# wearing a helmet???



## BreannaMarie (Dec 9, 2012)

my mother says i should alwasy wear a hlemet to be safe........ but my friend says that helmets are more unsafe then safe... she said you have a higgher risk of falling off and breaking your neck with a helmet on then without one on?????


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

How old are you if under 18 listen to your mother. A helmet can definitely protect you in most cases. Now yes there are freak accidents where the helmet doesn't help and I personally don't wear one but yes i recommend one especially if your mom wants you to.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Helmets protect your brain, period. They won't prevent a broken neck, but they don't help to cause them either. Odds are, if you fall in a way that your neck gets broken, then whether or not you were wearing a helmet will make no difference...it will only help to prevent a brain injury on top of a broken neck.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those "ZOMG, everyone should wear a helmet always" types of people. I don't wear one, but I still recognize that they are a very cheap preventative and they _do_ work. If you are still a minor, like BA said, then you should listen to your mom and wear one. If you are older...you can make your own decision but helmets are safer than going naked-headed.


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## aerie (Jul 19, 2010)

If you are under eighteen you should definately listen to your mother, if you are over eighteen then you cam make your own decisions. I personally do not always wear a helmet, but i do wear one when i jump/ride a new horse/am riding by myself. While a helmet will not protect your neck or back it will protect your head, which is very important.

Whenever I have someone ask me why they should wear a helmet when they are by themselves i tell them the story of my friend whos helmet saved her life. A few years back my friend was out working her horse in an empty pasture. She was riding bareback and had her helmet on. Someone didn't know she was back there and opened the gate to let the rest if the herd in. She was rushed by all thirteen horses who decided that they wanted to "play" with my friend and her horse. My friend was bucked from her horse and then her horse backed up and stepped on her head. She was able to scoot away and get out of the pasture. Her helmet was cracked into two pieces but she only suffered from bruises and a minor concussion. If she hadn't been wearing her helmet she probably wouldn't be here today. 

Im sorry if that was preachy, but i feel that it is important to wear a helmet when you are alone or doing something with a higher risk (although riding is still high risk lol) like riding a horse you know very little about or speed/jumping. That's just my two cents =)


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Based on the statistics I've seen, if you fall on your noggin, a helmet reduces the chance of serious injury by a factor of 2-5 times, depending on the study. I try to make choices that will reduce the chance of my falling head first, and I do sometimes ride without a helmet, but it doesn't bother me to ride with a helmet and I think it is worth it. It is rocky where I live, and improving my odds 2-5 times sounds pretty good to me. I insist on my daughter using a helmet, but don't lecture anyone else.

However, if anyone tells you helmets are MORE dangerous than going without, they are wrong.

Here are some studies:

AANS - Sports-Related Head Injury

Spinal injuries resulting from horse riding accidents

American Medical Equestrian Associaton


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

next time your friend says that pick up a rock and say, "I'm gonna bash you in the head, how do you want it with or without helmet "?


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## sarahkgamble (Nov 7, 2011)

I agree with what everyone else has said. If you're under 18, you should most definitely listen to what your mom says. Either way, helmets are made for a reason. Your friend is misinformed if she believes that wearing a helmet actually puts you in danger of falling.. I'm a helmet advocate, I'd much rather fall off with something protecting my head than fall & wish I'd had a helmet on. The only time I really ride without one is if I'm getting pictures taking (which then, it's just sitting up there, not doing anything) or if I hop on him and ride him bareback out to his pasture out of laziness. Any other time, a helmet will be on my head.


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## minstrel (Mar 20, 2012)

My helmet saved my life when I was thrown into a granite wall head first four years ago. I will always wear one now, no matter what.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Tracer (Sep 16, 2012)

Your risk of breaking your neck is the same either way, but helmets significantly decrease the risk of serious head trauma. As everyone else has said, you should wear one if you are under 18, and IMO you should think about wearing one if even if you are over that age. My helmet prevented me from more serious injury when I fell off almost directly onto my head. The helmet had some big grass stains on it from the impact, and I much preferred them be there than on my head.


