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Posts in September 2011

British Dressage to introduce mandatory safety hat rules

Reposted from Horse&Hound
Amy Mathieson, H&H news writer
5 September, 2011

Safety helmets are to be mandatory for all British Dressage (BD) riders except for advanced and above.

Earlier this year riders were asked to give their opinion on possible BD rule changes — which included safety helmets, allowing horses to be downgraded when they have reached the upper points limits for each level and a cap on the number of tests ridden in one day (news 28, April).

The move follows publicity surrounding a US dressage rider Courtney King-Dye's serious head injury in March 2010 and the launch of a top hat with harness.

The new rules will come into force on 1 December and follow similar ones enforced by the United States Equestrian Federation and draft rules for 2012 for international competition which will be discussed at the FEI general assembly in November.

Member feedback

Paul Graham from BD said the association has had feedback from around 200 members.

"This change is to protect our members against sustaining a possible head injury. BD must be proactive rather than reactive, there are no 'if only' when it comes to members safety," he added.

According to BD around 40% of those who responded wanted to leave the decision to wear a safety hat to the rider; the remainder supported mandatory safety hats. 

"The FEI is still allowing top hats to be worn in the pre-test warm up and during the test. To keep as much in line with the FEI as possible we are still permitting top hats to be worn at the equivalent levels," said Mr Graham, adding at present there are no plans to bring in crash helmets at the top levels. 

"While it is true that there are very few incidents where a dressage competitor has received a serious head injury in competition, we should be looking at mitigating potential risk, not reacting to past incidents, or lack of them." 

Other rule changes

The number of tests that can be ridden in one day will not be limited as BD felt that "the incidents of riders over-stretching unfit horses was minimal". 

BD also asked whether horses should be forced to compete at a specific level once they had attained a certain number of points — as riders were finding their horses had reached the upper points limit of which they feel comfortable competing.

If a horse has too many points to be eligible for novice, for example, but the rider has never competed at elementary, they can apply to BD, pay £60, and have the horse "downgraded". The horse will be allocated few enough points to allow the rider to continue at novice for some time. 

For more information visit: www.britishdressage.co.uk

Posted by Troxel on September 7th, 2011

New helmet regulations for young Alberta 4-H riders

By Tamara Gignac, Calgary Herald

Young people who sign up for equine programs with Alberta 4-H face tougher helmet rules.
 
Starting Oct. 1, rookie riders and anyone born after 2000 must wear protective headgear before climbing in the saddle.
 
The new regulations are designed to minimize accidents for the more than 2,700 young Albertans who take part in 4-H competitions and activities each year.
It comes as many sports are examining ways to minimize head injuries, said Marguerite Stark, executive secretary of Alberta's 4-H Council.
 
"There's been a lot of press about it," she said. "The majority of our members are supportive and absolutely believe that wearing a helmet is one of the many ways to protect kids in an activity where an injury could happen."
 
Indeed, University of Calgary researchers concluded in a 2007 study that the potential for serious head trauma while horseback riding is on par with rugby and riskier than auto racing, motorcycle riding, football and skiing.
 
Beginners accounted for only a small number of trauma patients admitted to Foothills Hospital between 1995 and 2005. Surprisingly, many of the injured surveyed for the study were well-trained riders on experienced horses.
 
It's one of the reasons many equine organizations across the country already require participants to strap on a helmet. Two years ago, Saskatchewan 4-H officials approved a mandatory policy for all participants 18 years old and younger. There was initially some objection within the province's equestrian community, as some parents felt the rules infringed on their rights. "I compare it to the seatbelt law. When it was first enforced, some people weren't too happy about it. Now it's just part of everyday life," said Saskatchewan 4-H spokeswoman Lauren Heistad. Strict helmet rules have had no effect on 4-H participation, Heistad said. In fact, there's been an increase in young 4-H equestrians since the mandatory policy took effect.
 
The British Columbia 4-H Council introduced similar regulations in 2007. And in Ontario, 4-H officials have supported mandatory helmet use since 2006.
"I would have liked Alberta 4-H to have been one of the first provinces to do it," said Stark. "We weren't the first, but we're not the last. It's doing what's right for our young people."
 
She said the organization has received "a little bit" of pushback, but the majority of young riders and their families support the move to reduce serious brain injuries.
In Alberta, 4-H offers horseriding programs to young people of varying skill levels between the ages of nine and 20.
Posted by Karisa on September 23rd, 2011