by J Johnston » Sun Oct 02, 2005 9:47 am
I am really happy that the consensus seems to be that the smart choice is to wear a helmet all the time. Some people decide not to at times on a trusted horse, but most acknowledge that even the safest of mounts can stumble, or be stung, or spook when the rider least expects it.
What I find so interesing from a pyschological point of view, is the association of the top hat with a professional or top level rider in dressage. Some lower level riders can't wait to get in the ring and wear a top hat, presumably to demonstrate how good they are. Better, I think, to show how good you are by just riding well.
The resistance to wearing helmets at FEI levels is strong, for sure. Some people say they don't like the look, or they don't want to buck tradition. Some people fear they will look like amateurs, or that others will think the horse is a nut case, or that the rider is afraid, or that the judges will hold it against them. All the riders I speak to about it, in the final analysis, will admit they aren't brave enough to wear a helmet even if they want to, even if their top hat gives them a migraine, even if they have previously been hospitalized with serious brain injury ... and this includes some of Canada's top, top, top riders.
I have great admiration for the poster above who states that she isn't brave enough to wear a helmet at FEI competition, but thinks she should. That is the honest truth. I wish her courage and hope she will join me in her tails and her helmet. The more people find the courage to do it, the less of an issue it will be and some day the smart choice will also be the fashionable choice.