With better risk evaluation in the industry and a heightened understanding of equine behavior and learning, some rider deaths could be prevented, said Chapman. | Photo: iStock

Sarah Waugh died falling from a horse. Not in an open field by herself. Not on a slippery, high-traffic road. Not trying anything crazy, daring, or risky. The 18-year-old pre-veterinary student sustained fatal head and neck injuries riding a lesson horse during an organized beginner’s level class.

The horse, Dargo, was a 4-year-old Thoroughbred that had raced six weeks before the accident, placing seventh in a field of 10.

With better risk evaluation in the industry and a heightened understanding of equine behavior and learning, tragedies like Waugh’s death could be prevented, said a risk management engineer specializing in industrial safety