Conference noted::equitation

    A 16-year old honor student and captain of the high school cheerleading
    squad who was killed Wednesday afternoon in a horseback riding accident
    in Sherborn will be buried tomorrow.
    
    Lauren R. Anderson of 63 Teresa Road was riding her 9 year old
    thoroughbred, Pete, when the 1100 pound horse lost its balance and
    fell, rolling over her, according to Sherborn Police Sgt Michael B
    McLaughlin.  The accident occurred at 4:08 pm in an enclosed riding
    ring at Dunham Farm on Western Avenue in Sherborn, where she kept the
    horse, McLaughlin said.
    
    She was treated at the scene for 15-20 minutes by sherborn Fire
    Department personnel and paramedics from MetroWest Medical Center in
    Natick, and flown by medivac helicopter to Beth Israel Hospital in
    boston, where she was pronounced deat at 5:39 pm.
    
    The teenager had ridden horses since the age of 7, according to a
    family friend.  McLaughlin said the horse was not injured.
    
    Anderson, a popular junior at the high school, was voted most valuable
    player on the junior varsity softball team last spring.  She was a
    cheerleader for the football and basketball teams and recently was
    elected captain of the cheerleading squad.
    
    "She was a peer leader and was in a position of responsibility to
    students and educators," Hopkinton school Superintendent William Hosmer
    said.  "She influenced people in a positive way.  She was a beautiful
    young child, mature beyond her years, and had a very generous
    personality.  She was a sweetheart."
    
    She was the daughter of Robert A. Anderson and Richley M. (Woods)
    Anderson.  She leaves two sisters, Amy and Julie of Hopkinton.  She
    also leaves her paternal grandparents, Herbert and Dorothy Anderson of
    Montana, and several aunts, uncles and cousins.  Funeral services will
    be held at 1 pm tomorrow from the Callanan-Cronin Funeral Home, 34
    Church Street, Hopkinton, followed by a funeral mass at 2 pm in St.
    John the Evangelist Church in Hopkinton.  Burial will follow at Lake
    Grove Cemetery in Holliston.  Calling hours at the funeral home are
    from 2-4 and 7-9 pm today.
    
    Donations in her memory may be made to the Lauren R. Anderson
    Scholarship Fund, care of BayBank, 59 Main Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748.
    

    I don't have any details on this incident either, but since I
    have also started with jumping etc., I wondered what the
    ground conditions were, how high was the jump, etc.
    
    What a horrible accident.  I was almost thrown just two
    weeks ago myself, and I managed to stay in the saddle,
    but it was a humbling experience.  I also read in the
    Yankee Pedlar this month about a woman (Donna Goldberg
    I believe), an instructor who was thrown from her horse
    during a trail ride on October 15th, and she is still
    in a coma...
    
    Gail
    
    
    		
    

    I had heard this morning that the horse tripped going
    over a jump, but I'm not sure if that is necessarily
    true.
    
    However it happened,  very sad.
    
    g

    >an instructor who was thrown from her horse
    >during a trail ride on October 15th, and she is still
    >in a coma...
    
    Was she wearing a helmet? I'll bet not. The same sort of thing happened
    to a friend of ours. SHe's a very experienced rider and instructor. She
    went out hilltopping with a hunt one day. She fell from her horse and
    was ina coma for 2 weeks. To this day, she doesn't remember the accident
    and it was more than 12 years ago. SHe thought she didn't need a hlemet
    because of her experience. She still has memory loss and impaired senses
    like smell and hearing.
    
    On the other hand, Jan & I were out hacking one day and went through
    a field we went through several times a week. This time, a woodchuck
    burrow collapsed  when the horse stepped on top of the tunnel. The
    horse fell over its shoulder pitching Jan off head first. She landed on
    her head. Fortunately, she was wearing a good helmet and she wasn't
    seriously hurt(headache and stiff neck).

    RE: Helmet - I took a good close look at the picture of Donna 
    Goldberg that was in the Pedlar, and I noticed (it was hard
    to see what type of saddle the horse had at first glance) that
    it was a Western saddle.  I presume she was not wearing a helmet.
    
    I wouldn't ride without one, under any circumstance.  It was
    the very first piece of equipment I purchased, and the best
    and safest that money can buy.
    
    I love to ride, but when I hear about some of these accidents, 
    it puts the risk into perspective.  I used to be fearless
    (when I was young and had my own horse - nearly drove my
    poor mother to coronary arrest).  Not so now!  
    
    g

Donna Goldberg died this past Saturday.

We were friends with her and her husband, but hadn't heard from them in
a few months.  Until I read the previous replies.