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

Also, many barns require the use of helmets as it is required by their insurance carriers. That would cover ALL riders, regardless of age/experience.


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## WickedNag (Sep 7, 2010)

I have never wore a helmet...my daughter will on occasion as will the granddaughter. Your choice unless you are under 18 or at a barn that requires one.


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## aerie (Jul 19, 2010)

At the horse camp i work at over the summers it is required for everyone to wear a helmet, even the counselors who are all over eighteen. I would much rather protect my brain then let my luscious locks flow free in the wind and find myself with a rather serious brain injury if something were to go wrong =/


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

BreannaMarie said:


> but my friend says that helmets are more unsafe then safe... she said you have a higgher risk of falling off and breaking your neck with a helmet on then without one on?????


Where do people get the idea that helmets weigh so much that they make you top heavy? That simply isn't correct.

If your balance is so crappy that the few ounces a helmet weighs is going to topple you over, you probably need to stay off a horse altogether.


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## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

I vote wear one..but I should also point out that I dont. If I were required to at a show or such, I wouldnt go.
I get claustrophobic with anything more than a light hat turned backwards in my head..I cant even put hoods up on jackets. While a helmet doesnt make me top-heavy, I pay more attention to it than the horse im on..which is imo much more dangerous than riding without a helmet.
I encourage everyone to wear a helmet..I just don't because I didnt start out with one, and when I tried one I came off a little bunny hop that I otherwise wouldve stayed on for or stopped it from happening in the first place.

But regardless of your or anyone else's opinion..if your mum says to wear one, do it if you're a minor, no questions asked. Because if you're a minor, she's the one that's probably paying for your horse.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## mandee28 (Nov 11, 2012)

I personally would rather not wear one. That being said- I did not enforce the rule on my 8 year old while I was leading the horse she was on. A bird came thru the fence and spooked the horse and she went off. When I realized she wasnt moving after she landed we called 911. took her to the hospital and after 9 hours of MRI's , x-rays, and tests, she only had a few bruises and a very slight concussion that the drs werent worried about. Considered ourselves VERY lucky! Now, she wears a helmet... If she would have had it on that time we wouldnt have had to go to the hospital. Could have been a WHOLE LOT worse! If you are under 18 - or still living under your parents' roof... WEAR A HELMET


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## Luvs JRT (Jan 3, 2012)

So my first response is obviously your friend has fallen off and hit her head to come up with such a ridiculous statement as helmets cause more injuries then they prevent.

Frankly it comes down to its your life.... do you want to take a risk of living it in a wheelchair with a family member or hired help changing your diapers and wiping the drool from your mouth?
Yes I know there is no guarantee's that this will or won't happen... but thats the lottery you play when you don't ride with a helmet.

I'm at home now recovering from a fall - and even with the helmet I ended up so concussed that as I got up to walk over to my horse I fell down again and had a full on seizure. I will tell you NOTHING in my life (and its been a long one) prepared me for that feeling. Your body is reacting and you are just along for the ride.

That helmet saved me from the likelihood of permanent brain damage. And that was just from a single buck coming off on sand. A helmet has actually saved my life two other times. Once on pavement - lost my memory for two weeks and ended up in the hospital. Never did get those two weeks back. 

And another time again on soft landing but bounced over to a rock. Split my helmet.

I know wearing a helmet is a choice, but frankly why would you risk it. Is it pretty - no - but neither is brain damage. Will it protect your neck... nope but if that becomes a concern for you, then I would invest in a blow up vest. Which after the number of accidents of recently I've suffered that is my next step.

All it takes is one bad fall - and no one knows when thats going to happen. I can give you list of extremely talented and experienced pro riders whose lives were saved by helmets. I suspect that they are as talented as they come, but when your number for coming off is called, even the most talented cannot stop a fall from going sideways.

