I have had a helmet save my skull 2 times. I will post them separately. The first was about 13 yrs ago when my QH was 3.5. I had the opportunity to take him to the beach with a cowboy from Colorado that was visiting the owner of my barn here in MA . Earlier in the week i had been chastised for wearing an old helmet w/out a chin strap while riding a young horse who loved to buck. So I had gone out and bought a new helmet and the beach was going to be the 1st ride wearing it.. and lucky i did! We had been in & out of the ocean at the edge a couple of times, and my horse loving water was not bothered by the little bit of splashing on the shore even though his only experience had been still waters of streams.

So we walked in to just below the knee and were just standing there when the cowboy said ” HOLD ON!” just then a large wave came at us and and as my horse lept into the air i remember thinking the water is too cold to go swimming! as we shot to the beach i hung off the side of him as his leap and twist had caused my saddle to fall off to the side. By the time we got to the beach i let go to drop to the sand but my hands were tangled in the reins so when i hit the ground my horse had to leap over me contacting and i just remember a sharp blow to the side of my head. i lept up and started after him, as the cowboy told me to just sit down for a minute. I thought i had broken my jaw. As we sat there i noticed he would not look me in the face.. i knew it was bad. As it turned out his hoof had hoof had contacted my helmet at the temple area ( the only spot on the helmet that was crushed) i probably would not had walked away if i had that old hemet on . My face was torn open from the edge of my hairline all the way across the cheek. The top of my ear had to be reattached, muscles in my face repaired etc. The plastic surgeon on duty joked that if i was older he would have thrown in a face lift and done the other side since injuy was exactly where he cut for that

I know that i walked away that day w/just what i consider a minor injury because i choose to upgrade and wear an approved helmet with the chin strap adjusted correctly! I have not gotten on a horse even for a minute with out one since. And i always tell everyone to wear one! Which brings me to the next incident.. next post..

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