She wasn't wearing a helmet.  Never did.

We'll miss her.

-Steve

    That is really sad news.  I didn't know her at all, but from the
    article it seems she had alot of friends.
    
    Accidents can happen to the best of the best rider.  A helmet would
    probably have saved her life.
    
    My sympathies on the loss of  your friend.
    
    g.

    Unfortuneatly, far too few riders wear helmets.  This is one area where
    I personally feel that the pros are at times a negative influence on
    the general horse-riding public. How many times have you seen photos
    in magazines of pro riders sans helmets? I notice it a LOT.  Awhile
    back, PH did an article of Katie Monohan-Prudent and her dedication to
    her young son, riding, etc.  Showed a nice, cute photo of her and her
    son mounted...both with no helmets.  I was disappointed in both Katie
    and PH for publishing the photo.  Wonder how many kids thought "Well,
    if Katie doesn't need one, why do I?"
    
    I wouldn't go so far as to say that in either of the cases mentioned
    that a helmet would have saved the life of the rider, because death
    can occur helmet or not.   It's a risk you take when you get on a
    horse.  But at least you have more of a chance of surviving an accident
    with one than without.  Personally, I don't recall ever being mounted
    without one, and I began riding at so young an age that I don't
    remember learning how.  
    
    Both these stories are tragic!
      
    
    
      

    True, riding is more than just a little risky no matter what you
    do to protect yourself, but if you wear a helmet that MEETS ALL
    SAFETY STANDARDS, in my opinion (and I have been saved by
    wearing a helmet) you are protecting yourself against a much
    greater risk.  It does not take much of a rap on the skull
    to kill a person.
    
    All I can say is that hopefully those who don't think they need
    to wear one will learn by the tragedy of accidents like this.
    Professionals should be pushing for this.
    
    g

    Linda, didn't Katie herself have a good fall several years ago while
    she was pregnant?
    
    Karen
    

    Karen,
    
    I don't know, did she? Does anyone remember?  I don't really follow the
    pro circuit much, I just remember that article/photo standing out in my
    mind.  
    

    I'm pretty sure Katie M. P. did take a nasty spill a few years ago but
    I don't recall whether or not it was while she was pregnant. Ian Millar
    also took a nasty spill 2 - 3 years ago up at Spruce Meadows. He was 
    wearing an old fashioned hunt cap helmet with no chin strap. It came
    off when he fell so it didn't do any good. If I remember right, he was in
    a coma for a couple days, etc. Fortunately, he lived to tell about it
    and vowed never to jump w/o a helmet that had a chin strap. 

    Yes, but was he pregnant at the time?
    
    
    (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

    RE: inquiring minds need to know..
    
    Hmm, I think only Arnold Schwarzeneger(sp?) is capable of that one..

     
    
    	I don't know about everyone else but,  have you seen the national
    jumpers they rarely were a helmet with a safty strap and if they are
    wearing helmets it's the old fashioned ones.. 
    
    	I would think that with such publicity they would wear helmets that 
    would want to make a statement about wearing a helmet.
    
    I never used to wear a helmet until I saw my girlfriends head hit the
    street - She was wasn't right for months.. I alwasy wear one now and my
    husband does too.

    I guess it's like alot of things, people think accidents won't
    happen to them.
    
    I agree, these professional riders should be promoting safety in
    a big way.  It gives me the creeps to think about falling and
    hitting my head on a rock or pavement.  It is a gross thought,
    and if some of these non-helmet wearing riders really stopped
    to think about it in great detail, I'll bet they'd change
    their habit.  I've certainly been thrown and stepped on 
    more than a few times, and thanked God later I had the
    common sense to protect my head.
    
    The adult professionals should be setting an example for
    the young riders, if not for their own safety.
    
    g.

re: pros and helmets at horse shows

At many of these large jumper shows, the jumper classes are conducted
under international rules, which differ from the AHSA rules. There's also 
the AHSA rules for juniors, and the rules for seniors. So, there's lots of
different rule defining organizations, and flavors of the rules within
the organization. Now, if they would only all adopt the same helmet ruling.....


kathy
(who wears her helmet all the time, and is *still* missing 45 minutes from
her memory (6.5 years after the fact) after a fall onto soft ground *with* an
approved helmet on)

    Kathy has a good point.  And what about dressage....are helmets
    actually considered 'improper' attire in the dressage ring or
    are they optional?  It seems that the dressage world does not
    feel that helmets are necessary...why is this? Is it because
    they aren't jumping and consider themselves at no risk (and
    do they really *believe* that?).  What about junior dressage 
    competitors, are they allowed to wear helmets?  I know in the
    endurance field, most riders DO wear them, even at the very low
    level I ride at they are far more common than not. 
       

