Helmets

[taco2]

horsemad wrote:#ed_op#BR#ed_cl#

The psychological effects were much worse than the physical (even if the broken nose was gross).

#ed_op#BR#ed_cl##ed_op#BR#ed_cl#It took me a long time to get over taht one too!#ed_op#BR#ed_cl#I think, wow I could have been a Christopher Reeves #ed_op#BR#ed_cl##ed_op#BR#ed_cl#My sister has a huge melon too, so the new helmets they have out look so BIG on her head. I laugh everytime I see her in it.

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# just a side note..Christopher Reeves was wearing a helmet at the time of his accident. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Well EMD I'll get flambasted too, but I don't wear a helmet.  Only if I'm jumping.  I'm a old die hard western rider, and grew up in the age of no helmets, just a hard habit to break for me I guess, not that I think it's uncool, or anything, it is just not something, that I feel is warrented everytime i get on a horse.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[pmc]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#This topic reminds me of a tag-line I saw somewhere -#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#"If you think your hairstyle is more important than your brain, you're probably right." #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys//smiley2.gif"#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Not going to bash anyone for not wearing a helmet.  If you're an adult, you have a perfectly legal right to risk hastening your own demise. #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys//smiley14.gif"#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Personally, it's a "helmet - every ride, every time" thing for us.  My daughter puts hers on for any ground work, too, including picking out feet, grooming, leading, and turning out.  She has her lid on anytime she's near her horse, whether riding or not.  In my experience, it's probably more likely that you'll be injured on the ground than in the saddle, since more time is spent there than actually riding, and you're much closer to the parts of a horse that can kill you. #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys//smiley2.gif"#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[pmc]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# just a side note..Christopher Reeves was wearing a helmet at the time of his accident. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#

#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#Christopher Reeves suffered a spinal cord injury. His resulting paralysis #ed_op#EM#ed_cl#had nothing to do with his head#ed_op#/EM#ed_cl#, so the fact that he was wearing a helmet and still got hurt just isn't a good enough argument for not wearing one... #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys//smiley2.gif"#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graciespook]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#No..his accident was a combination of mistakes--his, his trainers, etc etc. He wasn't ready for that level of competition. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[pmc]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#No..his accident was a combination of mistakes--his, his trainers, etc etc. He wasn't ready for that level of competition. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#

