Helmet at the Rail Too!!! Tacking Up a Semi-Spooky Horse and Any for that matter!

Hi, I usually do not wear my helmet while tacking up a horse that I semi-lease. He is an ex-racehorse and is lovely on the flat and jumping but a bit of a weirdo when brushing, so often we tie him to the rail and feed him at the small feedign bin that hangs on the corner rail and while he's eating, you can brush him, clean him for days, etc.

SO long story short, he came to the bin and the food had not been placed there yet, so while i was tying him to the rail, he put his head down to get the left over droppings on the dirt, scavenging like most horses do. In any event, he thought he heard food being placed in the bin and abruptly lifted his head up hitting it hard on the bin (they forget it's there!) and he spooked and thrashed his whole body into me.

I was like a pinball machine, the one side of my head hit the plastic feed bin, cutting it, and then the other side hit the metal rail giving me quite a goose egg. I did not pass out and was ok after the accident. It did warrant me 6 staples in my head at the ER for the cut and quite a bruise and now a black eye 3 days later due to the hit.

In summary NONE of this would have occured if i was wearing my helmet! So now i wear it at the rail too because you really don't know what can happened when horses are tied up at the rail. Anything can spook them. Same night, my friend was cleaning her mare's hooves and wham, bump to the head. It was quite an evening! She was not wearing a helmet at the rail eithter. I am also ordering the new Troxel Venture this week. It looks safer than my Ovataion. Ride and Tack up Safely!!