# Helmets?



## Bearkiller (Aug 10, 2011)

Is it appropriate to have my 6 and 7 year old wear helmets on the trail? My daughter doesn't care but my son has expressed a deep desire not to. Even though our speed will generally be a walking speed there are alot of tree and rocks in our area. I will appreciate a real world answer. I'm not into the PC answers. Unless it's actually right.  Their horse is very docile and 13 years old.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Horses are unpredictable, even docile, well trained, been-there done-that animals. If you've been around horses long enough, you already know that.

It only takes one fall to break open a little head and cause a TBI. Do you really want to take that chance? 

Make your son wear a helmet, at least until he's at the age of majority and can make that decision for himself.

I'm rarely PC, by the way. Some people find that hard to take.


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## LetAGrlShowU (Mar 25, 2009)

Yes, absolutely make them wear a helmet. When you drive in a car, do they wear their seatbelts? Horses are more unpredictable than cars, but none the less you cant control outside stimuli. This is a no brainer. There will be times when kids dont want to do alot of things their parents ask (eat vegetables, take a bath, do homework) but we make them for their own good. Please, for your own sanity make them wear a helmet. What would you do if you didnt chose to and they end up severely injured or worse..


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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

I don't wear a helmet but I make my 10 yr old son wear one. He fusses and whines, but too bad so sad!


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

My girls never wore helmets while on horseback when they were growing up. However, we were all younger and dumber back then. Have both of them wear helmets. If it will help, maybe he could pick out his own helmet - or decorate it to make it more apealing. Flames, maybe?


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

I would make them wear helmets, to me its just not worth the risk... maybe getting him a helmet with a cool patturn on it or some kind of fun helmet would help him enjoy wearing one?


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Yes to wearing helmets, very appropriate to wear one whenever you are on a horse, even more important when we are talking about kiddies.

Yes to letting him pick his own helmet, but extreme caution in letting him decorate, so many things have the potential to weaken a helmet, much safer to order one of these Helmet Covers Etc, English and Western Riding Helmet Covers. Stretch fit for all styles Helmets , such fun:lol:


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## Bearkiller (Aug 10, 2011)

Yeah, when I was younger we didn't wear seatbelts either. Now days kids are in booster seats until they're 18.  I don't believe in hermetically sealing children but I'm not afraid to make them be as safe as reasonably possible. Besides, it's fall here and the helmet will help keep his head warm.


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

My mom never bubble wrapped me (heck, I think shes STILL trying to kill me half the time!) but seatbelts and helmets to me are just reasonable, if i accidently stab myself with a knife, well, then i need stitches, but if a dog chases my horse and i fall off and hit my head, that could very easily be the end of me. 

oh golden horse the helmet covers are a good idea! I was thinking glitter glue and stuff to decorate...... but i guess bos dont like that do they? lol.


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## Courtney (May 20, 2011)

I'm 24 and I still wear a helmet when I ride. It may not be the most fashionable, but it's a small price to pay for a fully-functioning noggin. The last time I fell off (12ish years ago), I hit my head hard enough to crack my helmet and be sent to the hospital for an emergency cat scan (or whatever it's called when they send you through that big white tube). The horse was doing a slow lope around the outdoor arena, I tipped off and managed to catch the side of my helmet on a small rock. If I hadn't been wearing my helmet, that rock would have hit my skull...

EDIT: If he's an edgy type kid, maybe he might want to glue a fake mohawk to his helmet.


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## Bearkiller (Aug 10, 2011)

What's a bos? 

goldenhorse: You can't be scared your whole life.


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

ahahaha whoops... I meant boys*


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Bearkiller said:


> Is it appropriate to have my 6 and 7 year old wear helmets on the trail? My daughter doesn't care but my son has expressed a deep desire not to. Even though our speed will generally be a walking speed there are alot of tree and rocks in our area. I will appreciate a real world answer. I'm not into the PC answers. Unless it's actually right.  Their horse is very docile and 13 years old.


I'm way older than your kids and I wear one.  Things happen even with the best riders and quietest horses. My helmet definitely saved me couple times on trail from hitting the branches too hard.


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## Bearkiller (Aug 10, 2011)

Sorry, there is so much shorthand on this board I thought maybe I was missing out on something important.  Yes boys will be boys. Last night when we were deer hunting we found a good sized bear track and he wanted to go back to the truck and get his bb gun and hunt the bruin down. I'm not sure where he gets this stuff. LOL.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Bearkiller said:


> goldenhorse: You can't be scared your whole life.


**** right I can, makes me a cheap date, I don't have to go on a roller coaster to get my adrenalin pumping, I can do that crossing the street in the city!

