Horse Riding Safety: How the SureSafeGo Can Help

Horse riding is a wonderful pastime in so many ways. It strengthens your body, lets you bond with your horse and allows you time to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday.

But, like all sports and outdoor activities, riding comes with safety concerns too. Whether you’re riding competitively or just hacking, you’ll have to consider the risk of falling from your horse or experiencing another kind of emergency. Many things, including other animals, cars and aircraft, can startle a horse – and that can lead to an accident. Icy or otherwise dangerous terrain can also be a problem. And, of course, practising difficult manoeuvres like jumps is inherently risky.

If you’re with others when an emergency occurs as you’re riding, you can have some confidence that help will come when you need it. But what happens if a crisis befalls you while you’re riding alone in the countryside or along an empty bridlepath?

In this situation, you need a way to call for help fast – without taking your attention away from your horse. You need the SureSafeGo.

In this post, we’ll explain how the SureSafeGo can work to keep riders safe. Read on to learn more.

How common are rider falls and injuries?

In 2024, researchers from Hartpury University found that over half of respondents to their survey had fallen from their horse in the past twelve months – and one quarter of respondents had fallen while hacking or trail riding.

That adds up to a lot of falls in places where the rider could be alone in the countryside, in places where someone else might not come by within hours.

Even a quiet country road could prove dangerous if a rider falls and needs urgent help, but no-one else passes by soon.

Why riders need an equine safety device

When we’re out and about in our daily lives, we typically assume that we can use a phone to call for help if we need it. But that’s not always the case – particularly during horse riding. Indeed, many riders don’t bring their phone with them as it may spook the horse if it rings. It’s also not easy to know where to put a phone if you do want to bring it with you. You don’t want it to fall out of a pocket as you’re riding!

Clearly, another solution is required. Let’s talk about two kinds of emergencies that might require an equine safety device like the SureSafeGo.

Feeling ill or having an emergency while seated

Rule 53 of the Highway Code states that riders on the road need to keep both hands on their reins unless they’re signalling to others. Even while a rider isn’t on the road, managing the reins and dialling a phone is too much to handle in an emergency and could result in worse risks.

So, what happens if a rider starts to feel unwell or needs to call for help while seated and trying to ride to a safe place to dismount?

The one-touch SOS button on a SureSafeGo alarm pendant or wrist alarm is the answer. Riders simply need to press and hold a single button to be put through to someone who can help.

Crucially, the rider can then speak to the helper through the alarm. That means the rider can continue using the reins and focusing on their horse and environment while explaining the emergency.

This is far easier and safer than trying to take a phone from a pocket, dial it, and speak through it while also riding a horse and managing a crisis.

Falling

Falls from your horse are pretty common, as we’ve mentioned. And while some may result in minor injuries and bruising, others can cause more severe injuries.

Again, it’s clear that phones aren’t the way to get help. A phone in a thigh pocket might be out of reach for a person who’s injured, or it may be too difficult to go through the process of dialling.

In contrast, a SureSafeGo device has that one-touch button that makes calling for help easy. And since it’s worn on the neck or wrist, it’s always within reach.

Moreover, the SureSafeGo has automatic fall detection technology – which can be essential to a rider who is unconscious or too unwell even to press a button.

Fall detection works through three sensors on the device. The sensors feed into an algorithm, which is constantly assessing whether the alarm wearer has fallen or not. If the device concludes that it has detected a fall, it calls for help all by itself – no input from the rider required at all.

This could make all the difference for a rider who has fallen in a secluded bridlepath or field and needs medical aid fast but is unable to do anything to call for assistance.

Moreover, the SureSafeGo comes with GPS tracking. So, once that call for help is made, helpers will be able to pinpoint the rider’s location even if they’re out riding in the countryside.

Who does the SureSafeGo call?

We’ve mentioned that the SureSafeGo calls for help fast in a crisis. But who does the device call?

You get to decide. You can select an alarm that calls a dedicated 24/7 response centre. Or you can choose an alarm that stores the phone numbers of up to five family and friends. If the first contact called doesn’t pick up, the alarm will move on to call the second and third, and so on, until someone does.

Get protection while riding with SureSafe

Everything in life comes with risks. At SureSafe, we’re dedicated to helping customers decrease risks and plan ahead for emergencies so they can enjoy the activities they love.

We’re a leading provider of personal alarms in the UK with a wealth of glowing ratings and reviews under our belt. Our easy-to-use, affordable alarms like the SureSafeGo help the elderly, lone workers and riders – and anyone else who might experience an emergency or fall while alone.

If you’d like to know more about how our alarms can work to protect horse riders, our expert team would be delighted to chat with you. Just give us a ring on 0808 189 1671, reach out through live chat or request a call back.