Annika Hytönen
In reality, fatal accidents involving horses are very rare in Finland, writes journalist Annika Hytönen.
On May Day, there was news about a tragic horse riding accident. Illustration image. Mostphotos
The May Day horse riding tragedy has caused a heated discussion on social media. It is understandable that a sad tragedy causes concern, but many important things have been forgotten in the comments.
Experienced rider Susanna Frey died on Friday in a riding accident at the Ypäjä equestrian college. The incident has deeply touched horse circles, but also raised questions about the dangerous nature of the sport.
Many people consider horse riding very dangerous and even question the whole hobby.
In reality, fatal accidents involving horses are very rare in Finland.
According to Kati Hurmee, communications officer of the Finnish Riders’ Association (SRL). In Finland, approximately 0–2 people die each year in the horse hobby. The readings come from insurance company statistics.
There are approximately 160,000 equestrian enthusiasts in Finland. If two riders died a year, that would mean 1.25 deaths per 100,000 enthusiasts. For example, approximately 3.2 people died in road traffic accidents in Finland per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024.
Of course, the readings mentioned above are not in themselves completely comparable to each other, because probably more time is spent on average in road traffic than with horses. However, you can get some perspective from them.
Injuries do happen to a reasonable extent in riding, but the sport does not shine clearly above others in terms of injury statistics. According to one Finnish study, the most serious injuries occur in connection with bicycle riding. Only after that come horse riding and team ball sports.
Fresh The LITU study according to football, the most leisure-time sports injuries occurred in girls and women aged 11–20. Horse riding was second, cycling third.
Of course, riding involves factors that increase the risk of accidental injuries. As escape animals, horses can be unpredictable, for example, if they startle. Safety and Chemical Agency Tukes is in his research found out what kind of accidents happen when riding or working with horses.
Between 2017 and 2021, a total of 136 accidents were reported to Tukes that occurred while caring for or riding horses. The data did not include home garages or accidents that occurred outside of consumer services.
During the five-year review period, eight of the accidents resulted in a serious injury. Of the injuries, 85 were moderate, and 42 were minor. During the period, no deaths were reported to Tukes.
The majority of accidents (127) were caused by falls. Most of the accidents occurred due to the loss of the rider’s balance. The second most common reason was the horse being scared.
Of course, there is a risk of serious accidents when working with animals weighing up to 500 kg. However, the dangers of the sport need not and should not be exaggerated.
Exercise for children and young people has decreased alarmingly during the 21st century, and horse riding has been one of the hobbies of young girls year after year. Unnecessary scaremongering about the dangers of riding probably doesn’t encourage the hobby at least.
The whole world is full of life-threatening hobbies and situations. If you want to avoid all dangers, it is better to stay alone at home within four walls. At least in my opinion, riding and messing around with horses are significantly more meaningful options.
And even if riding isn’t for you, you can still let other people enjoy it without being blamed.
