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[RC] Safety Equipment (Was Helmets) - Carolyn BurgessI feel compelled to start this with, I wear a helmet when I ride. My husband does not. We have had this discussion many times. We will not support local rides that require helmets as a condition of riding. And here is the reason why. I want to know what organization knows what safety gear I need to safely ride my horse? You mandate a helmet, but what if this is a hunter pace. Should a vest be mandatory? What about boots with heals? Gloves to protect your hands while riding? What about mandating that everyone carry a halter and lead rope? Where does it stop and who should be telling me what safety gear I need. That is my responsibility. And by you telling me that I need to wear a helmet could be seen as the organization taking on some liability. I bought a 100 mile prospect last year as a 4 y.o. She was (and is) a fresh little girl. My husband
begged me to get a safety vest for her training. He was right. It turned out that she was fabulous and focused under saddle and I didn't need it, but that is my decision to make, not someone elses who knows nothing about me, my horse and my riding. On a side note, I hear all of these stories about how a helmet saved my life. I have have two stories. I was going riding with a woman who never wore a helmet. Her girl friend gave her a beautiful velvet ASTM approved helmet and begged her to wear it on her spooky Arab. The first time she wore it was this ride with me. She got on the horse, pulled hard back with the reins after mounting, the horse reared, she pulled and over then went. She fell next to the tractor with the plowing blades attached and whacked her head good on those blades. Split the helmet wide open. She was afraid that her girl friend was going to be mad that it was
ruined. I said your gir friend is going to be thrilled. The other story is I had someone riding my Paint. No one really knows what happened, but we surmised that when bending over to adjust her stirrup, she tickled him with the popper on the dressage whip. He scooted forward, she lost her balance and came off, flipping over, and hitting the back of her head on a fence post. She smacked her head just above where her head connects to the spinal column, injuring her brain stem. She was also wearing a helmet, but this is an injury that only one helmet (Tipperary) will protect against. The Tipperary did not exist when this accident happened. She went off in the helicopter. She survived and is fine now 4 years later, but she had 6 months of serious PT to get her back to 99% of where she was before the accident. I my 40+ years of riding, falling off and being thrown off, I have NEVER hit my head. I
have been struck by branches on trail and have been happy to have my helmet on though. My kids are were not allowed to ride my horses without a helmet on. My daughter in law has to wear a helmet when she rides. My grand children need a mother. But my point here is that it is MY responsibility to make sure I am safe when I ride, and only I know what I need for that to happen. Carolyn Burgess
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