Re: RC: helmets(long)

[Maureen Mathisen <blueoak@snowcrest.net>]

Laura,

Thank you so much for sharing this, and please accept my heartfelt
sympathy both cases.  It is unbelievably sad.  We had a helmet safety
assembly at school and they talked about everything but horses and
safety with helmets.  I went up afterwards and asked them to PLEASE next
time include horses as there are many people and children who ride
here(unfortunately it is cowboy country and hard to convince them). 
They did a marvelous demo for small children dropping a watermelon with
a helmet on, and one without, and it was MOST graphic!   Another thing
someone mentioned to me--it ISN'T just riding that you should wear a
helmet--it is many activities around horses(breeding for instance) that
I hadn't thought about, but now do.  It can happen during training too!
Maureen

Laura Nielsen wrote:
> 
> Maureen & Sharon,
> 
> Glad to hear that in both instances, your helmets prevented any serious head
> injuries--or worse.
> Two terrible accidents about helmets follow:
> 
> The first involved a 7-year-old girl who was out trail riding (with friends or
> family, I no longer remember that detail). The group was WALKING along a trail,
> when this child turned in the saddle to speak to someone behind her. She lost her
> balance and fell, landing on her head. With no helmet to protect her, she was
> pronounced "brain dead" at the hospital.  My friend was the anesthesiologist when
> this child then became an organ donor.
> The second incident again involved this same anesthesiologist. Her husband chose
> to ride his motorcycle without his helmet (unusual from him, as the helmet was
> routine). He lost control of the bike and suffered terrible head trauma. His
> recovery has been minimal. He is currently in a 24-hr care facility and requires
> help with most daily activities: eating, dressing, etc. Periodic violent
> outbursts are still problematic, although becoming less frequent and violent.
> The prognosis for improvement is grim.  My friend not only lost her husband, but
> his daughter will never know her father. The child was born after the accident.
> My friend was also forced (the financial realty of 24-hr care) to divorce her
> husband.
> Please, people, wear a helmet.
> Laura,
> N. Fla.
> 
> Maureen Mathisen wrote:
> 
> > Sharon,
> >
> > Are you the "same Sharon N." I knew from  Red Bluff?  If so, (or even
> > if  NOT) I am so glad you are O.K.  You don't know how many people I
> > have tried to convince over the years to wear a helmet who have said
> > "hmmmyeagh, sure" and didn't.
> >
> > The same thing(without so   serious a result) happened years ago to me.
> > I were coming home alone on my VERY experienced endurance mare) at a
> > SLOW jog along our own flat dirt road, cooling off for the last two
> > miles, when, for no reason I could see, she tripped, rolled(slow motion)
> > into a ditch on the side of the road, and pinned me underneath.  I knew
> > If I didn't get my let out FAST her shod hooves would start frailing and
> > then I would really get kicked!  Somehow  I wiggled out before that
> > happened, and to make a long story short, called my son to come get us
> > with the trailer.  I was all bloody(nose, knees, ripped NEW riding pants
> > which really pissed me off, head and eye scrapes.)  Horse had bloody
> > knees and nose bleed.I also was wearing a helmet which held.  My son
> > said NOTHING when he saw us--just looked in shock.  I hope you keep your
> > helmet  FOREVER and use it as an example!  Glad you will be O.K. and
> > your horse too, if  a bit the "worse for wear".  Maureen M.
> >
> > SDT wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi All:  It's taken me a couple days to feel up to posting this.  Friday
> > > night, a full moon was out but it wasn't really dark yet, I was trotting a
> > > nice medium working trot down a 2 track dirt road we'd been on numerous
> > > times.  My horse, a very sure footed guy, did a complete summersault(sp?).
> > > I did not feel a stumble, nothing.  He curled under just like someone was
> > > pulling a string.  I ofcourse, went off over his head landing with my head
> > > kinda pointed into the ground but to the right a bit I think and he flipped
> > > over on me.  I saw him coming.  He rolled over my right shoulder and my
> > > head.  Judging by one of the scrape marks on my helmet, my husband thinks
> > > one of his feet hit my head as he got up.  All I know is that when it was
> > > all over, my helmet was off with the strap still hooked and my glasses were
> > > a mangeled mess inside my helmet.
> > >
> > > Brawo's main wound was on his forehead(leading us to believe that was his
> > > impact point) above his right eye, a few scrapes on his knees, and a bloody
> > > nose (that made two of us.  I couldn't tell whose blood was dripping down,
> > > his or mine).  Anyway, both os us are fine, he better than me! with my two
> > > black eyes and black and blue back and shoulder.
> > >
> > > Now about the helmet.  It is smashed.  I don't mean a little - totally
> > > pulverized.  My head is fine.  It did it's job 100%.  My husband has no
> > > doubt after looking at it that I would have been either dead or with very,
> > > very servere head injuries.  He is taking it to his BCH meeting next week
> > > and to our local endurance club meeting the week after.  Apparently when
> > > the horse rolled or landed on me the helmet was smashed together 'cause
> > > both sides are broken, punctured, ripped - you name it.
> > >
> > > Please all of you, wear a helmet.  This horse is a very well schooled
> > > sensible horse.  The trail was near perfect, our pace was moderate, the
> > > only thing I saw that *might* have contributed was a tree root but I can't
> > > believe this horse would stumble over that and I didn't feel a stumble.  I
> > > am truly grateful to be functioning proberly, heck to be alive and with a
> > > good horse who is fine.
> > >
> > > Take care all and wear those helmets.
> > >
> > > Sharon
> > > West Region
> > >
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> 
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
> Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


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Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=