head injuries

Hubby sustained a head injury on a motorcycle going about 15 mph when someone ran in front of him. He missed them but was confronted with oncoming traffic and lost control of his Harley and went down. No helmet. Going slower than some people on horses. He still doesn't remember the accident that was 6 years ago this month. Two brain bleeds, serious road rash on his face, fractured skull, broken collar bone, huge gash in his head, tore a hole an artery that leaked slowly and LOUDLY in his head for 2 years. Titanium plate in his shoulder a week after the accident, brain surgery 2 years later. Still rides his Harley with no helmet, rides his horse etc.

Make no mistake though - this accident took so much from him and changed him in many ways. I started riding with a helmet a year ago and don't ride without one now. My barn buddies ride with helmets but none of our other riding friends do. Don't care. I was the one standing next to hubby that night dabbing the brain fluid leaking out of his ear while he kept asking me "What happened? Where am I? Where is my Harley?" for about 6 hours.

He was lucky he wasn't killed but geez...head injuries change so much in your life it is not worth the risk. I am a careful chick. Yeah...I get some ribbing on my nerd helmet but do I care? No...not in the least. One head injury in this family is way more than enough. I do have pictures of hubby but he would KILL me if I posted them in a public forum. Let's just say they aren't too pretty. Could have been worse. If he had had a helmet on he would have walked away with maybe a broken collarbone.

When my brother was 18 he climbed on the back of a VW bug , at a wedding, that was pulling out and away without the driver realizing he was there. By the time he jumped off, he was going so fast that he fell and fractured his skull on the concrete. The first few days, it was touch and go. Becuase it was a brain injury , they did not want to supress his brain with any sort of pain medication, so he was awake and in excruciating pain for days. He begged us to let him die. I will never forget my mom's face .

Personally, while I understand the cultural barriers particularly in Western and Dressage circles, I think it is madness not to wear a helmet - and all riding places around here require a properly fitted helmet to be worn at all times because it's a requirement of their public liability insurance.

I always wear a helmet (and would, whether it was required or not) and I've landed on my head quite lot, thanks to Brock's bronco impersonations. Pretty much every time I've been able to get up immediately and get back on. However there was one time (our second ride out together) when I came off the front and my helmet, which was about half a size too big, flew off my head and I landed head-first without it, thankfully on a soft sand/gravel mix. I was completely blacked out for about 30-40 seconds, then when I came to I couldn't open my eyes or move for another few minutes. I ended up suffering symptoms of concussion for the rest of the day, like sudden black spots in my vision and being disoriented and confused.

One of the last times I rode, I was demo-ing Brock for a prospective lessee. He had been well-behaved under saddle for months and I wasn't really geared up when I went to mount him. In fact I was so casual and switched off I forgot to put my helmet on. We got halfway down the "arena" before a drop of rain fell on my head and I realised I was helmetless. I quickly put it on and continued. About 20 seconds later Brock baulked at a pole we were passing, which he'd gone past or over a hundred times, and started a bucking frenzy. I came over the left shoulder and landed on my head pretty hard. All I could think about was, "Thank goodness that drop of rain landed on my head!!"

We'll I'll be darned....another helmet thread.

I shall pour a glass of Merlot....

People need to focus on themselves not others. You do not want to be judged yet you are judging others. You are placing non helmet users below yourself. People do not want other people telling them what they can/should be doing. Who the heck are you for taking that position? Focus on yourself, don't judge, the man upstairs will handle that. Seriously, who gives a rats a## what others are doing as long as it is not affecting anyone else?

I might have missed some posts but from what I can see people are just giving their own experiences and opinions

Helments are like seatbelts, IMO, it should be left to the individual to decide.

My horse tripped going up a ditch, sumersaulting and throwing me across a gravel rode onto my head. Split my helmet, major whiplash.

My broke saddle horse spooked violently while we were walking around the yard bareback. I landed on my tailbone, then violently smashed backwards. Whiplash, severe concussion and a smashed helmet. I don't want to know what my head would look like without the helmet.

Yep, I'd never presume to nag an adult dead against helmet wearing to wear one, but I'd kindly advise anyone who was feeling the pressure not to wear one but who felt they should only were perhaps keen to fit in. Not to be harsh and not aimed at anyone personally, but IMO if someone is so dead against wearing helmets then natural selection will take care of their lack of self-preservation.

If someone was riding my horse, however, I would insist on them wearing a helmet - I'm not going to feel guilty because they get a brain injury. I'm also dead against anyone's kids not wearing helmets - until you're old enough (i.e. 18 years) then you should be wearing one. For parents not to insist on a helmet is IMO neglectful. Once you're an adult - do as you like, so long as it's not on my horse. But if you ask me for advice I say - helmet every time.

Either you choose to wear one or you don't, it is that simple!