The 10th of July, 2010 is National Helmet Awareness Day.
Why do we need this day?
Because we all have skulls with (hopefully) brains worth protecting.
Horses + the human body + solid objects = injury.
Why do I wear a helmet? Because I believe in something I say all the time, several times a week "With horses it's not about if you are going to get hurt, it's when and how bad"
Now for your enjoyment a picture I found last night of me making a goofy face as I explained to Zoe how to take pictures with my camera as I was riding Portus in Ireland.
I am very passionate about wearing helmets. Mostly because I have seen accidents and more so because I have been in some. Luckily nothing serious.Anyone who has been around horses for any period of time more than the occasional petting over a fence or guided trail ride is going to get hurt. It is just a fact of horsemanship.. You can get your toes stepped on, fingers bitten, shoved, kicked, head butted and even thrown off. It's a fact of horsemanship and you either accept it or get out of the barn and back into your air conditioned office.
So strap one on and check out my guest blog post about my recent fall and how my helmet endured on the Riders 4 Helmets and support National helmet awareness day by posting this site on your blog to notify riders and helmet wearers/non wearers around the world of this great cause!
So, why do you wear a helmet?
Why don't you wear a helmet?
We wanna know!
9 comments:
No excuses - I always, always, always wear a helmet. I've had my share of falls and seen some doozies, and in several cases the helmet made the difference between just a fall, with perhaps a concussion, and a serious injury. It's just not worth it to take the risk. Yes, people are sometimes seriously injured even when wearing a helmet, but people wearing seat belts in cars get hurt too - wearing a helmet or seat belt improves your odds and that's good enough for me.
I hate all the excuses - "I'm not jumping", "I'm just trail riding", "my horse is bombproof" (there's no such thing), "no one else wears one", etc., etc.
I don't see any reason not to...in my mind, it's along the lines of that we know these days that smoking is bad, so why do it? We now know riding without a helmet is bad, so why do it?
I went to a show a few weeks ago. I watched as a women was cantering her horse in the warmup field and lost control and fell, it looked as if she literally sommersaulted off and "rolled" headfirst into the bushes. I heard a loud crack, and it wasn't just me who heard it; my friend at the wayy other end of the field heard it, too! I sat there stunned and my only thought was "She's not gonna make it up after that". I thought she cracked her head open or something. I couldn't believe it when she sat up. The cracking noise was that loud. And of course, she went on to continue competing without a helmet that day. I think she's insane. (those barrel racers; they ride insane horses, and still go without helmets. What will it take?!) Anyway, I love wearing my helmet :)
YEA! A day for the helmet heads!
I was out on a horse camp trip last weekend, and we had a new gal joining us and she told us stories about some groups she has ridden in...and how they had made fun of her wearing a helmet! I wondered why some do not...and that is "one" of the reasons...vanity about being "a Sissy"..is what they called her! Can you believe that..amazing and true~
I always wear mine riding...and am finding sometimes- I
KK
That is terrible for being made fun of for riding in a helmet. I find it's not so much my generation, but the older ones that did not grow up wearing a helmet unless they rode English and had hunt caps.
I wear a helmet and I was sure glad that I had one on when I fell off two years ago, because I landed in a rock pile and I bruised my hip bad enough that I was on crutches and pain meds for over a month. I think I even had a slight concussion because I couldn't even remember what happened after I fell. My helmet had just a slight dent but was broken a little inside!
I think I was very lucky about my introduction to helmets.
I was the first one in my family to start riding - at age seven. I started at an english lesson stable and the rule was "wear a helmet or leave", so I did. Then my sister started riding, then my dad, then my mom. We all wore helmets 100% of the time, because if we had no choice. So it was always the norm for us.
Now that I've switched to western riding, I still wear a helmet 100% of the time, and I feel naked without one. I have never "forgotten" because as soon as I swing into the saddle without one on, it feels wrong.
I always wear a helmet. I've been in a few good wrecks over the years and a helmet saved what little grey matter I have left. Anyone who doesn't wear one is just flirting with disaster somewhere down the line.
You wear a helmet to protect your brain.
Some people don't wear one.
I guess they figure they have nothing to lose.
I figure they're right.
:)
sj
Such a terrific day to remind folks about the importance of helmets.
Last weekend, I found it odd that I was the only person out of 9 that were wearing helmets on every ride. Even the youngest, a teenager wasn't wearing a helmet. I don't get it.
I'm sure if I had asked any of them, "Why aren't you wearing a helmet?" they'd have answered, "I don't want to"
Why kind of answer is that?
If it's just because they think helmets are boring, then do like I do and buy some sexy, fun helmet skins or cover them. They're better than cowboy hats and baseball caps. lol!
Noone seems to believe me that I am so used to wearing a helmet now, that I both, feel naked without one, and I once it's on, I forget that I'm wearing one.
It's no biggie....and a no brainer (especially if you don't wear a helmet!)
~Lisa
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