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.

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