#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#That's a moot point, gs.  #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys//smiley2.gif"#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#The point #ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#is#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl# that regardless of any contributing factors that may have played a part in causing him to actually fall from his horse that day, the fact that he was wearing a helmet at the time could not have prevented or lessened the particular injury he sustained.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graciespook]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Ahh..but then we could argue the ramifications of wearing a helmet. I have heard of rare cases where the injury was greater because of the helmet (whiplash, neck injury, when head injury would never even had occured). #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[pmc]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Yup, and people have been killed wearing seatbelts, too.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#The "rare" cases are just that - they are #ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#rare#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl#.  And on life's roulette wheel of chance, my money's on the helmet... #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys//smiley2.gif"#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[horsemad!]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"#ed_cl#Whoa… how is it that we believe Christopher Reeves wasn’t ready for the level of competition and that he and his trainer were at fault???#ed_op#SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"#ed_cl#   #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl#From accounts I heard, this was a simple stop on XC on a training level course and he came off as he was a little unbalanced.#ed_op#SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"#ed_cl#  #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl#It wasn’t a crazy bad fall, more the type that happens to lots of us once in a while… he just landed badly. #ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"#ed_cl# #ed_op#?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"#ed_cl#And to get back to the helmet discussion…#ed_op#SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"#ed_cl#  #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl#maybe 5% of my bad falls have been from doing over fences work… the other 95% have been while “just” flatting.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"#ed_cl# #ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[EatMyDust]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#10 Out of my falls were from going over a fence and falling because I lost my balance.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I never land on my head...its always the neck! Maybe thats why I have so many problems with my neck. I wear my helmet 99% of the time, like said before. And Im happy I have it on when I do though.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Im wondering? I how many of you DONT wear helmets.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[horsemad!]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"#ed_cl#You’ve fallen 10 times by losing your balance over fences?????#ed_op#SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"#ed_cl#  #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"#ed_cl#  #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl#I really think you and your coach should be reevaluating doing over fences work.#ed_op#SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"#ed_cl#  #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl#I’ve NEVER fallen off over fences from losing my balance.#ed_op#SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"#ed_cl#   Of course as a coach, I never started my riders over fences until they had an independent seat and I felt they could safely start jumping.#ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"#ed_cl# #ed_op#?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /#ed_cl##ed_op#o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/o:p#ed_cl##ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"#ed_cl#I think you’ve gotten your reply on how many of us don’t wear helmets.#ed_op#SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"#ed_cl#  #ed_op#/SPAN#ed_cl#The vast majority – even those of us who have been riding since Jesus was a baby and who don’t fall off often at all – do.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[chenders01]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#So far, only one person has admitted that they don't wear a helmet (Taco2).  I'm sure there are others but they're too afraid to post on this thread to say that they don't wear one.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I think that you'll find that most people in english barns wear helmets, whereas in western barns, they don't.  I can't think of ANY of the adult western riders at my barn who wear helmets, and this includes when they're doing the speed events.  You just don't really see a lot of helmets at western shows.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#And, for what it's worth, I have fallen off 100s of times throughout my life and have never once landed on my head.  But I still wear my helmet because, as others said, you just never know what's gonna happen.  Horses are unpredictable creatures...even the "bombproof" ones, and you can sustain a head injury even if you're not ON your horse (horse kicking or whatever).  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I often will wear my helmet when I'm working with Tequila on the ground.  She is still green and sometimes forgets that there is a person there beside her.  Her muzzle has made contact with my head on more than one occasion when something has caught her attention and she's swung her head around to take a look (of course, I punish her when she does this).#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#So yeah...protect your brain...WEAR a helmet!!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#      #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[EatMyDust]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Yeah. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I dont ONLY ride at my coaches...I have my own farm with my own horses...me and the neighbours used to set up small courses and just have fun...when I was first teaching Dusty how to jump, he would throw me one way and hed go the other...it was actually quite funny(Im sure most of you will think differently) But still...It teaches me more when I fall off... The only times I fell of at my instructors was when her horse I was riding decided to put her head down and I wasnt prepared for it. I did a summer salt over her head .That too was quite funny. I guess Im just a bad rider or something...maybe Ill give up, and take up driving or something?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graciespook]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I am just going on what I heard horsemad Apparently he went to several trainers with this horse looking to show at a certain level he wasn't really ready for. I'm not saying the reason he fell was because of that, just that it happens all the time--people with too much guts and not enough experience. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[EatMyDust]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#At my shows, the speed riders never wear helmets...I hate it...Ive seen to many incidents in a speed event...I dont care how old I am...I will never go into that show ring without a helmet!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Shoal]

Christopher Reeves suffered a spinal cord injury. His resulting paralysis had nothing to do with his head, so the fact that he was wearing a helmet and still got hurt just isn't a good enough argument for not wearing one...

Sorry should have clarified, I could have been like Cristopher Reeves because of the way *I* landed...... I could have broked my neck. When my helemt cracked, people thought it was my neck.

My entire body was infront of my head, and my face was in the dirt.
I know you are all going to LOVE this quick line drawing I did to explain! LOL....




Regardless, I hit my head pretty hard and I can only image what would have happened if I wasn't waring my helmet.

[horsemad!]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#IMG src="http://www.forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys/Teasing/12.gif"#ed_cl# Shoal, I know it must have been anything  but funny at the time, but that drawing is priceless!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Ruth]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Shoal, you are quite the contortionist! Have you considered a career in the circus?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Shoal]

I thought you would find that drawing funny.....and I'm a graphic designer! LOL......


Circus eh, never really consider that! At least I could wear flashy costumes and ride around on pretty white horses!

[pmc]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I saw something like that in a book once.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#It was X-rated though... #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys/Happy/8.gif"#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[chenders01]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Yes, wasn't that one of the positions in the Kama Sutra (sp?)??  #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys/Teasing/12.gif"#ed_cl#  Impressive, Shoal!  Although I'll bet it hurt like HE** at the time.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#