This week I read a very sad article about a young woman who died this week after sustaining head injuries while barrel racing. It has caused a debate about helmets and whether they should be a requirement, and as I make it a point to never ride without a helmet, I thought that I would put my two-cents in.
My history with helmets is extremely long, so I will just sum it up! I have always worn helmets whether it was for my bike, skiing (we even wore our ski helmets while sledding), or riding horses. Part of this was the decision of my parents, but after having grown up with helmets, I don’t even feel comfortable without one which has made it a decision on my part to continue to wear helmets.
Lightning and me jumping last year.
Growing up, we were always very aware of the importance of our brains because my sister and I both had seizures when we were very little. I only had a few, but my sister continued to have them for several years, eventually having corrective brain surgery which completely eliminated them. If the surgery hadn’t been successful my sister would likely still have problems communicating, walking, and would still be having seizures to this day. It has always been very important to my parents to impress upon us the importance of our brains and the need to do all we could to protect them from harm.
Flash forward to a few years ago when I was just getting back into horses very seriously. We had some friends over for dinner and we were out in the pasture riding our horses. I was letting my friend put a ride on Romeo, our very easy-going gelding and I was waiting for Dad to put a short ride on Sugar before I got on her.
Now, it would take a lot to explain the issues that we had with Sugar, and I may do so one day, but for now just know that she was a bucker and we never fully trusted her. Well, on this fine day she seemed to be doing well, so Dad got on to do the “pre-ride”; Dad never wore a helmet and this day was no exception. He swung up into the saddle and before he could sit or even get a hold of the reins Sugar was bucking as hard as she could. She is amazing when she bucks – she ducks her head between her front legs almost all the way to the ground and extends almost vertical out back, and she never goes half way.
Well, needless to say really, Dad came off hard. We actually found later that his head landed squarely on a rock that I can still point out today. He was unconscious for what seemed like an eternity, and he got the wind knocked out of him. That is one of the scariest moments that I have ever experienced (there was one other time, but that is another story for another day). He was fine though besides having a pretty bad concussion. He spent the next couple months struggling with the effects of the concussion and from that day, I have never felt pressured to not wear a helmet.
Sugar and me. I took her to training soon after Dad’s accident and I’m very happy to say that she never bucked me off.
I know that the helmet isn’t a guarantee of coming off of a horse unscathed and I know that people are still seriously injured occasionally even when wearing a helmet, but I would encourage everyone that I can to wear one for the sake of “cheap insurance”. Helmets aren’t necessarily cheap (they are more of an investment, I guess), but they are cheaper than hospital bills and the headache of injury. We wrap our horses’ legs, so why don’t we take a second and throw a helmet on?
Lightning and me in warm ups for a cow lesson.
I don’t really know if it would be worth it to make it a requirement for all disciplines of horse riding/competition, but I do think that it would be possible and even a good idea to require them for speed events. It is going to be hardest to get helmets to be accepted in the western world, which is the place (outside of jumping) that I think people need helmets the most.
Like the article above indicated, the idea is that western people are unwilling to make the switch because of prejudices against helmets and what they represent. Some people think that if you wear a helmet you must not be a good rider or you have a bad horse. Others feel that it just doesn’t look as good or that they may get docked points for not being in traditional western gear. Others just don’t see the point as they have been riding for X-years and they have never seen the need to wear a helmet before.
Whatever the reason might be why you do or do not wear a helmet, I still feel that it’s a wiser decision to put a helmet on and possibly get told your not a good rider, or get docked points for not wearing a hat than it is to risk the possibility of injury or death. Accidents can and do happen, and I’m going to do my utmost to prepare for them if I can. If they think that you aren’t a good rider, just go out there and do your best and let your riding speak for itself! If the judge docks you points for not wearing a hat, just know that your performance wasn’t lacking, the judge just doesn’t like the way that you comb your hair – it’s really the same!
I used to feel silly being the only one in the senior classes with a helmet on, but I have since learned that the little kids look up to the seniors that wear helmets like they do, and that is a great feeling. (Sorry for the bad photo!)
I think that it’s sad that people make fun of those who wear helmets in any type of event (biking, riding, skiing, ect.) or people feel pressured into hanging up their helmet because they are the only one with a helmet. Trust me, I know how hard it is to still wear your helmet when you are thinking, “They don’t have one and I look kind of silly anyway. The conditions are good, everyone is going to be safe…I’ll just leave it off this once.” But I have been in more situations than I care to count where I was so thankful that I or one of my friends was wearing a helmet.
Skiing at Silver Mountain, 2013
I guess maybe I should get off of my soap-box now! 🙂 But I just want to say that everyone should consider the possibility of helmets becoming mandatory in the future and that they may have to wear them whether they like them or not. Look into the science put into helmets, or read a study on concussions in sports, and just think about the chances of it happening to you or someone you know. Please! I don’t think that you will be disappointed.
To God be the glory,
~ Lizzy Lou
Life with Lizzy Lou 