So, I finally broke down and joined google+ over the weekend, after one of my college friends, Ron, sent me an invite. Here’s the link to my public profile on google+.
So, I’m just wondering, who else has given google+ a try? I’m finding it fun to play with so far. Let me know if you are also on google+, and I’ll add you to one of my circles. (Circles are how you organize your friends on google+.)
Also, if you are interested in giving google+ a try, but are not on it yet, let me know and I can send you an invite. If you don’t want to post your e-mail address publicly in the comments, just shoot me an e-mail at mary@stalecheerios.com.
Do you wear a riding helmet?
I tore a ligament in my shoulder about a week and a half ago. I came off of one of the colts I’ve been starting when he spooked at something and took off bucking. Big bucks! I landed mainly on my shoulder and hip, but my head hit the ground too. And it was HARD ground–we’ve had a drought all summer here in Texas.
Luckily, my head was just fine because of my riding helmet.
Don’t worry, I’m on the mend, but I’m limited in what I can do outside with the horses. No riding for a couple of weeks and no heavy lifting.
Less than a week after I fell, a gal I know at a friend’s barn got dumped off of her horse when the horse spooked and bucked. She landed on her head and ended up with a mild concussion and a big crack on the inside of her helmet.
She’s lucky, she likely would have been killed if she hadn’t been wearing a helmet.
Actually, I take that back. She’s not lucky, she’s smart. She is smart enough to wear a helmet when she rides to protect her brains. Modern medicine can fix most injuries, but when it comes to head injuries, it’s not worth taking the risk and riding without a helmet.
This is a good article I found on about.com the other day about reasons why people don’t wear helmets and why they should reconsider some of those reasons. Even the best bomb-proof, been-there-done-that trail horse can get stung by a bee and spook. Or trip on a rock and fall to his knees, throwing you from the saddle. Accidents do happen. That’s why they are called accidents!
Here’s my favorite quote from the article:
“If you think you don’t need a helmet then you should look your son, daughter, spouse, or friend in the eye and tell them: I don’t need a helmet, but if I am wrong it will be your job to care for me.”
So, what do you think? Do you wear a helmet when you ride?
I always wear a helmet when I ride, and sometimes when I do other work around horses. When I had my fall last month, I fell on hard ground and my helmet also had a big crack. Serious concussion requiring hospitalization = survivable and OK in the long run. No helmet = dead or much more seriously brain damaged. Seems like an easy computation to me with only one sensible answer.
Hope you heal up OK – take care of yourself.
Thanks for the comment, Kate.
I remember you writing about your fall on your blog. I am glad that you were wearing a helmet and that you are on the mend.
I rode at one barn that made all the beginners and younger kids wear helmets during any interaction with one of the horses, catching, leading, tacking up, etc. I think helmets during ground work can be useful in some situations and with some horses. My only broken bone from a horse accident was actually from an accident while doing ground work.
I am starting to feel better, the hardest part is having to stay out of the saddle!
~Mary
Sent from my iPad
Yes, I do. And you need to think about getting a new helmet since yours has had a whap.
Thanks for the reminder! I should have included that in the post. The old
helmet is getting thrown away and I am definitely getting a new one. Even if
a helmet looks okay, it can have structural damage inside.
I have worn a helmet since I started riding twelve years ago . People would ask me if I was a racer because I wore the helmet. I said it was a safety for me and gave me more confidence. I have fallen many times and broken two helmets. I wear it when I am working around my horse on the ground.
Hel(met), yes, I wear one! My daughter was in a serious bicycling accident in high school. When the doctor in the ER saw her helmet, he told us point-blank that if the cracks in her helmet had been in her skull, she would have been killed!!! I used that helmet as a lesson for my first graders for many years!
I often have people write or call and ask if I know where they can get a used helmet for their child who is new to horseback riding. I tell them: buy used breeches, boots, shirts, crops, whatever….but BUY A NEW HELMET THAT GETS PROPERLY FITTED!!! I tell them, “You can set a broken bone and most of the time it will be fine. You can’t say the same for a broken human brain.” In most instances, the child gets a new helmet!
Great points, Karleen. Not only should riders wear helmets, but they should be properly fitted. I think this can be especially troublesome at lesson barns or camps where helmets are getting swapped around and straps might not always be tightened the right way.
Mary
I’ve been guilty of riding without a helmet because I grew up riding Western before we knew better. I do sometimes still ride without one, but I really need to start wearing it again. Especially riding other people’s horses. Thanks for the reminder!
I’m the same as you.
I went through a period when I was doing a lot of western riding and trail riding. I usually didn’t wear a helmet. Let’s face it, they are a bit sweaty and uncomfortable. However, these days, I do try to protect my brains!! Especially, since most of the horses I’m riding are young, green, or “problem” horses. I also agree with you that it’s best to wear a helmet when riding other people’s horses or horses you don’t know very well.
~Mary
I always wear a helmet whether riding or driving my donks. They’re generally calm & don’t spook like a horse, but you never know. and since I’ve got one, why not use it???
Great point about wearing a helmet for driving.
Driving accidents can be a lot worse than riding accidents, which I think a lot of people don’t realize.
~Mary