I found my transition to helmet wearing alot like seat belts - it took a little
while to get used to it - but now I feel really uncomfortable and insecure with
out it!

I actually wear it when I am working on the ground with my young one (1/2 TB).

I have found that - with age - I am more concerned about my health than my
hairdo ;-)

JoAnne
(who wishes she had her helmet on the first time one of her equine children
bopped her in the bean with a cement block head! :-)

    In dressage competition at the lower levels, helmets are optional
    (with a derby being the other option, although I've also seen some
    top hats at 4th level).  At the FEI levels, top hats are required.
    
    Now I'm going to throw a little fuel on the fire here.  Some people's
    belief systems are that what is meant to happen will happen, regardless
    of what you do to prevent it.  And what is not meant to happen will not
    happen, regardless of what you do to make it happen.  So they don't
    feel the urgency around wearing helmets that some of you have expressed
    here.
    
    For example, just yesterday someone told me about her 80+ year old
    grandmother who lives by herself on top of a mountain without even a
    phone.  She's been asked many a time, "But what if....?"  Her answer?
    "If I die, I die."
    
    Mary

    re: last few
    
    AHSA rules state that a competitor shall not be penalized for wearing
    protective headgear in any competiton in any division. Division to the
    AHSA means discipline - dressage, eventing, etc: They, of course,
    strongly recommend ASTM/SEI helmets. A conservative coloured helmet
    cover is mandatory in some divisions like dressage.
    
    The cover of this month's (December) Yankee Horsemen's Peddlar shows a
    junior competitor jumping with an obviously not securely fastened hard
    hat. The chin strap is hanging loose a couple of inches below her chin.
    This is a violation of AHSA rules for junior competitors yet this girl
    won some competition (not clear if it was AHSA sanctioned or not).
    Where use of ASTM/SEI (or any other) hard hats is mandatory the rules
    include the phrase "securely fastened" and the admonition that
    competitors must not be allowed to ride until their hat is so fastened.

    True, fate has something to do with it, but why tempt fate?
    
    As for me, if I'm going to die from a riding accident, I'm
    going out with my helmet on.  God helps those who help
    themselves...
    
    g

    Yes Joanne, I can relate - I took a good pop in the head myself
    a couple of weeks ago by my little (BIG) friend as I was adjusting
    his girth.  Saved by the helmet.
    g

    I agree with the previous replies, while it is amazing to 
    watch the Grand Prix jumpers go over 5'+ fences, those helmuts
    without chin straps fly off with the greatest of ease when
    they hit the ground. Why bother wearing them at all? Which
    leads me to a topic on Western riding.
    
    I am the only one amongst my friends who rides English, and
    I always wear my helmut. My friends ride Western and always
    get a giggle when they watch me trot up to them with my 
    little black velvet helmut on. They call me "miss Prissy".
    
    I've spoken with alot of them and they feel peer pressure to wear 
    the "proper" attire for western riding, i.e.; western hat. They feel
    like they would get laughed out of the place to be such a "whimp" if
    they wore safety helmuts. We do alot of the 20 mile pleasure trail 
    rides and I very rarely see a Western rider wear a helmut.
    
    All the Western pleasure classes wear the big fancy hats and all
    the English classes wear helmuts. If this is "required" dress,
    then the rules should change. I don't think you should be marked
    down because you wore a helmut instead of a hat!! I've also seen this 
    in the lead line classes with 3-5 year old children wearing western 
    hats! And although I find the barrel racing exciting, I cringe to
    see that none of them wear hard hats.
    
    So to all of you western riders out there, how many of you wear
    helmuts and how many of you don't wear helmuts because you
    feel like people would laugh at you ???                    
    
    Tina
    

    Seems I remember seeing western-style helmets on the market, actually.
    Same cowboy-type hat, with protective gear underneath.  I thought it
    was a good idea!  Wonder how popular they are with western riders....
    

    I ride western and wear a cowboy hat in lieu of a helmut.  Even
    though there are very valid points about why a helmet should be
    worn I don't think, never say never, that I ever will.  I suppose
    when you think of the Western motif you picture boots, chaps, spurs,
    and cowboy hats, riding out on the range.  I guess we're just a 
    bunch of wannabe's and a wearing helmet doesn't fit the image.  I 
    suppose in the end it's up to the rider.  If they want to take a
    chance let them make that decision.  I agree with earlier notes
    that perhaps kids up to a certain age should be required to wear
    a helmet just like the bicycle laws we have down here.  But, once
    you are an adult you should be able to make your own decision whether
    it goes against common sense or not.
    
