Fatalities caused by nonvenomous animals: a ten-year summary from Sweden

All 58 deaths caused by nonvenomous animals in Sweden 1975-1984 were scrutinized. In 38 cases horses were involved, in 16 cattle and in one case each a moose, a lion, a dog and a ram. In the horse-related fatalities, the most common cause of accident was that the horse bolted or reared, causing the rider to fall off the horse or the cart or sulky. Falls were thus associated with 22 horse-related deaths. In cattle-related accidents, all fatalities where the cause of accident was known occurred due to aggressive behaviour of the animal. In horse-related accidents, head injuries dominated, while in cattle-related accidents head and chest injuries were equally common. It is suggested that wearing a proper helmet is the most important safety measure in horse-related activities. In cattle-related activities, the herding of untethered bulls together with cows is particularly dangerous and should be avoided.