Riding without a helmet? your views on this...

I always wear my helmet when I ride, & most likely all the time when I'm around horses.
ESPECIALLY horses I don't know. Just to be safe. I've fallen off & was so relieved I had my helmet on.

I'm in the "don't wear a helmet group". I have a question for those of you who do or who might know...What is the difference between a riding helmet and a bike helmet? Sorry if this is seen as a hijack...I just thought it would be a good place to ask.

i worn you that if you have a weak stomach DO NOT read this.

Funny you should mention this Moxie. My dad never wore a seatbelt after his friend got into an accident. The seatbelt (no joke) literally cut him into 2. And when the emergency people removed the belt all his insides came out his friend died and it was devastating. So after then my dad never wore a seat belt. But after awhile he started wearing it again.

i agree 100% moxie. That's like say you get into an accident by falling off a horse and your paralyzed. God obviously didn't see it as your time to go but it was your own fault for not wearing the helmet because now you of course are paralyzed which in my opinion is asking for trouble. But I respect other people who don't ride with a helmet, I was raised riding with a helmet so I always wear one no matter what.

i donīt really know the difference, but I know there is a difference
It has something to do with the fact that you fall differently off a horse then a bike..

But I always wear a helmet ! Even if I would trust the horse then heck, I trust my self but still I flinch/jump every now and then if someone/something surprises me. I don't expect any less of the horse !
And I don't really belive that theres a special time for me to go. Even if there was, im going to try to avoid pain in the mean time !

But with that all said, iīm not going to jump on anyone that doesnīt wear a helmet ! Its that persons choice,like wearing one is mine :)

Personally, I think it's really, really stupid to ride without a helmet. You might be really secure in the saddle, your horse might be bombproof, if you do fall off you could have any number of accidents that the hat won't protect you from - but horses are unpredictable, and riding is dangerous. I think that you should always wear a helmet when riding a horse.

I don't know if this is a UK thing or not, but I don't think I've ever seen people riding without a helmet! At every stables I've ever seen, everyone wears a helmet. It's not a case of 'barn rules' - it's more of a mindset that if you don't wear a helmet, you don't ride.

I would think pretty poorly of someone I saw at my stables riding without a helmet, even if they were one of the really good riders there, because they'd be setting a really bad example. I saw someone getting on her horse with a friend holding the horse and her helmet - and another girl walking past told her off for not putting the helmet on before she mounted.

I just think that it's completely not worth the risk. Okay, so your helmet might cramp your hairstyle or you might not like the feeling of wearing one, but it could also save your life. And I don't know about the rest of you, but within five minutes of getting on a horse I've completely stopped thinking about things like what's on my head!

As one of my friends said - she's had bad falls, and fell on her head once. She can't remember anything for five minutes on either side of the accident. But that helmet changed brain damage into a mild concussion.

I grew up not wearing one, except at 4-h events were it was required. Now I wear one all the time. We go fast down the trail and the branches that I duck bounce off the helemt better than my head!! ! I think it is a personal preferance and to each there own! Wear one great, don't that is great too!

I think this is a topic that should be moved over to the debate section.

its been locked.

yup, so there's no reason to move it