In which we break from camp stories for an important safety message

If you ride horses, eventually you'll undergo an unplanned dismount.

New riders fall off because they don't know what they're doing yet.

Experienced riders often ride longer, farther, faster, and higher, and therefore are at risk of more trauma if they do the dirt dance.

No matter how often you ride, no matter how tame your horse is, no matter how soft the ground is, do your family and friends a favor, and strap a helmet on before you mount up.

This Saturday, July 10th, is National Helmet Awareness Day.



If you don't already own and wear your helmet, this is a great time to get one and wear it--lots of manufacturers are offering discounts for helmets purchased on July 10th.

Maybe you already wear a helmet. Why not encourage a friend to strap one on when you ride together?

Maybe you've got an old helmet that has already taken a few trips to the ground. Did you know that helmets work once only? When a helmet hits the ground, the compression stuff inside it compresses, which means your brain will slosh rather than splatter. Once the compression stuff compresses inside, it's done even if you can't see the damage to the helmet--so take this opportunity to treat yourself to a shiny new brain bucket--they come in lots of cool colors!

Want some more reasons to strap your helmet on?

The Washington State Extension Office has excellent short videos on topics like Examples of Potential Brain Damage, ASTM-SEI Helmet Regulations and Testing, and Properly Fitting a Helmet. Spend just a few minutes watching these videos, and I'll bet you'll be racing out to your local tack shop to get yourself a melonsaver.

When you come back safe after your ride, I'll have more photos from the trails for you to enjoy!

Comments

  1. Excellent topic, excellent post - thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. we never rode baasha with a helmet even when he was 3 and green. but then one day my mom said "you guys, i think i'd feel better about you riding that (crazy green) horse if you had helmets."

    we looked at her like "mom!" and then she said, "if i buy them, will you promise to wear them?"

    hm, ok.

    so we did. and then we fell into this safety feeling like when you adjusted to wearing seat belts (back in the 70s).

    i know a lady here who rides a crazy dangerous arab and wears an american helmet. my helmet exactly - a troxel. i was amazed cuz you never see american helmets here. she said, "well, i take safety seriously, and america has higher safey standards for helmets than germany." hm!

    tftp.
    ~lytha

    ReplyDelete
  3. I always wear my helmet on trail rides, not in the arena, but if we are stepping foot outside I strap it on. It's going to be another matter to get husband to wear one.

    I was actually told by my barn owner that helmets are MORE dangerous then not wearing one! How stupid is that?
    She wont think so when her food needs to be put in a tube.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I had no idea it was National Helmet day. What a fabulous day!
    I rode with 8 other riders all weekend, and I was the only one who wore a helmet. I didn't even notice at first, but I did think it was kind of weird. Even the teenager in our group didn't wear a helmet.
    I wonder if I asked them why, what answer I woull have gotten?

    Probably just "Because I don't want to".

    It's such a second nature to me now to wear my helmet, that I feel naked without it. But yet, I also forget it's there when I'm riding.

    I just don't get what the big deal is for the folks that dig their heals in and refuse to wear one.

    I'm having so much fun now, too, buying all the different patterned and colored helmet skins! I figure that since I'm not wearing different hats, that helmet skins, are my way to personalize my head gear. hehe!

    And I think I look just as cool as my fellow riders who wear cowboy hats, and baseball hats.

    Hey! Even cooler. Because my brain is protected.

    ~Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  5. I always wear a helmet. The one time I actually thought about not wearing one, I changed my mind, and it's the day Poco tossed me last May. The helmet didn't take an impact, but it certainly could have.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Also, they keep the sun out of your eyes. That is all.

    ReplyDelete

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