    An earlier note mentioned something about pro rodeo riders should set
    an example wearing helmets.  I was just reading a paper on the Las
    Vegas Championships last week that talked about some of the rules 
    around the attire particpants must wear.  I'll bring it with me on
    Monday, if I remember.  The only thing that stands out in my memory is
    that it is mandatory that bull riders wear a cowboy hat.  I was
    wondering why I've been seeing some bull riders that would wear
    something resembling a lacrosse mask with a cowboy hat tacked on top
    of it.
                             
    Craig

    Craig,
    
    FWIW, I agree with you that helmets are a personal choice and should
    remain so.  Same as motorcycle riders, in my opinion.  If you're an
    adult and choose not to wear one, then get severly injured or killed
    in an accident when a helmet could have saved you...well, don't 
    expect much sympathy from me.  I also believe, however, that pros
    who know full well that a lot of riders, particularly kids, look
    up to them, should act responsibly and set a good example.    

    Why tempt fate?  For some people, living on the edge is what its all 
    about.  There is a certain thrill, that goes with certain sports, of
    putting it on the line.  Life becomes much more real, much more
    intense.  Its the thrill you feel of a good wild gallop -- I have no
    doubt that's the feeling that drives a lot of top level eventers and
    skiers, race car drivers, etc.
    
    We've all felt it to some degree at one time or another.  Some want to
    live that way more than others.
    
    Some 15 years ago when my last (1500 pound) horse got tangled in a jump 
    and half flipped/half rolled on top of me, pinning me from my neck to my 
    knees under her butt, I experienced it for an extended period of time.  I
    never had been more totally alive or totally focussed in the present than
    when I was desparately grabbing at the few weeds trying to drag myself 
    out from under her.  It was a very dry August and the ground was bare and 
    rock hard.  I remember for days afterwards, you could see clawmarks in the 
    ground where I had tried to claw my way out from under her. I was only 
    dimly aware of a dull pain in my back, but that was way, way on the
    back burner. 
    
    I was starting to lose consciousness when she finally rolled off of me. 
    It was only then that I really experienced the pain.  Personally,
    although I would have felt pity for any witnesses, it really would have
    been a fine way to die -- just a little too soon for my preferences
    (not to mention my fate)!
    
    Mary

    Yes, that is a personal choice.  I am no stranger to taking
    chances, nor is anyone else that rides.  You take a chance
    every time you get into the saddle.  Nobody can ever really
    predict what a horse will do, or any animal.  The choice
    lies in whether you are really and truly willing to accept
    the consequences in the event of an accident.  
    
    I love to ride, and have been doing so since I was six.  I
    love it enough to risk broken bones, bruises, and a host
    of other injuries.   I know I can die from a broken neck
    too, and there's not much I can do about it, but if
    I can protect my head, I'm going to do so.  If I had 
    children that also rode, they would protect themselves
    as well, or they wouldn't ride.
    
    I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I do agree
    absolutely, it is a personal choice to wear or not to
    wear a helmet.  But I also agree with the previous
    notes in regard to setting an example for young kids.
    
    If not wearing a helmet gives a person an added thrill,
    then go for it.
    
    The thought of smashing my head on the ground just doesn't
    do it for me.
    
    Gail

    Both my wife and daughter ride and both always have helmets on when
    mounted. Wearing their helmets has saved both of them from severe
    injury. My daughter was riding in the indoor arena and was thrown into
    the side wall when her horse spooked. The first thing that hit the wall
    was her helmet and I can only imagine what would have happened if she
    was not wearing it. My wife had a pretty bad fall during XC at an event 
    and the cut across the top of her helmet showed me that it was a good
    thing she was wearing it. By the way she did get a concussion and still
    has no recall about the fall at all, I unfortunately have the video.
    
    At our barn where we board, nobody is allowed to be mounted without a
    helmet whether your riding english, western, are young or old, a
    pleasure rider or a pro. It's a great policy and I know it is there for
    insurance reasons for the owner but the end result is everyone is safer
    and that can only be a good thing.
    
    Helmets should not only be for horseback riding. I know my 2 kids are
    only allowed to ride their bikes, rollerblades, and skateboards if they
    have their helmets on. I realize adults have the option to do as they
    choose and I am not one to take away peoples rights, but kids should be
    made to wear protective gear for the appropriate occasion. It also
    shouldn't be left up to the law to "force" kids to wear helmets,
    parents should be responsible enough to assure they do and the best way
    to do that is by example.
    
