I was surprised to see the trend in bull-riding in
rodeo...hard helmets of a sort unlike those we wear for endurance...more like
football helmets only not so heavy and extreme. And protective
vests. I thought to myself that there would be no way a macho bull-rider
would put on a helmet, but by golly, I saw them. Bravo to them for getting
past the vanity-image thing, and riding to protect themselves.
From what I've
seen, endurance riders wear helmets more consistently than any other group of
riders. I know some other disciplines have to wear them in the show ring, but
oftentimes, when not in the show ring, the helmet is off. I think it's
more of a cultural difference in the different disciplines. Look at all the
helmetless heads on the riders in the horse magazines. I wonder if the day
will come when ropers, barrel racers, gymkhana riders will all wear helmets.
I'll bet they won't until a very thin protective material can be incorporated
into the western hat. I do know endurance riders who don't put on their helmet
for what they expect to be a casual ride...big mistake
IMHO.
Kathy
This whole discussion reminds me of a saying I heard somewhere: "If you
think the way your hair looks is more important than the health of your
brain, you're probably right."
Steve
