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First aid in the fields

Every year hundreds, if not thousands, of riders require some form of medical intervention while riding. If you or a friend has an accident while riding out, do you know what do do?

Why First Aid?

First aid is defined as the “help given to a sick or injured person until full medical treatment is available”. The aims of first aid are to preserve life, prevent the situation worsening and to promote recovery.

Every year hundreds, if not thousands, of riders become involved in an incident that requires some form of medical intervention. Many of these incidents will be minor and will most likely not require an emergency ambulance response or hospital treatment. Injuries such as broken fingers, bruising and small cuts can easily be managed through basic first aid, visiting an Urgent Treatment Centre, or seeking advice through the NHS 111 system if necessary.

Unfortunately, there will be occasions where riders will require urgent medical attention. Despite the numerous preventative measures taken, riders are still injured as a result of road traffic collisions, falling from their horses, and other incidents that occur within stables and at equestrian events.

Riders may also become seriously ill while out riding. A rider may suffer a heart attack, an asthma attack, a seizure or a heat stroke to name a few examples. There’s also the possibility that riders may come across another member of the public needing urgent medical assistance.

Most rider-related incidents occur in rural and off-road areas, and some rural locations can be difficult for normal road vehicles to access. Ambulance Services aim to reach the most serious medical emergencies within eight minutes from the time the 999 call is made, however, geographical factors can make this response time much more challenging to achieve.

Initial actions taken in the first few minutes can make a significant difference to an ill or injured person’s outcome. It can also help to make sure the person receives the most appropriate care for their needs.

When Should You Call 999?

You should call 999 if someone is suffering a life-threatening illness or injury, examples of which are given below. You should also call 999 if someone has fallen from height (for example from horseback) and is suffering severe pain to the back, neck or pelvic areas. Crushing injuries will also require an emergency response, as crushing may have caused internal bleeding and damage to internal organs.

If you’re in any doubt as to whether someone is suffering a life-threatening illness or injury, you should call 999. 

What Happens When You Call 999?

When you call 999, you’ll be asked by the BT Operator which emergency service you require. Once you have requested “ambulance”, the BT Operator will connect you to your local Ambulance Service Control Room. An Emergency Call Taker within the Control Room will answer your call with “Ambulance Service, is the patient breathing?”. This requires a simple “yes” or “no” response.

The Emergency Call Taker will then ask you a series of questions. Try to remain as calm as possible, answer the questions concisely and follow any advice that the Emergency Call Taker gives you. If the patient isn’t breathing, the Emergency Call Taker will give you instruction in how to perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation).

Location! Location! Location!

The Emergency Call Taker will ask you for the exact location of the emergency.

Postcodes in rural areas often cover a large geographical area and ambulance crews can be delayed if the location given is not specific enough, or if there is a lack of information given regarding access to an off-road area. If you’re unable to give a precise location, consider nearby roads, junctions and landmarks as a reference.

Alternatively, you can use an App called What3Words, which all UK ambulance services now use to give ambulance crews a much more precise location of the emergency. What3Words is a system which has divided the globe into 3-metre squares and given each square a unique 3-word address. It means everywhere in the world can be located using just three words. For example, “kite.chats.dine” will take you to a precise spot in a field next to the River Ouse in York. What3Words can be downloaded for free as an app to your phone or you can access an online map at map.what3words.com.

How to use What3Words in an emergency:

  1. Use the app to find your three-word address. The app also works offline, so is ideal for areas with an unreliable data connection.
  2. Tell the Emergency Call Taker your three-word address.
  3. The emergency services will use your three-word address to coordinate a response directly to your location.

Disclaimer: The information provided in articles is comprised from a variety of reputable sources and has been verified by qualified clinicians to be best current practice at time of production. Advice given here is not intended as a substitute for practical first aid training, but to offer basic practical guidance for those with little or no medical knowledge or experience. Accredited first aid training is always strongly encouraged.