If you ride, it’s not a matter of if, but when.
You will take a tumble. It’s inevitable.
It happens to everyone from newbies to Olympians. Suddenly, instead of having a view between the ears, you will get close and personal with the ground. By wearing a properly fitting riding helmet you’re doing your part to be as safe as possible given equestrianism’s risks.
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I’m probably preaching to the choir, but in case you needed a little reminder of the merits of helmet wearing, here you go. These are my seven reasons to always wear a riding helmet when you ride.
Use your noggin; wear a helmet. Click here to explore Charles Owen helmets.
1. You can fall off, even from a halt. I know this one from first-hand experience when my horse of several years did a quick sideways spook (not sure what set him off). Even though it wasn’t at high speed and I didn’t land directly on my head, I had a mild concussion. Mild, but about a week later I had a hard time remembering certain words during a parent-teacher conference. It was scary and I returned to the ER because I felt like an older, slower version of myself.
How bad would my fall have been without a helmet?
2. Even trustworthy, reliable equine good citizens can have a bad day or moment.
Why gamble with your one and only noggin? Horses are animals. And big. And they don’t think like us. Accidents happen.
3. You can be join in the International Helmet Awareness Day excitement with Riders 4 Helmets.
It’s like a free club! With exclusive discounts (on riding helmets for one day). One year there were Twitterific pictures circulating of people wearing their riding helmets with swimsuits (thanks to Lucinda Green instigating). It was hilarious.
4. You set a good example for others.
One time in Hawaii I went on a trail ride (we got to canter which was as exciting). The Hawaiian cowboy told me I didn’t need to wear a riding helmet. He made a comment about it not looking as good! I said I didn’t care, I had sustained a mild concussion before and I wanted to set a good example.
During parts of our ride there were enormous rocks jutting out. Call me a pessimist or worrywart, but all I could think was that if the horse took a bad step and I ended on the ground, the rocks could do serious damage to my head. Couple that fact with the possibility of pictures being shown to my students or ending up in a future blog post. The message I want to convey is helmets, helmets, helmets!
I would not want to hit my head on one of those rocks!
5. Myriad styles exist today! Some have vents, others bling or wide brims!
Seriously, riding helmet design has really improved in the last couple of decades. I remember when the old school hard hats were being phased out and the new certified ones were required at shows. Initially they looked like astronaut helmets with velvet. Not anymore. With so many great options, why not accessorize your ride with fabulous millinery!
The Ovation helmet is lightweight and budget-friendly. Click here to shop.
6. The cool kids are wearing riding helmets. Boyd and Silva Martin wear riding helmets. (Click here to listen to Silva’s interview about a serious fall she experienced.) Triple Crown Jockey Victor Espinoza wears one. So do a bunch of fellow horse lovers like @themodernequestrian and @huntseatpaperco.
7. Your mom wants you to. Even if your mom is laissez faire about your head safety or you don’t have a mom, do it for my mom. Marlene would be very happy. And proud.
In Conclusion: a 2020 Update on the Importance of Wearing a Riding Helmet
A friend of a friend recently passed away due to a riding accident. She was not wearing a helmet. Had she worn one, she might still be with us. That is a sobering thought. I don’t know about you, but I want to minimize my risk as much as possible. Helmets exist and come in so many options, even cowboy hat styles (click here to see the cowboy hat helmet I own.) Why take a chance?
Thanks for reading and tally ho!
Your turn: Please share in the Comments.
- Have you been saved by a helmet?
- Do you ride 100% of the time with a helmet? Why or why not?
- Have you replaced your helmet in the last five years? (If not, you’re supposed to.)
- What’s your favorite brand/style?
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I'm Susan and this is my horse Knight. We have been a blogging team since 2015 and we're glad you're here. Tally ho!
I don’t ride without a helmet, I very seldom lunge without a helmet, and if I’m wary about a horse, I’ll wear the turtle (as one wannabe cowboy insisted upon referring to it) when I’m leading it, too. The ground and I have made intimate acquaintance about 40 times at the last count, and in all those falls I’ve had one really minor concussion. Thank the helmet. Now you won’t see me on horseback without it.
(Except on summer midnights at full moon. Because when you’ve just gone to check up on a pregnant mare or a sick colt, and your gelding walks over to you with his mane all tangled up in starlight, then not even your unprotected skull can really stop you from crawling aboard and asking him to escort you back to the gate. Still. Don’t do this. Only stupid giddy teenagers with empty fluffbrains do this).
Every ride, every time!! Say hi to Marlene for me!! 🙂
I will do that! She asks about you.
I don’t know when it happened but I became a giant helmet nerd. I do want a new pretty one though! 🙂
I am completely with you on this. The last time I rode without a helmet I was 15 or 16. I was jumping in a lesson over some sizable fences (in the 3’9-4′ range). My regular trainer stopped by the ring and insisted that I put a helmet on. Shortly after I did, my horse tripped after a fence and fell. I decided right then and there that I’d dodged a bullet and have never ridden without a helmet again!
I always wear a helmet when I ride. I feel naked without one.
Always helmet, every ride. Even bareback in a halter for a tootle around, helmet.
Yes! Protect your noggin people!!!
Great post, always wear mine. And Charlotte Dujardin always competes in one so I get to pretend that I’m her when I’m training 😉
That’s great to hear. I’m sure that you ride like her because of the helmet too. 🙂
I love it that you’re writing about this!
Yes, helmet on, every time! But I DO need to replace it… Budget… Sigh.
Your head/brain are worth bending the budget a little. My Ovation schooling helmet which is great for hot climates because of all the vents was only $50. Probably cheaper on Saturday thanks to all the brands/stores doing the #IHAD discounts. 🙂 Just sayin’.
100% of my rides. Planning on picking up a new schooling helmet during this year’s sale!
Nice. Do you know which one?
I wear a helmet no matter what! Don’t care if it’s a quick ride down the driveway or a big trail ride. Always put the helmet on. I make my boyfriend where one when he rides. He doesn’t like the way riding helmets look on him so be insists on wearing his kevlar military helmet.
I have indeed been saved by a helmet. While trail riding myself I had a very bad fall that landed me in the middle of a bunch of trees. When I came to, I could only see in black and white/shadows for about 5 minutes. In retrospect, I really should have seen a doctor but I climbed back on the [very noble steed] and walked home. I hate to think what could have happened had I not been wearing that helmet!
That’s scary about black and white. I fell, hit my head, got right back up and after a few minutes, the arena footing looked like undulating waves. Everything I looked at was moving. I’ll never forget that sensation. I hopped right back off and did have a friend take me to the ER. I know exactly what you mean about wondering what could have happened without a helmet.
Thank you for the shout out! I’ve ridden helmetless precisely once. And I’ve fallen off at a walk just over two years ago (down a dried up riverbed, I might add, though I’m not ready to share the full story because it’s too embarrassing! Comedy = tragedy + time. I was wearing my helmet that day, and very glad I was too!). Great post, and couldn’t agree with you more. Particularly on point number two!
Oh, I hope you share the full story soon! Thanks for liking my post! P.S. I’m in London tomorrow Saturday for about 4 hours before heading to Paris by train. Any suggestions for how to kill time? Flying in to LHR. Food suggestions always welcome. 😉