Watch
The GamePlan: Emergency Response in Equestrian Sports is a 12-module film series, free to watch and share for educational use.
Individual Modules
Until Help Arrives: Remote Location
Until Help Arrives: Stables Location
EAP (Emergency Action Plan) Meeting
Ambulance Arrival at Equestrian Site
Cross Country Incident Response
Athlete Resisting Medical Evaluation
This is one of three films in The GamePlan Series. View the full series.
Our GamePlan films are fully donor funded. Donor support makes it possible for us to continue growing this library. Make a gift to support future films.
Motivation
Horseback riding is associated with a risk of head and spinal injuries due to the height, speed, and horse-human factors. Remote or challenging terrain and the presence of large animals create unique emergency response challenges that are unlike that in many other sports.
Equestrians, horse owners, bystanders, competition officials, volunteers, and EMS personnel have voiced a need for practical training on how to respond when a horse rider has a potentially serious injury.
Approach
Produced in partnership with Seattle Fire Department Medic One and the US Eventing Association Foundation and filmed by The Distillery at Aspen Farms, LLC in Yelm, Washington, this series covers a wide range of equestrian emergency scenarios.
The film depicts scenarios including suspected head and spinal injuries due to equestrian injuries. Note that spine motion restriction (SMR) techniques vary based on patient injury presentation, equipment available, and local EMS protocols. The plan should be reviewed in advance during the emergency action plan.
This is the third film in The Sports Institute’s GamePlan series, which has reached more than 130,000 viewers worldwide to date.
Our Next Move
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If used in presentations or added to webpages, please credit: The Sports Institute at UW Medicine. If shared on social media, tag us @TheSportsInstituteUW on Facebook or use our full name on LinkedIn.
Partners
Aspen Farms, The Distillery, Seattle Fire Department Medic One, US Eventing Association, UW Medicine.
Special thanks to all the equestrian athletes, horses, medical professionals, EMS personnel, and volunteers who participated in creating this resource.
Sponsors
Gold Sponsors: Anonymous, Crotty Family Foundation
Bronze Sponsors: Adler Giersch PS Law Firm, U.S. Eventing Association Foundation
Equipment Sponsors: Hit-Air Equestrian, Tipperary Equestrian
Articles & Additional Resources:
International Olympic Committee Emergency Extrication on the Field of Play, https://www.olympics.com/ioc/athletes/emergency-extrication-on-the-field-of-play
Responding safely to equestrian emergencies, January 13, 2026. https://newsroom.uw.edu/video-library/responding-safely-to-equestrian-emergencies/
New Equestrian Safety Film Focuses on How to Respond in the Minutes After an Accident, April 13, 2026. https://education.uwmedicine.org/blog/2026/04/13/new-equestrian-safety-film-focuses-on-how-to-respond-in-the-minutes-after-an-accident/
Film directs would-be rescuers when horse riders fall, January 13, 2026. https://newsroom.uw.edu/blog/film-directs-would-be-rescuers-when-horse-riders-fall/
Equestrian Sports Safety: An Update on Safety Equipment and Event Medical Coverage, January 2025. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2025/01000/equestrian_sports_safety__an_update_on_safety.5.aspx
Disclaimer
The information presented in this film is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used as a standard of care.
The film illustrates general principles for responding to potential injuries in equestrian sports. It is not medical advice and should never be used as a substitute for professional clinical judgement. All emergency response and medical decisions remain at the discretion of responding medical providers and are dependent on the specific injury scenarios and availability of qualified medical personnel and resources on site. If there is suspicion of an injury, immediately contact emergency medical services and follow the instructions of those trained healthcare providers. University of Washington, USEA Foundation, and United States Eventing Association, Inc. do not assume any responsibility or liability for (i) accuracy, completeness, or applicability of the advice presented or (ii) any actions taken or not taken based on the content of this film.
The film does not depict real life events. No horses or humans were harmed in the making of this film. All scenes involving horses were carefully monitored to ensure their safety and well-being, Any scenes with horses were performed in controlled environments under supervision.
Copyright
Copyright © 2026 The Sports Institute at UW Medicine and University of Washington. All rights reserved.
License
This film is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Free to share for non-commercial educational purposes with credit to The Sports Institute at UW Medicine. No modifications or commercial use permitted. View license.