    In reading all these notes I have seen the list of reasons why people
    should wear a helmet. What I would like to know is why wouldn't someone
    want to wear a helmet? Is there a good reason not to? Are these some of
    the reasons (place tongue in cheek)?:
    
    	1) It will mess up my hair.
    	2) My friends will laugh at me.
    	3) I don't have to.
    	4) It's not as safe.
    	5) It's not as exciting.
    	6) It's too heavy.
    	7) It gives me a headache.
    	8) It doesn't look good.
    
    Flame on:
    I guess I would be hardpressed for any excuse of why someone shouldn't
    or wouldn't wear a helmet in a sport or activity where a head injury
    could easily occur. If you have some good reasons please post them, I'd
    love to hear them.
    Flame off.
    
    Shawn
    
    Remember, as an adult, you have every right not to protect yourself
    where the sport doesn't require it, and I value your right to do so.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

�                      <<< Note 1936.30 by LUDWIG::SSHEA >>>
�                     -< Any good reasons not to wear one? >-

�    Flame on:
�    I guess I would be hardpressed for any excuse of why someone shouldn't
�    or wouldn't wear a helmet in a sport or activity where a head injury
�    could easily occur. If you have some good reasons please post them, I'd
�    love to hear them.
�    Flame off.

Shawn,

I agree with some of the earlier opinions expressed (kinda the same as 
smoking - I think you'd have to be a total hermit to not know it's not good 
for you).   Wearing a helmet or not should be my choice - I shouldn't have 
to give you a reason why I won't or don't wear one.  It shouldn't be 
legislated or mandated.  What I would like to see is the insurance 
companies having higher deductibles if you have an accident and you weren't 
wearing a helmet.  This let's you make the full choice and not penalize me.

Children should wear helmets since they probably aren't old enough to 
understand how to perform the risk assessment necessary to make an informed 
choice.
    

    If you do not want to wear a helmet, then by all means don't.
    Everyone has an opinion and every right to that opinion.
    
    I also excercise the right to opinion.
    
    My opinion, and bluntly so, is this.
    
    There's something that keeps a person from wearing a helmet when
    engaged in a sport involving a high risk of head injury. Whatever
    that something is, and, like Shawn, I have to think it  has
    something to do with vanity or ego, or maybe just pure 
    discomfort (although as much as I hate anything on my head,
    it's never bothered me enough not to wear it so I'm alittle
    hard-pressed to believe it's got anything to do with that).
    Whatever the reason may be - nobody is trying to take anybody's
    personal choice away here. 
    
    As for kids wearing helmets, that rule should hold, always
    and without question.  Would you let your child ride without
    one?   

    
    
    I agree with the last few notes.  Being the mom of a son who rode
    increasingly dangerous vehicles (dirt bikes, 4-wheelers, snomobiles) I
    really took it upon myself (and it wasn't an easy job) to insist he
    always have and wear the appropriate head protection (or suffer the
    wrath of Mom!).
    
    Well, I got this boy through his teen age years uninjured.  And now
    that he is old enough to make his own decisions about his safety - 
    and usually makes the right choice. 
    
    It is the parents job to insist on safety.  Riding is dangerous but you
    can minimize the risk by wearing helmets, learning proper riding and
    handling techniques and not allowing your kid to do 'stupid stuff' (like
    take a strange and obnoxious horse swimming in a pond with only a
    bridle/no saddle - there's a head injury/concussion/6 hrs of my life
    that I can't account for).
    
    A child doesn't fully understand the consequences of their actions.  It
    is a parents job to keep them safe.  Beyond that, adults make their own
    choices and should consider their part as role model to these kids.
    
     - my .02 - JB

    
    When I was younger and had my 1st horse.  I never wore a helmet.  I
    rode my horse all over the place.  I would ride from Hudson to Stow
    and then ride on a 9hr trail ride.  I then got my second horse and
    again I never wore a helmet.
    
    Then I rode a friends horse and I was going to take him over a jump.
    Well, I made it over the jump but he didn't :<) - I started to
    wear a helmet after I broke my wrist (luckly it was only my wrist that
    was broken)
    
    I finally got smart after that fall.  Now, even if I'm on my own horse
    just riding around in my ring - I have the helmut on.  Now adays I
    can't belive I never rode w/out it.  If anyone comes to my land and
    he/she wants to ride my horse - western or not - they WILL wear a
    helmut, or they wont ride.
    
