There are a lots of excuses for not wearing a helmet when you ride. But there is no good reason. The quietest, most well trained horse can cause injury if it is startled or hurt. Ask anyone who has accidentally ridden over a nest of ground wasps, or were riding calmly along when a car backfired. A helmet won't make you invincible, but it will help protect the one part of your body almost impossible to fix -- your brain. Please don't use these excuses and do use an ASTM approved riding helmet every time you ride.
It's my head, and I'm willing to take the risk.
You might think, it's my head and I'm willing to take the risk. But, what if your head meets an arena wall, fence post, rock or hard ground? Head injuries can lead to permanent debilitation. And while it may be your head, have you decided who will spend their life looking after you if you can't look after yourself due to a head injury? If you think you don't need a helmet then you should look your son, daughter, spouse, or friend in the eye and tell them: I don't need a helmet, but if I am wrong it will be your job to care for me.I can't wear a helmet in the show ring without being penalized.
Dressage riders, western riders, and other folks who compete might feel they will be penalized if they wear a helmet in the show ring. I can understand this from the judge's point of view. When comparing two equal riding performances, with one rider wearing a hat, and one a helmet would you consider the helmet a negative? Might it be a disrespect of tradition or a indication of insecurity of the rider? Or is the helmet wearer just showing good sense? I wish judges would reward the later, but unfortunately this often isn't the case. There is no justification for valuing fashion and tradition over safety. Shame on any judge or association rulings that penalize helmet use.I know how to do an emergency stop and dismount.
Emergency Dismounts - How to Emergency dismounts and emergency stops are useful skills to learn, but they don't replace a helmet if you take a fall. Falls can happen so quickly that you don't know you are going to come off, leaving you no time to prepare. Read these comments on my blog poll from people who thought they knew how to fall. Helmet Use Poll CommentsHelmets give me headaches.
The solution to this problem is not to avoid using a helmet, but to find one (Compare Prices) that fits. Also, I find I get headaches when I'm out all day with my horse. The problem I discovered (it took me years to realize this) was not the helmet, but dehydration. Riding is a sport and like any athlete you have to care for yourself properly, especially when heat and stress can take their toll.It will mess up my hair.
I have one young friend who can take off her helmet and look like she just walked out of a shampoo commercial as she flings her locks in the sunlight. The rest of us have helmet hair. While a good shampoo and blow dry can do wonders for fixing your hair, brains are a little trickier to fix.I'm a very experienced rider.
A study conducted by a team of Alberta researchers found that riders who reported an injury had an average of 27 years of riding experience. New riders had a relatively small incidence of injury. Equestrian Injury Study: Injuries Common Among Experienced Riders
