RE: It CAN happen to YOU!

[sjfleetwindarab@webtv.net (Joe Dobiss)]

A little backround for the male counter part that hopefully isn't to
boring, nor am I attacking anybodys manhood or macho image.  

I attended Meredith Manor in WV and have a major in western and a minor
in dressage and earned a riding master IV degree.  We rode on average of
3-4 hours per day 5 days per week for four years.  When I first started
the program I really dislike wearing riding helmets.  I would always
show up at least a couple times a week with my Stetson on for riding
class.  I wasn't the only one--a lot of the other guys did the same
thing.  We were promply sent back to the tack room and told to put on
our helmets and if we didn't we would get a F for the day. Needless to
say, under pressure of not wanting to fail class, we put our helmets on.
On weekends we would go for trail rides with our private owned horses or
a training colt and it sure was enjoyable to gallop around with the wind
n our hair and having a good ole time.  One sunday morning we met at the
training barn;;  A very close friend of mine, a young rough rider and an
excellent rider with a riding master III decided not to wear his helmet,
as was our usual custom.  With my friend being  the first mounted and
the rest of us followed we started off on the trail ride.  There was a
brick building across from the barn.  For some reason, out of the middle
of no where, his horse reared and went over throwing him into the brick
building ( The building could have been anything...a tree and rock, you
name it)  We got to him as fast as possible as he was pined between the
horse and the building.  Two of us sat on the horses head whle others
dislodged him from the saddle.  The ambulance took him to the hospital.
He came back to school about 6 weeks later.  We all ran out to meet him
and much to our amazment, he was not quite the same person.  He had lost
his coordination of balance in walking, his eye sight was blurred and he
couldn't speak clearly.  He had be come permeanlty this way.  The
surgeons could not reverse the damage that had happened to his brain.
He has never been able to ride again since.  You may not die in the
accident but youcan be live with the cosequences for the rest of your
life.  It is always easy to say it won't happen to me and it seems to
hit home hardest when you know someone personally and see it happen.  

So I would remind you gentlemen that this was a master rider.  For
whatever reason, be it rebelious or macho or that nobody was goingto
tell him what to do, he did not use common sense.  It's just not worth
it.  Ever since that day I have always worn a helmet and always will.
If you don't do it for yourself, then do it for the ones you love and
who love you.  

I just wanted to shared what CAN happen and that horses are
unpredicable, even if you are a master rider and have the skills,
anything can happen at any time.

Just trying to be helpful!

Joe

Chow!