I don't see what in my post though says being scared, I call it being sensible, arms and legs break, skin bruises and tears, but it tends to heal up reasonably well. Brains though, don't do so well through trauma, and I prefer to preserve what grey matter I still have, age is nibbling away at the edges, but I'm not planning on becoming a total vegetable anytime soon.

If I was THAT scared I wouldn't ride, I wouldn't jump, hell I wouldn't even go into a field of horses, but I do all those things, but the fact I am nervous means that I take sensible precautions.

Small example, I think it's sensible to wear gloves when leading horses, I often don't bother though with the riding horses, but always do with youngsters, or when loading or anytime I think I may have to hang on in there. Guess what, I've been leading mares and foals about all summer, even in the heat wearing leather work gloves. The one day I didn't have them, and couldn't be bothered to walk back and get them, the pair I was leading spooked badly and I had rope burns, should of listened to my sensible side.

As a parent I took decisions for my kids, that said yes you can ride a bike, a horse, you can ski, shoot, fell trees, in fact most anything you want to try you can, but you will wear the proper gear!


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## sabowin (May 8, 2010)

Leaving aside the VERY important issue of a possible fall (and especially risky if there are rocks around, as even an otherwise minor fall can kill if one's head strikes a rock), I prefer to wear a helmet every single ride just to keep from having to duck under branches and worry about them tangling in my hair or scratching my scalp. Much nicer to just bow my head and let them slide on over.  The only time I can recall not wearing a helmet in the recent past is a ride through the snow when it was below freezing out. We were riding through an area without many trees, so I took my chances that the deep snow would protect my noggin if I fell, and wore a warm hat instead of a hard but not very warm helmet. I survived, of course. 

To answer the OP, yes, you should make your children wear a helmet. Better safe than sorry, plus they are convenient as I mentioned above. Get one with good ventilation, and if he whines and complains that it's too hot, take breaks where he must get off the horse to remove his helmet.


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## catsandhorses (Aug 6, 2011)

I agree with the policy "no helmet, no ride". I love the suggestions to let him decorate his own helmet. Also make sure it fits well and is comfortable. I finally invested in a helmet rather then buying the least expensive one I could find and the difference in comfort is tremendous. Fwiw, the were two children riding out on ponies lead by adults walking with lead ropes over soft ground on private land and those kids were wearing helmets. All riders fall eventually imo. Keep'em safe!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Bearkiller (Aug 10, 2011)

I was clearly teasing goldenhorse.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I don't wear one, I'm an adult and can make that choice. My daughter is 6, has been riding since birth, shows walk\trot & trail rides unassisted but my rule is "no helmet, no ride." Her mount is a 24 year old dead to rights broke retired reiner that I've owned since birth, know inside & out and she still has to wear one. Regardless of how broke or trustworthy they are, they are still animals with a mind of their own and you never know when they might have a bad day.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

I say the greener the horse or rider the more the need for a helmet no matter what the age is.


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## Dlilly (Aug 26, 2011)

You all have such creative ideas! I love them! Especially the mohawk one. XD

In some states, you have to wear a helmet if you are under 18. It's the law.... I always wear a helmet while riding, and I plan on wearing one even as an adult. There are so many risk worth taking, but this definitely isn't one of them. 

If all else fails, I would just tell him "No helmet, no trail ride."


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

I do not wear a helmet but may take that up! My two stable buddies wear them. If I was taking my grandchildren - yes they would be wearing a helmet.

TBI is something I don't want to ever have. My husband was in an accident 4 years ago...not his fault...entirely the other persons, but he is the one left with TBI and therefore so am I. Even after he has "recovered" he still has issues and we are planning another surgery to repair issues. OK...talked my ownself into a helmet. I think I will be ordering one soon. I am not riding right now as I am recovering from surgery!


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I grew up riding bikes, skiing down mountain slopes without wearing a helmet. Now you rarely see a biker who does not have a helmet on. And helments have become very common on the ski runs. That said, I don't wear a helmet very often while skiing or horse riding.

If I'm pushing the limits of my skills skiing, Then I will put a helmet on, But most days any more, I'm just out to enjoy the mountains, not see how fast I can fly down the mountain. The same is true for the horses. If I go do an endurance ride, where I will be around 100 strange horses, Yes I wear a helmet. A pack trip into the Uinta Wilderness, No I'm nore worried about a good hat to keep the sun off my face and the rain off my neck. I ride my horses a lot while hunting each fall. It's impossible to have a helmet on and try to sight thru a scope on a rifle.

