That regulatory structure generally works extremely well. But there's still an onus on you, the competitor, to assess the safety of a course before you enter the start box. Organizers and officials want to do everything possible to make the competition both safe and fun. That said, horsemanship does play a role in getting you and your horse home safely. Officials and course builders can't magically create a course that turns poor riders into good ones.
Riders get overconfident, and forget to watch out for the horse monsters in the woods sometimes.
Few sports have as prominent a safety focus as eventing does, and course designers and builders are constantly looking for ways to make cross-country fences safer, while still retaining the essential challenge and thrill of jumping solid fences. Copyright 2000 Karen Briggs. Reproduction in any format without prior permission of the author prohibited. Please read our Privacy Policy . Advertise with us .