Ok everyone, what do we see when we go to an English riding event that we rarely if ever see at a Western riding even? Helmets. I'm sharing my freak accident story and I hope that anyone else who has one of these stories or a why a helmet saved me story to please share to help promote helmet safety.
I have gotten a new horse, 15 years old, been there done that attitude, has been used as a family trail horse for most of his life and was a lesson horse for a couple of years too with little 4 year olds riding independently on him. He was sold because he and the previous owner where not working well together, he did what he was told he just was so slow and he'd stop all the time and he was just a potato if that makes sense (no personality). I wanted a barrel horse, not him. Him and I where not working together at first but I slowed down slower than his pace, worked and bonding up with him. Now he is a fast, expressive, and willing to work. I was still in the "fat slow old horse, good luck if you can get him to trot" mindset.
Yesterday I had watched a helmet safety video, I understood, I agreed, but wasn't motivated to pull mine out. I had gone on a 5km ride without a helmet in a completely new area with him, I was fine no problem he was a great horse. This morning I looked at my helmet as I walked out the door and made the excuse "I'm just going for a 10 min walk in the pasture" and left without it. I bridled him and got on him bare back. We walked around, all good. Trotted a few steps, then he started to gallop all of a sudden. I fell upside down off the left side of him. Fell on my right elbow, hit the ground so fast my elbow couldn't support me, it slipped under my back my head hit the ground. My head. Of all the places in my body that could of hit the ground, it was my head. I felt my spine and neck pop and my arm felt like it could of been fractured. I got back on right away I did not even think of a helmet. and walked the horse to the barrel I set out to walk him around and he started to trot at the barrel.
My slow, fat, old, doesn't get spooked by much had turned into a different horse once we got to know each other better. I finished riding and I could hardly take his bridle off my arm hurt so bad to move (funny how it didn't hurt while riding :icon_rolleyes::lol
In english riding it seems to be the norm to have a helmet, in western if you wear a helmet there are more people who consider it abnormal and "not what real cowboys and cowgirls do". Are helmets cool, or sexy? lets be honest. No, not really. And there is most definitely pressure (fight with me on it all you want I won't back down) to not wear a helmet because they are not what "real" cowboys or cowgirls wear. But I have been to lots of rodeos and there are so many of them in neck braces and wheel chairs it's not even funny. But a real rider is humble, they are humble because they understand that they are dealing with a 1300lb animal that doesn't speak their language, it's going 50 km/hr, it's more that a 6' fall if you fall, more like 16' if your thrown, and the obvious, the dirt no matter how fluffy it looks, its hard when you hit it going that 50 km/hr
Please wear a helmet, even if you are riding worlds slowest fastest oldest laziest best trained horse there is. I was riding a horse that I thought was just that, and hurt myself.
Before you ride bonk your head against a wall or table, now imagine that X10 and think how good it would be if you where wearing a helmet as you bonked your head, rather than just your hair. :loveshower::wave::falloff:
I have gotten a new horse, 15 years old, been there done that attitude, has been used as a family trail horse for most of his life and was a lesson horse for a couple of years too with little 4 year olds riding independently on him. He was sold because he and the previous owner where not working well together, he did what he was told he just was so slow and he'd stop all the time and he was just a potato if that makes sense (no personality). I wanted a barrel horse, not him. Him and I where not working together at first but I slowed down slower than his pace, worked and bonding up with him. Now he is a fast, expressive, and willing to work. I was still in the "fat slow old horse, good luck if you can get him to trot" mindset.
Yesterday I had watched a helmet safety video, I understood, I agreed, but wasn't motivated to pull mine out. I had gone on a 5km ride without a helmet in a completely new area with him, I was fine no problem he was a great horse. This morning I looked at my helmet as I walked out the door and made the excuse "I'm just going for a 10 min walk in the pasture" and left without it. I bridled him and got on him bare back. We walked around, all good. Trotted a few steps, then he started to gallop all of a sudden. I fell upside down off the left side of him. Fell on my right elbow, hit the ground so fast my elbow couldn't support me, it slipped under my back my head hit the ground. My head. Of all the places in my body that could of hit the ground, it was my head. I felt my spine and neck pop and my arm felt like it could of been fractured. I got back on right away I did not even think of a helmet. and walked the horse to the barrel I set out to walk him around and he started to trot at the barrel.
My slow, fat, old, doesn't get spooked by much had turned into a different horse once we got to know each other better. I finished riding and I could hardly take his bridle off my arm hurt so bad to move (funny how it didn't hurt while riding :icon_rolleyes::lol
In english riding it seems to be the norm to have a helmet, in western if you wear a helmet there are more people who consider it abnormal and "not what real cowboys and cowgirls do". Are helmets cool, or sexy? lets be honest. No, not really. And there is most definitely pressure (fight with me on it all you want I won't back down) to not wear a helmet because they are not what "real" cowboys or cowgirls wear. But I have been to lots of rodeos and there are so many of them in neck braces and wheel chairs it's not even funny. But a real rider is humble, they are humble because they understand that they are dealing with a 1300lb animal that doesn't speak their language, it's going 50 km/hr, it's more that a 6' fall if you fall, more like 16' if your thrown, and the obvious, the dirt no matter how fluffy it looks, its hard when you hit it going that 50 km/hr
Please wear a helmet, even if you are riding worlds slowest fastest oldest laziest best trained horse there is. I was riding a horse that I thought was just that, and hurt myself.
Before you ride bonk your head against a wall or table, now imagine that X10 and think how good it would be if you where wearing a helmet as you bonked your head, rather than just your hair. :loveshower::wave::falloff: