The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) of Australia recently reported two projects that will be funded through 2001. One will evaluate the economics of the horse industry, and the other will look at safety.

Raymond Kripps, PhD, of the Research Centre for Injury Studies at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, is investigating a “Pilot Project to Examine Injuries to Horse Riders and Handlers.”

“My project is primarily a feasibility study to develop a national surveillance system in Australia to monitor and look at trends in fall-related injuries during eventing,” said Kripps. This study is a collaborative effort between the Equine Federation of Australia (EFA) and Flinders University Research Centre for Injury Studies, and will take about a year. First, the research will focus on South Australia and New South Wales one- and three-day events. If successful, Kripps plans to broaden the study’s scope to a national system.

“We hope that this project will be the first that will look at injury events with a view to developing effective countermeasures to reduce injuries and to promote safety,” Kripps added