My daughters and any of their friends ALWAYS wore a helmet. I found they didn't have the strength or skills to control the horses. Where I have sat out some pretty good bucks over the years and brought my horse under control and think I have some pretty good horsemanship skills to catch my horse before they even spook or blow up. Kids on the other hand, don't have those skills to control the horse and don't have the strength to hold on or the balance. And usually come off on the first buck. So the rule was that they always wear a helmet.

Every Monday pick up the paper and read about an ATV rider with a head injury from over the weekend. With and without helmets. But horse injuries are very assorted. Article last week about a woman who was heading back to Kentucky to compete on the national level. Giving her horse a "Quick ride" before loading it into the trailer. horse stumbled and she came off and broke her back. She is a paraplegic now. Article was about her recovery and dealing with a life changing event. One a year ago there a very accomplished barrel racer was ridding her horse across the street. Horse slipped on the asphalt and went down, Breaking the riders neck and killing her. A good friend of mine, horse spooked and went off a cliff, he broke his back in 5 places, he recovered, but still has back pain and problems. Helmets didn't stop those accidents and didn't prevent the injuries. Accidents happen around horses and the best horsemen. And head injuries are a possibility, but not the only risk.

It's a life style with risk that we have chosen to embrace. Each of us has a different comfort level. Each of has has a different skill level and the quality of our horses varies, So we have to choose for ourself. But I made the rule that kids wear helmets. I felt the risk to kids was much higher and should be addressed. And my daughters and their friends never questioned it. While I finished tacking up their horses, The girls always rounded up their helmets.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

My new horse convinced me to wear a helmet


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I am thinking of getting a helmet and a parachute.


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## Angelina1 (Apr 11, 2011)

It is against the Law here in Australia not to wear a helmet on public roads, trails etc. and we can be heavily fined if riding without one. We also have to wear helmets in Pony Club, Riding Clubs, all Jumping Sports, Hacking, Children under 16 have to wear one in Western disiplines, and the EFA is now looking at helmets to be worn by all levels of dressage.

I never rode with an helmet when was younger, it was never even thought of. But with my 3 children they have always worn helmets and body vests when riding, I too have now always ridden in a helmet for the past 19 years and it has saved my life more than once. 

So YES I believe that your children should wear a helmet at all times whilst riding thier horses/ponies. Your son will get used to it after awhile and it will then not be a problem..


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

There are so many threads about helmet yes, helmet no. I just don't see the big issue. Helmets are so easy to wear. I realize in some cases it won't work, such as the guy who said he was hunting and couldn't sight a gun with a helmet on. But mostly a helmet is really no bother at all. It's easy. Easy to just say yes. Easy to wear.


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## goneriding (Jun 6, 2011)

It comes down to you having a choice. Riding facilities, boarding barns etc. if helmets are required then so be it, liability. But on my personal time and space, I prefer to make my own choice. I don't need someone else telling me what they think is best for my situation.


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## Bearkiller (Aug 10, 2011)

Angelina1 said:


> It is against the Law here in Australia not to wear a helmet on public roads, trails etc. and we can be heavily fined if riding without one.


 
You say that like you think it's good? That's sad and if you think it's ok for a government entity to mandate a helmet while riding a horse, it's sadder yet. What ever happened to personal liberty and accountability?


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Bear, are you spoiling for a fight or something? :?

There was nothing in Angelina's post that indicated she was or wasn't in favor of 'big gubmint gettin' in her bidness'. She merely pointed out the information that it's a _law_ in Oz, not that she thought it was right or wrong.

You_ asked_ for opinions about having your children wear helmets, and we've told you. If you don't want to make your son wear a helmet, that's entirely up to you. He may or may not get thrown, fall off, or have the horse slip while under saddle, but I'd think as a parent you'd like to make sure your children are as safe as possible while they're engaged in dangerous activities.


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## poundinghooves (Aug 5, 2010)

I always wear a helmet and after a while you get so used to it that when you get on a horse without one you think "I'm forgetting something". Personally, I think he should wear a helmet.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I would think that a 6 and 7 years olds reasons for not wanting to wear a helmet would be because it doesn't look cool. To me that isn't a good enough reason, but each parent makes their own choices.


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## Bearkiller (Aug 10, 2011)

Speed Racer said:


> There was nothing in Angelina's post that indicated she was or wasn't in favor of 'big gubmint gettin' in her bidness'. She merely pointed out the information that it's a _law_ in Oz, not that she thought it was right or wrong.QUOTE]
> 
> 
> Hey speedracer, I too from her post that she thought it was a good thing.
> ...


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