Good luck with your choice.


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## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

I think people get the idea that a helmet is more dangerous than riding without one from something an old trainer told me- that wearing an _ill fitting_ helmet is just as bad, if not worse, as not wearing a helmet at all. 

That said, I am scared to ride without them as a 'just in case' and I think it's horrid that someone would ever try to convince somebody to _not_ wear a helmet. If you don't want to, fine, awesome! But don't suggest someone else do the same.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I don't wear a helmet very often. But I required my daughters to wear one every ride. Mainly because they were not as experienced of riders, didn't always have as much control of the horses as more experienced riders have. They also don't have the strength to "man handle" a horse that is mis-behaving. So I believed they had a "Greater Risk" of possible being thrown than I do.

I do wear a helmet when I work young horses. I do wear a helment when I'm in evironments where the horses are more likely to get spooked or excited. i.e. Riding in an endurance race where you have 100 strange horses all moving at trots and faster speeds. I just think the risk increases because of the everything going on around you.

Riders need to access the risk. Their skills, their horses, the enviroment that they are riding in and make the decision about wearing safety gear. Many of us grew up in a time when we never wore helmets for any activity. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent riding bikes, skiing in addition to riding the horses with out a helmet. As personal protection has become more recognized as being valuable, more comfortable to wear and more cost effective to buy, we see helmets used in more and more sports. People almost never ride a bike now days with out a helmet, Half the people on the mountain skiing now wear helmets. 

There is nothing wrong with wearing a helmet and I would never make any kind of commet to discourage an individual from chosing to wear one.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Personally, I believe in increasing my chances of survival by any means possible. I always wear a helmet. My husband now wears one due to a close encounter with a Ponderosa Pine. Those big pine trees can be pretty persuasive! Last year on a camping trip a friend was saved from head injury by a helmet when his horse sat back, fell over and flattened him against a pole corral. All the marks on his helmet could have been on his head.
Listen to your mom...


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## averylilly (Oct 17, 2012)

Yes! Wear your helmet! It has saved my life a couple time.I fell on my head and had a concussion a few months ago.If i had not been wearing my helmet i probably would not be here today. I am guilty of riding without a helmet but i normal do. As for breaking your neck i don't think wearing a helmet will help you any or make it more possible. Just be safe!


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

I never wore a helmet when I was a kid. We rode western and at the time it was the commonly helped belief that only jockeys and jumpers wore helmets. How I didn't end up with a smashed head I don't know.

I ride English now and always wear a helmet. When I came back to horses it was required at the lesson barn and now its a habit. Earlier this year, I took some bad advice from my ex trainer and ended falling spectacularly. I split my helmet completely through the foam and halfway up. You could see clean through the other side. I wasn't even concussed. Imagine if I didn't wear my $30 helmet!

Helmets can be tricky to fit and some helmet brands and models have fans and some have haters.

I don't know why a person would make fun of someone ele for wearing safety gear. HAHA YOU'RE PROTECTING YOURSELF!! I don't get the humor. Maybe one day someone will explain.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

In the UK anyone under the age of 18 must wear a helmet when riding a horse.

I can see where the idea of the danger of breaking your neck comes from.

Way back when I was much younger and probably before any of you were a twinkle in your father's eye, riding hats had solid peaks to them and were either held on with an elastic strap or just by luck!

It was then brought in that chin straps were to be worn. 
So, with a solid peak the danger of braking your neck was greater because of the danger of whiplash. I recall a child being seriously injured by catching her head on the forehead by a branch and being dragged off backwards, she broke her neck but had no ill effects once it healed.

Modern hats are much safer and without a peak there is no danger of anything catching under the peak. The peaks that are on some helmets are all collapsable.


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## goneriding (Jun 6, 2011)

If you are a minor then listen to your mom and wear one. An adult, it is a choice.


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