    As for a personnal choice - fine.  but like another noter said - 
    smashing my head on the groud does do anything for me.. now
    galloping accorss a beach at sunrise - Ahh! that does it for me
    (and no, I do not need my long hair blowing in the breeze) just
    the thought of a powerful horse under my body atune to every move
    I make it a thrill enough.
    
    PS  I've seen kids at 4H shows wearing cowboy hats w/built in hardhats
    they look cool - you can't even tell it's a real hardhat.
    
    Lou

	Folks,

	I have been reading this note with interest, and would like to 
	add a put a slightly different perspective on this discussion
    	by relating my accident.
    	Before that, I also recognise that this discussion has drifted 
    	a little from it's original intent. 
    	(Mods - is there a case for moving the "Wear or not" discussion  
    	to another note ?)

	My thoughts and prayers are with the girls family and friends
	who must be having a hard time coming to terms with her death.

	It was just before Xmas and having had my lesson cancelled, I 
    	was invited by some other instructress' to join them on a hack 
    	instead.

	At some point during that ride I ended up on the road unconscious 
    	- can't remember the details.
	This fall resulted in my spending the next few days in hospital 
	with concussion.  
	As if my headache wasn't enough, I had to cope with a lecture on 
    	why hadn't I worn a riding hat and saved everyone the worry and
	expense of picking up my pieces - particulary so near to Xmas.

	They had a point.  

	My accident meant that an ambulance was deployed, a doctor called 
    	out and my husband was faced with the trauma of being called away 
    	from his work place by the hospital.
	Xmas holiday plans had to be changed, and I lost working days.	
	etc etc.....

	Made me think.  

	Has it changed my hat wearing habit.  No.
	A hat was, and still is, the most important piece of my 
	riding gear.  I'll leave you all to guess what the reaction
	of the hospital staff was, when my husband managed to prove
	to them that I had been wearing a properly fitted riding hat 
	at the time of the accident.   (Particulary as it was of the 
	highest safety standard).

	Judy
    

    Imagine the extent of the injury if you hadn't been wearing
    one....

    Re: .35
    
    British Standard 4472 for jockey skull caps, the "highest level
    standard" in the U.K., doesn't provide much in the way of energy
    absorbtion for lateral blows. Landing head first is covered better than
    a sideways whack on the head that can also happen in a fall. The U.S
    ATSM/SEI standard is more rigorous in that respect.
    
    Re: general discussion
    
    Those who decide to ride without protective headgear are proving that
    there is nothing inside their skulls worth protecting.
    

    >Those who decide to ride without protective headgear are proving that
    >there is nothing inside their skulls worth protecting.
    
    A friend of mine says "Those who won't spend the money for a helmet
    know what their brains are worth."
    
    

    >    Re: general discussion
    >
    >    Those who decide to ride without protective headgear are proving
    >    that there is nothing inside their skulls worth protecting.
    >
    
    I don't usually reply in this notes file, but with no smiley on it (if
    that was how it was intended) I find this remark out of line.  Whether 
    I choose to wear a helmut or not is my choice (as others in here have
    specified).  Just because someone chooses to do something other than 
    what one person feels is right, there is no reason to resort to
    comments like this.  If you choose to do something that is *your
    choice*.  If someone else chooses to do something else, that doesn't
    make you right and them wrong and there is no reason for comments of
    this nature.  I'd rather not see this note write locked like many
    others are in notes files because folks start finger pointing and 
    name calling.  Let's keep equitation fun.
    
    Just FYI, I ride both horses (sometime with a helmut and sometimes 
    without) and motorcycles (always with a helmut) and that doesn't make
    me any better or worse than anyone else or what's inside my head as
    any more or less worth protecting than anyone else's!
    
    \Caroline

Actually Caroline did a better job than I could have.

I think the point has been made several times now. So
let's not continue to argue over the motivates of adult
riders.

Vicky
co-mod

    Apparently the authors of .39 and .40 do not have the same value system
    as I do. 
    
    Several times in the equestrian context I have had to deal with the
    situation arising from riders exercising their "freedom". These were
    not  conditions I would wish on anybody but they were situations that
    could have been avoided had a little common sense been applied before
    hand. Perhaps I should have left these riders to suffer their fates and
    their "freedom" after their accidents. 
    
    I appreciate responses .39 and .40 as little as they apparently
    appreciate my sarcasm.
    
    Enough said.
     

    Helmets....
    I have been riding for 5 years and never wear a helmet. I don't 
    jump or ride near streets, and my horses are not spooked by dogs.
    Most of my riding is in open prairie or park trails.
    If I was going to be jumping or was on an unknown mount I
    would reconsider. 
    
