motorcyle injuries vs horse riding injuries

[rocketray]

With 7,000 hours of motorcyle riding one can expect a serious injury vs 350 hours for riding a horse...so at a 50 mph average speed that would be 350,000 miles....I'm 1/2 of the way on a dozen or so bikes

[Willow]

With 7,000 hours of motorcyle riding one can expect a serious injury vs 350 hours for riding a horse...so at a 50 mph average speed that would be 350,000 miles....I'm 1/2 of the way on a dozen or so bikes

Averages are just that - averages.  I'm sure many riders have experienced serious injuries well below 350,000 miles just so that you could go beyond that number and keep the average intact.   

Averages are not good as projections.   

[Calboy]

With 7,000 hours of motorcyle riding one can expect a serious injury vs 350 hours for riding a horse...so at a 50 mph average speed that would be 350,000 miles....I'm 1/2 of the way on a dozen or so bikes

Averages are just that - averages.  I'm sure many riders have experienced serious injuries well below 350,000 miles just so that you could go beyond that number and keep the average intact.   

Averages are not good as projections.   

Averages are: 'The result obtained by adding together several quantities and then dividing this total by the number of quantities.'
Odds are:' The chances or likelihood of something happening or being the case.'
Which of the two may be considered closer to being a projection?

[Willow]

With 7,000 hours of motorcyle riding one can expect a serious injury vs 350 hours for riding a horse...so at a 50 mph average speed that would be 350,000 miles....I'm 1/2 of the way on a dozen or so bikes

Averages are just that - averages.  I'm sure many riders have experienced serious injuries well below 350,000 miles just so that you could go beyond that number and keep the average intact.   

Averages are not good as projections.   

Averages are: 'The result obtained by adding together several quantities and then dividing this total by the number of quantities.'
Odds are:' The chances or likelihood of something happening or being the case.'
Which of the two may be considered closer to being a projection?

Odds are specified in percentages.  They are the result of someone's opinion or studying.  Odds may be used to project the possibilities of an event.

Averages may be used to predict very general possibilities but should not be understood either that one is unlikely before reaching the average or significantly more likely after passing the average.

[Valker]

Well, in a bit over a million motorcycle miles, I've never been seriously injured. I've probably got over 350 Horse riding hours without serious injury there either. Now bicycles..........

[The emperor has no clothes]

Well, in a bit over a million motorcycle miles, I've never been seriously injured. I've probably got over 350 Horse riding hours without serious injury there either. Now bicycles..........

I’m not sure how many motorcycle miles I’ve got. If I were to guess, I’d say maybe 400k. But I’ve had 2 serious wrecks. I’ve only got maybe 10 hours of horse riding. But one of them bastards tried to knock me off running under a tree branch ! (I guess I’m one of the losers bringing the averages down) 

[sandy]

Well, in a bit over a million motorcycle miles, I've never been seriously injured. I've probably got over 350 Horse riding hours without serious injury there either. Now bicycles..........

Been riding since I was 17 in NY. Now I'm 71 and have never been hit or gone down. I use to ride MTN bikes commuting to work. Have been over the handlebars twice, landing flat on my back on concrete once. That hurt the next morning.

[MarkT]

I've done pretty well - after I grew up and started riding w/o crazy behavior and invincible attitude.  Before that I was almost killed at age 18 by a left turner on my Ducati on 8/3/70.  No further incidents until two muley bucks tried to take me out on 6/15/01, on my First Valk, renamed Deerslayer.  Now have about a half million miles, mostly in Colorado and on Valks and a Wing.  Have taken many steps towards safety with visibility mods and behaviors, that move me down the averages bell curve.

No horseshoed horse experience.  My horses all have rubber hooves.

[Jess from VA]

I never had a horse accident.

I had one pee a waterfall down my boot once (like 7 gallons), but I don't think that was an accident.

The accident was when the guy behind me fell off his horse laughing.

   

[Rams]

I grew up on a ranch in Kansas, rode and broke more horses than I can count.  Only time I came close to getting hurt was when I thought I was good enough to cowboy with the big boys and rodeo.   Tried saddle broncs, bare back broncs and even tried bull riding.  Almost lost a thumb while Team Roping. Tried Bull Riding twice, that should tell you how bright I was back then.  Riding a horse was natural for me and other than the "Rodeo" experience, I'm thinking it was pretty safe.  The real problem is, someone has to clean out the stalls.  

Was riding motorcycles at the same time.   In over fifty years of riding motorcycles, I have had several close calls but, only one accident.   It nearly killed me.   Now, at my age, I no longer have or want a horse but, I do love my Fat Lady.   Averages simply don't tell the whole story.

