Dear Troxel,
I have known about the importance of wearing a helmet for years. I have always worn them growing up while exercising my Fathers racehorses because helmets
were always just part of the attire. However when it came to racing in any Western disciplines helmets just didn't feel acceptable. I really regretted my
decision not to wear a helmet on October 16, 2004. I was completing at the last club show for the year. It is an open horse show that has a variety of
classes. I was already playing catch up from a serious knee injury that required reconstructive surgery and two donor ligaments in my PCL, LCL and a
repaired ACL ligament.
On October 16th I was riding a gelding that I owned and had done many things with around the farm. He was a well broke horse. I was running in a straight
line in the Open Pole Bending class and the horse I was on just lost footing and went down. The fall not only left me in a coma but it knocked my horse out
as well. God wrapped his hand of protection around me because he only stayed out for two minutes but it was long enough for the arena workers to pull me
free of him.
I ended up in a coma for 10 days with a Traumatic Brain Injury that caused severe brain swelling, which triggered a paralysis on the right side of my body,
short-term memory loss and speech problems. It took 11 months of therapy and another reconstruction of my right knee to start to feel normal again. I had to
relearn common everyday functions to return to life. I do most things physically slower than I once did, but the main thing is that I can do them.
Not wearing a helmet has changed my life. I have been able to overcome these injuries and use them as a tool to encourage others to use safe preventable
methods in western horse riding. I thank Troxel for providing me an avenue to reach others by providing a product that matches the standards.
Ten months after my accident my father, Tom Wells, was injured while leading a young horse back to the barn once he finished working her. She acted up and
swung her head and hit my father in the head. The blow left him unconscious, black eyes, broken nose and busted/bitten through lip. He stayed in a coma for
14 days. The ER physician said IF HE DID NOT HAVE A HELMET ON there would be too much blunt force trauma and the blow more than likely would have been fatal.
He had multiple bleeds scattered about the brain, which was temporal. He has since returned to the winner circle with a mare he bred, raised and trained.
I thank God that I encourage others to wear a helmet because it also saved a student, Hanna Taylor. Hanna was finishing up a barrel run with a horse when the
horse fell in the alley to the arena, when stopping. In the commotion for the horse to get up, Hanna's head was knocked against the fence. There was a
loud 'bang' which was her Sierra helmet protecting her from great injury. She was able to get up and walk away from the incident.
Her mom, Suzy Taylor, a nurse, said "the helmet saved an ER visit or worse." To this day I want to say that I am honored to be associated with a company
that takes pride in its affiliation with the equestrian community.
Thank you,
Angie Wells Barnard
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Schooling - Trudy
