In an effort to help improve safety of horses and those who travel with horses, USRider has been working with nationally known large-animal rescue experts Tomas Gimenez, DVM, and his wife, Rebecca Gimenez, PhD.

For the past three years, Tomas, professor of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at Clemson University, and Rebecca, an animal physiologist and a primary instructor in technical large-animal emergency rescue, have assisted USRider in gathering and analyzing data about horse trailer accidents. The Gimenezes began collecting data through a survey in December 2003. The research team also culled data from incidents reported in newspapers and Internet postings. The data is being used to formulate recommendations for preventing accidents and enhancing the safety of horses.

Equestrians around the country were urged to help with the research. USRider posted a survey on their website, www.usrider.org, and asked all horse owners, trainers, emergency responders, veterinarians, and others who had somehow been involved in horse trailer incidents to participate in the survey simply by logging on and answering some pertinent questions.

More than 200 accidents have been evaluated. The research for this project is continuing and people are welcome to contribute their stories for future use. To participate in the survey, visit www.usrider.org/survey.html. The findings from this research have provided some very useful information for improving safety practices for both trailer owners and manufacturers