Humans and horse go back a long way. At one time, horses were not only our work and war animals, they were our transportation. Those days are gone. Today, horse status is that of a domesticated animal. Except for carriage driving, some circus acts, and a few other uses, humans and horses are literally physically connected in sport and pleasure. This fact makes both horse and humans vulnerable to injury... often differing injuries caused by the same event. However, this is where the similarity ends... a broken leg is repairable for a human and fatal for a horse. A jump refusal is just putting on the brakes for a horse but may be a paralyzing event for a human. Whatever the event, humans and horses share a common bond of possible injury.
As a result, The Berkshire Equestrian Center has taken up the cause of spinal cord and brain trauma for humans, and overall equine safety for horses.
While we start with spinal cord injury and brain trauma as a result of riding horses, our reach is much wider as these life-changing-injuries occur every day in every way. The consequence is the same regardless of how the damage occurred.
Spinal Cord Injury Statistics
http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/spinal-cord-injury/statistics.htm
Also, in a world of seemingly limitless needs from cures for diseases and poverty, horse safety may seem insignificant. It is not for at least three reasons: The first reason is obvious; when a horse breaks down while being ridden, the rider is in peril. Secondly, the horse industry is a 300 billion dollar industry which provides hundred-thousands jobs and involves millions of people from workers to spectators. Third and most important, we ask horses to perform acts, which they would normally not do, for our enjoyment. As an ever-improving humankind, this morally obligates us to protect them the best that we can. And so, BEC embraces the advancement of horse safety throughout the use of horses for sport and pleasure.
Horse Racing Safety -- It's All In The Data (Australia)
http://phys.org/news/2014-11-horse-position-cent.html#nRlv
Opposite Sides of the Same Coins