    Carl
     

    Well, I thought it was totally ridiculus that Massachusetts passed a
    law that my kids must always where a helmet when riding their bikes.
    Now my kids no longer ride their bikes. I wonder if the advantages out-
    weigh the disadvantages, certainly if they were doing rolleys and jumps
    and spins I might agree.  People could make a pretty good argument that
    we would all be much safer if everyone in our cars wore helmet, think
    of all the lives it would save! Cars are dangerous, high speed
    vehicles. We might also consider wearing helmets outside when its
    icey and slippery out, 100's of people get hurt falling on ice.
    
    The point is, we want to be safe but not ridiculus, I would not ride my
    present horses without a helmet, but I have had horses I would
    certainly ride without one.  Let's chill out.

I have word that the other mods do not agree with
my response to .40. So take that response as a
personal response.

I do hope we don't get into a rathole over the appropriateness
of this topic and people's reactions. 

I do not want people to think that they can't express
an opinion in this notesfile and am sorry if my
response may have made some of you think that.

Apologies,

Vicky

    As a mod:
    
    I see nothing wrong with the discussion going on in here, so long
    as it does not resort to personal name-calling: 'your stupid for
    not wearing a helmet', etc. The comment a few back that 'those who
    don't wear helmets are proving there is nothing in their heads worth
    protecting' is an often-heard saying that i'm sure most of us have
    heard on a regular basis....it was certainly not an original comment
    dreamed up by whoever entered it in here...and I don't believe it
    was meant as a personal attack on anyone, although it was probably
    a bit inappropriate.    
    
    I also agree with Vicki, please don't rathole over the approriateness
    of this topic and people's reactions!
    
    Just keep the discussion to why/why not you choose to wear one.
    
    - Linda
    
    

    I guess I'm part of the group that it depends on the situation.  I used
    to wear a hat all the time, but with my older guy I rarely wear one
    now.  With my youngster, I do when I'm in a new or unusual situation.
    
    I ride dressage only, absolutely no jumping, occasional walk through
    the woods and fields to give them a break.  The two deaths that I am
    aware of recently in the dressage world both happened due to crushed
    chests when the horse came over on top of the rider, they were alone in
    an indoor arena, and were found several hours later.  Would a chest
    protector help in this sort of situation?

    [begin sermon]
    Being a dressage rider is not a valid reason to forego wearing a helmet.
    Statistics show that dressge riders have as many falls as other types
    of riders but a *higher* head injury rate because of the mistaken
    belief that dressge riders don't need helmets.
    [end of sermon]
    
    [begin opinion]
    The value of a body vest/protector in this situation is unclear to me.
    They are invalueable in certain types of falls(e.g. where the rider
    gets trampled) because they protect against the blows of the hoofs or
    objects that the rider falls onto. FOr example, jockey Julie Krone
    and her doctors credit the new lightweight body protector that jockeys 
    wear with saving her life in a racing spill in August 1993. She was
    kicked in the chest right above the heart in that spill. Result w/the
    so-called "flak-jacket": a bruised heart. Expected result w/o flak
    jacket: death. I don't know how much protection body vests provide 
    against crushing weight if a horse rolled over on you or fell on top 
    of you. Perhaps, the eventers have some info on that.
    [end opinion]

    The thing is, no matter how well you know your horse, and feel you
    can make an accurate risk assessment, you really can't say what
    will happen under an unusual cirmstance.  Although the risk
    can seem nonexistent at the time, anything can pop up.
    There are alot of freak accidents waiting to happen out there.
    I've had a few! 
    
    I ride a horse during my lesson every week, and really got
    to know him and feel I could pretty much predict his behavior
    and by appearances, he was pretty steady.  Then one 
    day we were out in the field during a lesson, and he must've
    been having a bad hair day - he had some moves I didn't know
    he was capable of, and I was alittle too close to a stone
    wall to be comfortable. I did manage to stay on, and after
    that he was ok, but it was like riding a horse I didn't
    even know. (This has happened a couple of times with my
    own horse).  
    
    Then there's the occasional dirtbike, unexpected wildlife,
    a dip in the landscape, etc.
    
    Any number of things can happen, and that is why I am
    such a helmet advocate.  By the sounds of it, a chest
    protector isn't such a bad idea either!
    
    A freak accident is actually how this whole discussion came
    to be (Donna Goldberg was thrown from her horse on a trail
    ride - an instructor on her own horse).  It can happen
    to anyone, anywhere, doing just about anything.
    
    (course, I'm pretty hard-headed anyhow, but no match
    for concrete!!)
    
    g

    I decided to put my "overseas" 0.02c into this discussion, too.
    
