This is a list of people and fictional characters who had severe injuries, or died from accidents related with horses. Some of the listed accidents had important political and historical consequences, which are given when relevant.
It has long been recognised that the incidence of horse accidents is statistically predictable. Ladislaus Bortkiewicz examined data from records of 10 Prussian army corps over 20 years. He demonstrated that the 91 deaths from the kick of a horse followed a statistical pattern known as the Poisson distribution.
Maureen Connolly, tennis star, career ended in 1954 by injuries suffered in a collision between her horse and a truck
Historical figures
Afonso I, king of Portugal (1109-1185), was severely injured in a fall from a horse in 1167 during a battle; he was captured and as ransom, Portugal had to surrender to Castile all conquests made in Galicia in the previous years; they were never again recovered.
Prince Afonso of Portugal (b. 1475) died in 1491 during a ride near the Tagus river. At the time of his accidental death, Afonso was the heir of Portugal and, through his wife, in line to Castile and Aragon. This one of the reasons why some historians consider that this event was not accidental at all, but a way wished by some Spaniards to limit the potential of rule from Portugal.
Stefan Dragutin, Serbian king, in 1282 broke leg after falling from horse, became limp and so had to give throne to Stefan Milutin ; this later provoked a war between Milutin and Dragutin's son Vladislav.
William the Conqueror died aged 60 at the Convent of St. Gervais, near Rouen, France, on 9 September, 1087 from abdominal injuries received from his saddle pommel when he fell off a horse at the Siege of Mantes.
