Buckle Up: An Eventing Safety Crash Course with Jon Holling

Buckle Up: An Eventing Safety Crash Course with Jon Holling

March 11, 2026 · 57 min

About this episode

Jon Holling discusses safety challenges in eventing and offers practical advice for riders.

Eventing is one of horse sport’s most thrilling disciplines, but what are the biggest safety challenges riders and organizers face today, and how is the sport working to better protect both horses and riders? In this episode of Ask an Expert, 5* event rider and National Safety Officer Jon Holling shares his insider perspective on common safety mistakes, innovations like frangible fences and MER rules, and practical advice for riders at every level. Episode Highlights: 4:00: The biggest safety challenges currently facing eventing and what he sees from his role as National Safety Officer 6:00: Frangible fence requirements and why cross-country accidents can still happen despite safety advancements 12:00: How MER rules work and the new MER rule modification for moving from training to preliminary level 40:45: Common safety mistakes lower-level riders make and how they can avoid them 54:50: Practical advice for nervous riders who want to feel safer and more confident on their horses Meet the Expert, Jon Holling Jon Holling is a US based 5* event rider who also serves as chairman of the USEF Eventing Sport Committee and U.S. National Safety Officer to the FEI. He has competed at some…

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Guest: Jon Holling

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Organizations: USEF Eventing Sport Committee, FEI

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