University of Kentucky (UK) Health Care, in partnership with the UK colleges of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, and Public Health and in conjunction with nearly 50 community, equine, and medical organizations, has released a new educational booklet within the Saddle Up Safely educational partnership.

“Safe Return to Riding” covers topics including preparing for an injury, what to do immediately after an accident, returning to riding after a significant injury or long illness, and includes a newly developed equestrian injury and concussion assessment tool. In addition, the booklet gives information about calories burned during 30 minutes of activity, safety tips, and helmet information.

The booklet was written by members of the Saddle Up Safely Auxiliary, a group of dedicated volunteers passionate about rider safety issues who serve to help create and disseminate the campaign’s educational messages.

“The auxiliary regularly met to discuss and debate each safety point to ensure the recommendations were grounded in good horsemanship and were realistic,” said Bill Gombeski, MBA, MPH, Senior Advisor, Office of the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at UK HealthCare and Saddle Up Safely lead. “I really appreciate their dedication and vision