    As for me this is an individuals personal decision: some related
    examples from my private lore book follow:
    
    1. Living in Austria my primary sport was rock and ice climbing. At a
    certain time I've took this personal decision to wear helmet. Some of
    my friends found it too heavy, unfasionable, ... Some of do not live
    anymore :-(
    
    2. Being a physicist I've observed some of my fellow researchers go
    into the measurement room without switching off the accelerators' beam.
    It was so cumbersome to wait for the beam to stabilize again. Some of
    them do not live anymore :-(
    
    A professional approach to any risky situation has to include some
    protective measures. I've decided for myself that horse riding is so
    beautiful, that I would like to be able to ride even as an elderly
    person. Ending as an organ donor was just NOT IN IT.
    
    Many happy rides
    
    	Maciej
    

    Although I were always wear a safety helmut when riding,
    I agree that it is a personal choice.  
    
    Like my husband says when I nag him to wear his seat belt,
    he refuses do to so because "it's my body and I can do what I
    want". That will give me alot of consolation if God forbid
    some day he dies in a crash because he didn't wear his seat 
    belt!
    
    I am getting off track a minute here, but my sisters have
    a right to smoke also (one is pregnant !!!) because "it's my
    body and I can do what I want". Mind you that one of my sisters
    DIED from cancer!!!
    
    OK, I'm back on track, if you don't wear a helmut for yourself,
    wear it for your loved ones that would miss you terribly if
    you died from a head trauma. Wear it for your horse, so that
    you can get back up after a fall when riding alone and so that
    he doesn't gallop down the road without you and get hit by a
    car and possible kill somebody. Wear it for your riding partners
    so they are not faced with seeing a tragedy unfold before your
    eyes!!
    
    t
    

    to Note .50,
    
    Those are the best reasons of all.
    
    g

Re: .50

I absolutely agree!!

My 2p worth...

I was hacking down a quiet country lane, the sun shining without a care in 
the world, on my normally quiet, placid ride.  Suddenly from nowhere there 
appeared a 10 ton lorry, trying to negotiate the tight bends of the lane (it 
turned out the driver had taken a wrong turning, and there wasn't enough 
room for him to reverse or turn around).  My normally traffic-proof horse 
suddenly went bannanas and decided enough was enough and threw me under the 
lorry!!  Without a doubt I would have died had it not been for my helmet.

There's a lot to be said for freedom of choice, but is it really worth the 
risk??  What has always frightened me more than death itself is being left a 
vegetable.., this happened to someone I know and convinced me beyond any 
doubt that riding without a helmet just wasn't worth it.

A friend has just renewed his horse insurance, and was asked specifically 
whether he rode with or without a helmet, it made a big difference in 
premiums, this a bigger incentive to him (as it had a direct impact) than 
all the horror stories put together.  Maybe this is the way to convice 
people to wear helmets.

Hi Folks,

I have just got to the end of this very interesting discussion and thought
I would pass on my experience from riding in Britian.

I have been riding for the past 18 years in Scotland and have ALWAYS worn 
a hat.  Strange you might think but I learnt to ride at British Horse Society
Approved riding school were they would not let you on a horse without
a hat on.  

Also as I got my own horse and kept it there, again you would be in serious 
trouble if they caught you on your horse without a hat.

As I went on to compete at Pony Club and Riding Club event you had to wear
a hat or have both feet securely on the ground.

During this time as I grew up there was times when I saw other people riding
without hats I used to think it would be cool to ride without BUT luckly
I knew beter and my hat has saved me on numerous occasions.

The moral to this tail is that I would never consider riding without a
hat due to the rule that made me always wear one when I was younger.  Without
those rules who knows......

I full support the British Goverments Rules that children under 14 MUST
wear a riding hat while riding on the roads and the BHS and Pony Club make
you wear a hat at all there event.

Regards

Michelle

    Hi All,
       Having been a semi-silent reader in this conference; I've also been
    helped out by several of my fellow noters. Even had a few Fantastic
    riding sessions with them. But in all my rides helmets were required.
    Last summer I found out why. I was thrown off my mount 10 minutes into
    my lesson and came down not to harn, only to be stepped on. Had it not
    been for my helmet being on I assuredly would have been hurt. My fellow
    noters that have helped me on have instilled in me the need for safety.
    	I am not saying that people are wrong for not wearing
    helmets,that's your choice! But I went home that afternoon and only had
    a hoof print as a reminder of that day.
    I speak for my self when I say I'm glad that I wear a helmet.
     Just my 2 bits worth.
    				Don