[Gryphon Rider]

When my kids were young my wife an I had a difference of opinion about at what age the kids should be allowed to be passengers on my motorcycle.  She insisted on an age far older than I wished.  Not long after, she was talking about taking our oldest horseback riding.  I did a little online research and found injury statistics similarly showing that horseback riding was more dangerous than motorcycle riding.  I showed the numbers to her and insisted our children would not be on horseback earlier than they would be on my motorcycle.  The renegotiated riding age dropped by a couple of years.  Our second, a boy, was allowed to ride at a younger age than the first, a girl, when her helmet, jacket, etc. fit him.  Our girl loves horseback riding, but our boy will merely put up with it when we go out as a family on a trail ride.

[Highbinder]

I've ridden horses and motorcycles all my life, thousands of miles on horseback, broke and trained horse out in Oklahoma, rode the plains and mountains of Montana on horseback.  Rode 600 miles on horseback getting here to so. west Virginia...Never got hurt on a horse by accident, I did get banged up a few times knowing what I was in for.. as for motorcycles 2 accidents one somewhat serious...I find motorcycling more dangerous than horses because you can't control what's going on around you, cars, trucks, people and it's all moving fast.

[0leman]

Since averages require some not having accidents and  some having more than their share of them.   I fall in the later group.  I have had two major cage/motorcycle accidents.  Walk away from both, though the last one cause issues with right elbow.  AND I am only about half way thru the 350K miles on two wheels.

I have rode a few miles on the backs of horses, no accidents with them other than one trying to step on my foot.   

[Jess from VA]

In 1969-70, I got run over (and stepped on) by a horse in downtown Detroit.  

It's a long story.

My takeaway is avoid large crowds and all cities.

Doing hill climbs on my Yami DT360 in my youth, I fell off the bike and had it go up and over and try to land on me a bunch of times.  I always managed to crawl out of the way in time, but it was always a close call.

[Calboy]

With 7,000 hours of motorcyle riding one can expect a serious injury vs 350 hours for riding a horse...so at a 50 mph average speed that would be 350,000 miles....I'm 1/2 of the way on a dozen or so bikes

Averages are just that - averages.  I'm sure many riders have experienced serious injuries well below 350,000 miles just so that you could go beyond that number and keep the average intact.   

Averages are not good as projections.   

Averages are: 'The result obtained by adding together several quantities and then dividing this total by the number of quantities.'
Odds are:' The chances or likelihood of something happening or being the case.'
Which of the two may be considered closer to being a projection?

Odds are specified in percentages.  They are the result of someone's opinion or studying.  Odds may be used to project the possibilities of an event.

Averages may be used to predict very general possibilities but should not be understood either that one is unlikely before reaching the average or significantly more likely after passing the average.

Odds, at the root, are based on averages for the most part. That is what constitutes the aspect of 'studying' which give the odds a sense of realism/validity.

[scooperhsd]

Haven't done much horse riding.

Motorcycles - I've run the gamut from needing hospital to walking away unhurt. I don't think I've ever been seriously hurt in a car / light truck accident, although I've had a few. Less as I get older - guess I'm paying attention better / avoiding impaired driving etc.

[RP#62]

When my wife was a teenager she was riding a horse across an old covered bridge.  The floor of the bridge gave way and her and the horse fell through and landed in the creek below.  Freaked the horse out so much he ran home.  She had to walk home.  She still avoids covered bridges.

-RP

[Jess from VA]

When my wife was a teenager she was riding a horse across an old covered bridge.  The floor of the bridge gave way and her and the horse fell through and landed in the creek below.  Freaked the horse out so much he ran home.  She had to walk home.  She still avoids covered bridges.

-RP

Hell that would scare the hell out of me too.  Lucky the horse didn't land on her (RIP).

Valks are pretty heavy, but horses are generally a lot heavier.

We've done a number of old covered bridges in the area here, and the worst part is you go from broad daylight into a pitch black cave and it's like riding through with your eyes closed.  The headlights are useless with the sudden change of light on your eyes.

One had raised (car) tire treads (like 4-5 inches tall and 15 inches wide), and you had to choose to ride on one tread or the other, or down the center, and stay that way all the way through.  We had rookies riding off the tread and dumping their bikes in the middle of the bridge.  Ka Thump.

One was no longer safe for cars, but supposedly safe for cycles.  I got the heaviest bike, so I'm going last.... if you all make it without falling through.    

[Bighead]

 Being in the medical field and working as a PA for an orthopeadic surgeon for the last 25 yrs. MC injuries and Horse riding injuries are very similar.