A comparative investigation of equine-related and bovine-related human fatalities in Oklahoma

Abstract

Since the late 1990s, there have been a growing number of research efforts evaluating the patterns associated with equine-related injuries. Most of the data collected focuses on demographics, cause of injury, and sustained injuries of the individuals studied. There is a copious amount of published research discussing rates of injury and safety concerns in both equine and bovine activities. However, there is an impressive lack of research concerning mortality. This study identified patterns in the demographics, causes of sustained injury, location of injury, cause of death, and injury characteristics in equine-related fatalities in comparison to bovine-related fatalities in Oklahoma. Data for this study was collected by examining cases from the years 2000-2022 from the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner case database. Of the total cases, 80% of the decedents were male. A large majority of the equine-related fatality cases involved males under 18 years of age and between 60-69 years of age with sustained injuries of the head, neck, and thoracic regions. A significant portion of the equine-related fatality decedents were in a mounted position during the incident that led to their demise. The most documented equine-related injuries were inflicted by being kicked or a result of blunt force trauma upon impact with a hard surface. A majority of the bovine-related fatality cases involved males of the ages 60-69 and 70-79, with sustained injuries of the head, neck, and thoracic regions while being unmounted. These bovine-related injuries were most often inflicted by being butted, trampled, or resulted from blunt force trauma upon impact. Of the total cases examined, approximately 42% of the causes of death were Blunt Force Trauma of the Head/Neck and about 32% were Multiple Blunt Force Injuries. Given the lack of autopsies performed in the cases examined, mechanism of death was not readily apparent for analysis. However, 10 cases included lists of specific fatal injuries observed. These fatal injuries documented assisted the descriptive patterns identified in the study and their implications. The findings in this study are consistent with previous research, where a higher frequency of children in equine-related cases and a higher frequency of elder adults in bovine-related cases was reported. There was also a similarity between current literature and the findings in this study, where equine-related cases most often occurred while mounted and bovine-related cases most often occurred while unmounted. In both equine- and bovine-related cases, injuries to the head/neck region and thoracic cavity were most prevalent, as reflected in the other studies. The findings suggest that there is high vulnerability of the head, neck, and chest in both equine-related and bovine-related activities. This implies the need for the development of and adherence to safety protocols and the acceptance of the use of safety equipment in both equine- and bovine-related activities. The use of protective riding vests and ASTM/SEI certified helmets may significantly decrease the number of serious and/or fatal injuries sustained in equine-related and bovine-related accidents. An increase in awareness and education concerning the risks associated with and safe handling practices of equine and bovine species may also mitigate serious and/or fatal injuries. The results also have potential applications to the mediation of the possible adverse consequences against the animals involved. Future research could determine whether other jurisdictions outside of Oklahoma experience similar patterns with equine- and bovine-related fatalities. A more detailed understanding of these patterns could inform safety protocol research, presenting public education and alternative approaches to preventative health measures targeted at decreasing equine- and bovine-related fatalities.