How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 109 severe cases involving animal transportation incidents between 2015 and 2025. Fractures are the most common injury, representing 58% of all reported incidents, which often require extensive medical intervention and long recovery periods.
The physical nature of handling large animals means that you are at high risk for life-altering injuries that impact your long-term mobility and ability to return to work.
Injured by an animal? Check what benefits you may be owed.
Free Benefits ReviewCommon injuries
Injuries in this category almost exclusively involve mammals, including horses and cattle. Common scenarios include being bucked during riding patrols, falling while roping livestock, or being crushed when an animal changes direction unexpectedly. These events often occur in high-pressure environments where sudden animal movements lead to falls or direct physical impact.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fractures | 62 |
| 2 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 11 |
| 3 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 11 |
| 4 | Intracranial Injuries | 9 |
| 5 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 4 |
| 6 | Multiple severe wounds and internal injuries | 3 |
| 7 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 2 |
| 8 | Spinal cord injuries, paralysis | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Agriculture accounts for 61% of these severe incidents, reflecting the inherent risks of daily livestock management. Public administration follows at 15%, as you may face unique hazards while navigating unpredictable terrain and animal behavior during your duties.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents involve sudden animal reactions, such as bucking, tripping, or rapid changes in direction that throw you off balance. Many reports detail falls from heights or being struck by the animal itself, leading to significant skeletal and internal trauma. If your injury occurred during similar animal handling tasks, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident to determine your options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | NY | Administrative Services | "An employee was riding a horse in the horse corral/riding arena when the horse bucked multiple times. The employee performed an emergency dismount off the right side of the horse. When she landed, she fell backward in the sand, onto her back. The employee sustained a crushed vertebra." | |
| 2025 | KS | Agriculture | "A pen rider was moving cattle and they were after an animal. When the animal changed direction, the horse also turned and then tripped and fell. The employee fell with the horse and sustained a dislocated left shoulder, a fractured right thumb, and a fracture above the eye." | |
| 2025 | TX | Public Administration | "An employee fell off a horse while performing riding patrol duties and was hospitalized with a fractured skull." | |
| 2025 | IL | Other Services | "On June 20, 2025, an employee fell from a horse, suffered a head injury, and was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | ID | Agriculture | "An employee was on horseback roping a calf to be branded. The horse jumped and the employee fell to the ground. The employee was hospitalized for multiple broken ribs. " | |
| 2025 | NE | Agriculture | "An employee was riding a horse in the bud box near shipping pens and was helping a trucker load cows onto a livestock trailer. Two cows were being loaded into the nose of the trailer and a third cow tried to follow. The employee went to stop the third cow. The cow pushed the horse (and rider) down an alleyway. The employee's boot spur caught on the cow and his right leg twisted, resulting in fractures to the fibula and tibia." | |
| 2025 | KS | Agriculture | "An employee was moving cattle out of a pen via horseback. The employee's horse lost footing and fell on its side with the employee still on it. The employee was hospitalized with a dislocated right collarbone and eight fractured ribs. " | |
| 2025 | ID | Agriculture | "An employee was warming up a horse in a meadow/pasture before moving cattle. He was bucked off the horse and struck the ground, suffering fractured left-side ribs and a punctured left lung." | |
| 2025 | CO | Health Care | "An employee was riding a horse when it spooked, bucked, and threw the employee off its back. The employee suffered a broken pelvis and internal bleeding and they were hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | PA | Agriculture | "An exercise rider rode a horse around a track. On her way back to the barn, the horse got spooked by another horse and reared up, causing the rider to fall off. The horse then landed on her leg breaking the femur." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.