Athlete Health & Safety

Welcome to the Horse Sport Ireland information page, dedicated to key health and safety matters for human athletes in equestrian sport.

With these pages Horse Sport Ireland hopes to raise awareness and bring clarity on issues which concern everyone involved in equestrian sport at any competition level. In particular, we strongly recommend that everyone involved in our sport takes the time to read the information on concussion published in these pages and familiarize themselves with the Concussion Recognition Tool (CRT), keeping in mind that where concussion is even suspected, expert advice must be sought.

The information and guidelines on athlete health & safety on this website are the best advice and best practice available at the present time. An athlete’s medical condition or injury may vary, and he/she should always consult their own doctor or visit a hospital accident & emergency department if they have concerns about medical conditions or injuries.

These pages will be updated from time to time with new topics and/or additional information for the existing ones where relevant. If you have queries, please feel free to send us an email.


Focus Areas

  • Concussion and return to riding
  • Safety and personal protective equipment (PPE)

Concussion & Return to Riding

Most people with a concussion recover quickly and fully. But for some people, symptoms can last for days, weeks, or longer. In general, recovery may be slower among older adults, young children, and teens. Know the symptoms and follow the action plan.

Below are some helpful resources for coaches and athletes.

Useful documents for download


The Medical Equestrian Association of Ireland have provided the following guidelines on rehabilitation and return to riding following concussion.

The FEI have provided information relating to concussion & return to riding through their medical & safety Information section of their website. This include concussion summary, concussion management, concussion return to play and more detailed information for health care professionals.

Useful documents for download

Safety and personal protective equipment

The FEI have provided information relating to protective headgear through their medical & safety information section of their website.

Useful documents for download

Horse Sport Ireland believes that doping is contrary to the spirit of sport and every member has a duty to ensure that equestrian sport is free of doping.The links below provide information into HSI human anti-doping and FEI clean sport for humans.

The FEI have provided information relating to horse riding while pregnant through their medical & safety information section of their website.

Medical Equestrian Association of Ireland (MEAI)

The Medical Equestrian Association of Ireland have produced a document on concussion. The document gives a brief synopsis of concussion, recognising concussions, the signs and symptoms, Management of concussion at an event and by the athlete, side-line assessment questions, care of a concussed athlete for 24 hours after the injury and guidelines on rehabilitation and return to riding for an athlete following concussion/head injury. The document can be downloaded in the concussion & return to riding section above.

Acquired Brain Injury Ireland

Be “Concussion Smart” and have Acquired Brain Injury Ireland’s new concussion app at your fingertips. The app is designed to help coaches, team physicians, parents and other qualified healthcare professionals recognise and respond to a concussed player following a knock to the head. The app is currently only available on Apple and will be launched on Google Play for Android phones at a later date.

Sport Ireland Anti-Doping: Sport Ireland National Anti-Doping Programme acts to protect Ireland’s sporting integrity against the threat of doping. Visit the Sport Ireland website for further information.

FEI Athlete Health & Safety: The FEI have a dedicated section of the website for athlete health & safety. Some of the pages have been referenced above. The full section can be found at the following link.