I was especially impressed with the lovely horse in the first video, who ignored the ringing phone, the motorized whatever-it-was, and all the other stuff...and as soon as he stumbled and the rider came loose he STOPPED so he wouldn't run over her!
I wear a helmet all the time and I really don't jump anymore. Dressage riders often think they are immune to accidents, but that is absolutely not true. Anyone who gets up on a horse is vulnerable.
How many times do we have to say it? Always wear a helmet when you ride.
OH, YOU HAVE HIT my soapbox issue! Check out my post a couple back titled....The phone call you never want to get....AFTER her Fall...
Thanks to her best friend taking this BAD fall (3 broken spinous processes and a broken nose--and YES, she had her helmet on!!!...) my main riding buddy now rides with a helmet!!! This was a MAJOR endeavor. Crazily enough, a couple days previously I had told her I wanted something to happen to her. Nothing where she would get majorly hurt, but something that would scare her into wearing one. I felt pretty bad when not 2-3 days later our friend (an EXPERT trainer, dressage & trail rider) had her accident. Just goes to show you...a horse is NEVER totally bombproof. The scary prospect of what could have been is prob. the only thing that made her say, "Hey, can I wear that extra helmet of yours?" on our next ride out. She starts wearing it and says, "Oh, your helmet is so comfortable, I'm gonna buy one next payday! