colleagues to investigate human casualties during the loading, travelling, and unloading phases in New Zealand. Via industry survey, the researchers identified injury rates of 10.5% among 1,067 respondents, with unloading (29.5% of injuries) and loading (34.8%) presenting the highest-risk stages, and hand injuries dominating the injury profile at 46%, followed by foot (25%), arm (17%), and head/face trauma (15%). Notably, 40% of injured handlers sustained multiple injury types affecting various body regions, with a median recovery window of seven days, suggesting impacts beyond immediate acute trauma. Risk factors included lower industry education credentials, fewer years of driving experience, and prior experience of equine transport-related injury—findings that underscore systemic knowledge gaps rather than isolated incidents. These results support a "one welfare" approach whereby implementing established equine transport safety protocols (secure loading systems, appropriate vehicle design, quiet handling environments) simultaneously protects handler safety, whilst individual protective equipment such as helmets and gloves should be standard practice during all transport phases for anyone working with road-travelled horses.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Require helmet and glove use as standard practice during all horse loading, unloading, and transport preparation activities to reduce hand, head, and face injuries
- •Implement loading and unloading protocols and equipment modifications that minimize handler-horse contact during these high-risk phases, which account for nearly two-thirds of transport injuries
- •Provide transport safety training tied to educational background and driving experience, as these factors were significantly associated with injury risk
Key Findings
- •10.5% (112/1067) of horse handlers surveyed reported injuries related to road transport activities
- •Loading and unloading accounted for 64% of transport-related injuries (72/112)
- •Hand injuries were most common (46%), followed by foot (25%), arm (17%), and head/face (15%)
- •40% of injured handlers sustained multiple injury types, with median recovery time of 7 days