Concussion is often difficult to identify, showing different symptoms and with varying recovery times. If in any doubt contact a medical professional or seek help & advice from one of our centres.
What is concussion?
Concussion is an injury to the brain that can happen after a fall or impact to the head or body.
Even if it looks like the symptoms are mild it can have serious effects if not managed well.
Why is it important?
The symptoms of concussion can come and go so it’s important to know what to look for and how to manage it.
Symptoms might only start later. People can look and/or feel fine straight after the injury but symptoms start later.
After concussion:
First few days – a second injury might cause dramatic brain swelling which is thankfully very rare but can be fatal.
Days to weeks – you won’t perform as well if your brain is not fully recovered. This is likely to put you at risk of injuring yourself and/or others. (In particular – in racing, riding before you have recovered might cause injury to you or others or horses, especially if you have symptoms, eg: dizziness, confusion, balance difficulties)
Long term – repeated concussions can lead to long term brain conditions.
There are two versions of the graduated return guidelines,
Graduated return to riding – for racing staff and riders without a current GB jockey license
Graduated return to racing – for jockeys and riders (jump, flat & P2P) with a current GB licence
Both versions involve the same 6 stages
There are a few differences between the versions mainly because jockeys have access to specialised assessment and rehabilitation so we manage them on an individual basis, whereas concussion in a grassroots setting is likely to be self-managed. So there are safety timings attached to the grassroots version.
