# Riding helmets studied, poor side impact protection found



## Arob (Jun 29, 2008)

The Swedish insurance company Folksam conducted a comprehensive study of 15 equestrian riding helmets and revealed that most don't offer adequate side impact protection. 


The story on _*Horse Canada magazine, side impact protection test for riding helmets*_ has a chart which shows that, with side impact protection taken into consideration, this helmet is top rated, and surprisingly, its not the most expensive.









Is this your helmet? See the table in the article. all makes and models are compared and costed.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I've never owned a single one of those helmets. And I think the only brand I've even heard of is Charles Owen. inkunicorn:
I find I need extra filling in the sides of my helmet(s) anyway. So maybe that helps a bit.


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## thecolorcoal (Jan 28, 2015)

i think this discovery means helmets need to do a better job, but not that they are useless - not that this post is insinuating they are, but i know people who will use the above to argue helmets are pointless.

not shocked about kask or samshield, but i expected better from charles owen.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Very interesting article; wonder why technology that has been around for years in other sports is just now becoming available to equestrians. Only one of those helmets are available here :evil:

I took a small fall about 6 weeks ago and hit on the side of my helmet. There was an indent on it, so believe I hit a rock or something sharp and unyielding. 

I had a very strong headache and was surprised since I had what I thought was a good helmet on. Decided it might be too old so replaced it, but with the same kind.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

@AnitaAnne what kind? good thing you did replace.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Interesting. 

By far the most popular makes of helmet in the US are Troxel, Ovation, and Tipperary, and none of those are rated in that study.

Helmets in the US are (generally) certified by SEI and/or ASCI labs, I wonder if those are used in Sweden?


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I did a little bit of digging for more information...
I think it important that riders understand what those "certifications" mean when associated with riding helmets, the rigidity of testing for _all brands _regardless of price and manufacturer that all helmets must pass to carry those certifications.
Not every helmet, nor manufacturer is sold every where in the world nor will every helmet pass testing standards put in place by particular countries...

I found the organization that did this study is a insurance company and has nothing to do with the certification of, the testing of helmets nor ratings they are given...
It seems they have their own set of what they think should be tested for requirements...right or wrong, good or bad.
I then went looking to find what rating was given and what it meant to riders who use recognized studies/tests and the certifications that helmets here in the US/Canada and overseas must have to be accepted at riding venues and as industry wide accepted safety tested riding apparel.
I finally found a breakdown and explanation in what US/Canada and European standards are all in one place, one article and one comparison so easier read and understood...
_ http://www.beta-uk.org/media/safety/download/Riders - safety - hat standards.pdf_ .
However, I think it also important that the entire report of testing is read. 
It_* is *_a insurance company who is making claims of this or that not being good enough and you need this or that instead...read it carefully and remember from where it is written. Then decide for yourself...
_https://horse-canada.com/wp-content...sam_Ridhjalmstest_2018_Rapport_180710_ENG.pdf_

I had not heard of the "CE" mark so went to find out what it is...
Here is one small part of that first article linked above, of explanation for the CE label that original insurance company was making reference to...
*CE Mark *
The CE Mark is neither a quality mark nor a standard in itself but is a mandatory declaration under EU law by a manufacturer to show compliance with essential requirements of all relevant EU Directives.
 It was introduced to allow government officials a way of ensuring that products entering a European Country met the basic safety requirements of Europe. 
Under the Personal Protective Equipment Directive all safety equipment must bear the CE mark showing compliance with the appropriate European safety standard.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I suspect side impacts are not the primary impact site of most falls from horses. The statistics I've seen indicate helmets in general reduce the risk of serious head injuries in a fall by 80%. There is no precise way to study this, BTW, just as there is no precise way to know how better protection on the side would help. The figure I gave compared percentages of serious head injuries from when helmets were uncommon to when they were mandatory. I don't know of any study that looked at trail riders only.

Falls are not evenly distributed through the riding community and I don't believe everyone needs to wear one. The ones we have seem to work very well. The average off-the-shelf helmet on the market certainly offers more protection for a fall than my Tilley hat!

But if I designed a helmet for riding, I'd want to know where most of the injury-causing impacts took place. My GUESS is the back of the skull and the temples. Probably very few fall in such a way as to land on the top of the head first. In a sideways impact, our shoulders probably take the initial brunt of a fall with the blow to the head secondary (and therefor less strong). So I'd design it for a high degree of protection on the back, as much as I could around the temple, and try for cooling on the top and sides - because a helmet that is too hot to ride in won't be used at all.

I also suspect good fit might be more critical than how much padding the helmet has along the sides.


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## 4horses (Nov 26, 2012)

As a teenager, I was bronco bucked off a horse. I landed head first. My helmet took a direct hit. I had a slight concussion but considering how I landed, I was extremely lucky. My helmet was a cheap troxel and it probably saved my life.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

tinyliny said:


> @AnitaAnne what kind? good thing you did replace.


I wear a Tipperary Sportage helmet. Have had more than one tossing without any adverse effects to my head, except the last one. I always keep a spare helmet for backup. 


Speaking of helmets, I always wear one. Started when Courtney King Dye had her TBI.


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