Dr Chambless is a Neurosurgeon at Vanderbilt University and also an Event Rider. The most important thing we took away from Dr. Chambless’ discussion on types, diagnosis, and treatment of TBI is that you should never mess around with a potential head injury.
Dr Chambless shared some pretty sobering statistics:
- A motorcyclist can expect one serious accident for every 5,000 hours of riding. An equestrian? One serious accident in just 350 hours of riding.
- On average there are 8 TBI deaths a year in contact sports like football. There are approximately 60 equestrian deaths each year.
- Of all TBI’s incurred during recreational sports, horseback riding accidents make up 12% – the largest group.
- Most riding TBI’s happen at home – not at shows – where regulations have no effect
TBI’s are costly to rehab, the direct costs of a severe brain injury range from $1.5-3 million. Many people never make a full recovery. Prevention is key.
See below for Dr Chambless’ video presentation from the 2nd Riders4Helmets Helmet Safety Symposium and please always wear a helmet when you ride. (Read an overview report of the helmet safety symposium by Jackie Baker at this link).
Photo copyright: Riders4Helmets
Photo copyright: Riders4Helmets
I believe we need more Dr’s like her. She shed much light on head injuries, my son and husband actually understood what she was talking about. My hat it off to this Dr. I encourage anyone to watch this video, provide much education. Education to head injuries especially the aftermath………… many Dr’s are not clear about the after math. But this Dr definately does……..and it is really appreciated.
Absolutely agree with the use of Helmets in any horse related activity. I have had a traumatic head injury while riding my horse that left me out of work for a week with impaired memory and balance issues. If I had not been wearing a helmet I most likely would not be here today. It’s been 2 years since the accident but took 18 months for me to get back to emotional and phyisical normality. Kudos! Please wear your helmet folks!
The beautiful Fall afternoon of my head injury was on just the sort of day when I would have loved to feel the wind in my hair. Thankfully, I had on a helmet. Even so, when my horse left me lying unconscious in the field, I was lucky to be alive. For the first week after the accident I could barely see. When my vision improved enough that I could move about, I could barely walk without grabbing the walls for support. For the first month I needed a cane. Now almost 3 years later I still have trouble with balance. I continue to ride with a helmet, and I believe that a helmet is what kept me alive.