WEAR YOUR HELMET!

I grew up riding horses...without a helmet.

Back in the old days, it was a large western hat to help keep the sun out of my eyes. As I grew older, that hat gave way to old baseball caps, they were great...cuz I could tuck my pony tail into the hole in the back of the cap.

Then...my horse Wizard started being hard to handle and we had a few spills. I got scared and got my first riding helmet. It was a Troxel. That was maybe eight years ago.

Nowadays ...I do NOT ride my Icelandic Horse Huginn, without my riding helmet! In fact I even wear my riding helmet during my mini Dixie's driving lessons.


My old Troxel saved my head, during a horse spill. I ended up with a hairline fracture on my forehead and a huge concussion. Headache and puking for a few days....but I was alive.

I have three riding helmets; two Troxels (black one and purple one) and one Tipperary.

Sure...helmets are hot, itchy, big and your hair looks like crap when you take the helmet off, but WHO CARES!

Sure...there is no guarantee that wearing a riding helmet will save your head, brain, or your life for that matter.

BUT....WHY TAKE THE CHANCE?? WHY....ASSUME THE RISKS?

It seems that every few months I read or hear about a horse accident with a rider ending up with head injuries, that could have been prevented by wearing a riding helmet.

Helmets are a farily cheap way to insure that your noggin is somewhat protected. Wouldn't you agree that $50.00 - $100.00 is cheap?

Troxel has a excellent tool on their website to help you figure out which one of their helmets is best for your needs.

Check out the Troxel Helmet Advisor to see which helmet is best for you. They even have a "cowboy hat" looking helmet!

Just in case you are still thinking that helmets are not for you. Then wear one for those you love.

Below is an email that hit my inbox this morning. I gotto tell you, it left me in tears. My heart goes out to the family and friends of the woman that died over the weekend.

Read it and make you own decision on if a helmet is "right for you".

Posted with permission and rider's name was removed upon request. Replaced with XXXX

Dear RAA Riders, fellow club members and friends,

I am writing this letter to each of you tonight after having witnessed a horrible accident this past weekend. It happened in New York - a weekend "get away" with family reunion and wedding we were attending, but the best thing was we were meeting with friends I've made over the years back where I was raised as a kid. I couldn't wait. We all met at Mendon Ponds, a beautiful park I'm sure, to ride together. We never got to ride. A series of calamities happened that will forever change our lives and snuffed the life of one of our riders. She never got to go home to her son.

One of the horses had a bad time in one of the trailers, so a couple of the other horses were spooked. One of the riders, XXXX got on her horse to try to settle it down and ride it down a bit before we rode off. She was not wearing a helmet. Another horse, the same one who had problems in the trailer, bucked his rider off and in doing so the saddle slipped, sending the horse flying around the parked vehicles, close to a road and eventually, as the saddle was still hanging under its belly, the horse took off for parts unknown (later he was caught and has some lacerations, but otherwise survived). XXXX did not. Somehow, her head was smashed against a low limb on a tree, the next thing we knew, she was lying on the ground. What we thought was her breathing was actually her blood pumping out of her body as her brain was no longer functioning to tell the rest of the body to shut down. We didn't know all that and of course did everything we could, thinking she was still alive. Part of her brain were on the front of her along with a lot of blood.

Why am I sending you this message? Because those of us who were her friends, who were there are still in mourning with this tragedy. Could it have been avoided - we don't know. But what we do know is that a helmet would at least have protected her head and multiple head injury was listed as the cause of death. So, the next time you think that wearing a helmet is not cool or for sissies - try to stop being so selfish about your beauty and think about what an accident like this does to everyone else around you. Thank God she died, as there wasn't much brain left on her left side. Does this sound gruesome? I hope so, because as I'm writing this, I'm crying so hard I can't read what I'm writing. Please, wear a helmet when you ride. The image of XXXX lying on the ground with bits of her brain splattered around in a pool of blood is am image that will be with me for years. Please, put on your helmets - think of those who will find you, those you leave behind, your friends and relatives. They care - and maybe you are doing what you want to do, but there are those of us left who need to try to go on with our lives who will forever be left with a bloody, gruesome scene that will never go away.

PLEASE - WEAR A HELMET.

PS....also please use a breastcollar on your horse! Folks, there are all safety items that serve a very useful purpose!!

Bright Blessings and Reiki sent to all involved in this horrible accident. {{{HUGS}}}