I went for a routine hack yesterday and didn’t realize that it would end the way that it did. My horse (who is usually very road safe) spooked at a trailer being towed by a truck. Well, it was a combination of the horse spooking, having too mild of a bit and me not being in good riding condition to ride a runaway horse (or the massive bucks) since I just had a baby and haven’t ridden because of the pregnancy for over a year. Read More…

I was riding before I could walk. We didn’t have helmets. Decades later after being away from horses to grow up and raise my family, I began riding again with lessons from certified instructor Kellye Pollard. Kellye insisted on helmets and I bought the blue Troxel with the gold horse emblem. Read More…

There have been several times over the years when I know wearing a helmet has allowed me to walk away from riding mishaps relatively unscathed. Once was with re-training/rehabbing an older mount — he would have given any bronco rider a run for his money! I broke two ribs, but was otherwise all right. But perhaps the worst, because it was the most innocent, was just a ride at home on my own rock-steady horse. We were only going for a walk around our property. My horse happened to spook, uncharacteristically, and he scooted and bucked, catching me by surprise and throwing me — literally — off-balance. I came off forward over his shoulder, somersaulting, before landing on the back of my head and shoulders.

The terrain was such that we were on a small incline and I rolled head over heels completely. Because I was wearing a helmet I had little more than a headache and stiffness. I know I was really lucky that time just given the nature of the fall. And I was just at home, tooling around on my horse. The circumstances didn’t indicate a big risk. I know people argue a helmet won’t keep you from breaking your neck and this is true, but wearing a helmet can prevent so many other things. I am guilty of not wearing a helmet in the past, but I always wear one now, because, God willing, I still want to ride when I am too old to walk.

I’ve had a lot of falls (who hasn’t!) but the one that was the worst happened a few years ago. The barn photographer was taking pictures of my class’ lesson and forgot to turn the flash off. Suffice to say, the horse absolutely flipped out. Stuck between trying to bail and riding it out, I actually ended up getting dragged about 20 feet through a gravel ring. Miraculously (thanks to my helmet) – I had some cuts on my back and a few bruises (pride included) but I was alright.

I have been trail riding all my life never wearing a helmet. Last year for some fluke reason I decided to wear one out with a couple people. The mare I was on spooked coming through some brush and took off galloping, swerving around the other horses. I was completely unseated with no hope of getting back in the saddle, and she was running into a stand of pine trees. I had visions of being slammed into a tree head first and so baled, but ended up landing mostly on a pile of logs, still head first. I remember the sound of my helmet hitting the wood and splitting, and know that it absolutely saved my life. Apart from some really bad bruises and an injured ankle, I came out unscathed and was able to ride back to the barn. I haven’t ridden without a helmet since, and won’t ever again.

When I was 15, I was riding my QH in our barn’s outdoor ring. We were cantering, and Buddy must have caught his hoof in a divot because he flipped completely over and I went flying – my grandmother said I landed on my head, bounced, and landed on my face! Buddy was completely fine, but I was taken to the hospital, where I had to have stitches in my chin, and sprained both an ankle and a wrist. I don’t remember really any of that, as I also had one of the worst concussions the ER doc had seen! I couldn’t tell you what year it was for 2 days! If I hadn’t been wearing my helmet, I most certainly would not be here today – human heads are not made to be landed upon. It’s been 18 years since that fall and I have never once even sat on a horse without my helmet.

My own personal experience with helmet safety came at an early age. I was about 11 or 12 years old and went trail riding with my dad and another boarder at the first barn I rode at. We were cantering out of the woods in single file when her young horse bolted ahead of us, made a sharp right turn at the end of the trail, stumbled and the woman riding went right over the mare’s head. The mare took off for the barn, my dad stopped to help the inert woman and he told me to get help from the barn. I galloped off in the direction the mare went and found her trotting slowly ahead of me. She stopped and let me catch the reins and I ponied her back to the barn, hollering for someone to help us.

The barn manager jumped on one of the trail hacks (it was a rent-a-horse trail barn in addition to a boarding facility) and took off back to where I told him the fall was. Another worker phoned for an ambulance (this was way back in 1975 B.C. – Before cell phones!) The woman had to be hand carried on a stretcher out of the woods (nope, no A.T.V.’s either back then) And it turned out she had a broken nose and severe concussion but she survived and healed.

Was she wearing a helmet? Yes. Granted it was one of the old-school fiberglass shell helmets we wore back then. Not anywhere near the amount of protection helmets nowadays offer but I’ll never forget when my dad showed it to me. He had brought it back with him as he followed the emergency crew back to the barn. On the back of the helmet was a perfect imprint of a horse shoe. Where her mare had stepped on her head and shoved it into the ground. I can’t imagine the outcome of that fall if she hadn’t worn the helmet that day. I don’t want to.

I always wear my helmet and I’m needing to replace the one I currently use as it’s given me 5 years of safe riding. I’d sure love to be the lucky winner and I know just which Troxel model I’d choose – the Troxel Reliance. That’s a nice looking helmet!

Last year I was riding a horse that hadn’t been ridden in a week. She was really hyper. so my trainer and I lunged her. I thought this would get all of the bad energy out of her because she was bucking like crazy. Read More…

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..

In the late 1980’s, I was fulfilling a life long dream at the age of 38 to learn to ride, taking English riding lessons. No helmet, no ride was the barn rule. Each week brought new skills and confidence, and as I progressed to jumping, was feeling quite proud of myself. Read More…