Horses kept in better conditions had fewer riders fall off them. That is the finding of a study published in the journal Animal, which links horse welfare directly to rider safety during lessons.
The researchers compared riding facilities. Horses at the places with the best welfare had fewer health problems, higher haemoglobin levels and more positive behaviour toward people. They were linked to the fewest falls. Horses showing chronic pain, apathy, aggression or anaemia were linked to more accidents.
Turnout and attention
Handling mattered. The study found that attentive, positive contact during care and riding improved welfare, while rushed or minimal contact made it worse. Management choices carried weight too, among them how often horses were turned out and how instructors taught.
The facility with the best welfare outcomes gave its horses more frequent turnout. Its riding instruction put horse comfort ahead of strict control. It also had the safer lessons and the lower risk of accidents.
Equitation Science International, which shared the research, called the study modest in scale. Its summary said even small changes, such as more turnout and more attentive care, brought direct gains in welfare and fewer falls, and could lower the risk of costly legal claims against riding centres.
The paper is by L. Gueguen, R. Palme, P. Jego, S. Henry and M. Hausberger, in volume 19, issue 6 of Animal, 2025. Its title: “Differences between facilities in horse welfare profiles: slight differences in management/working conditions may be enough.”
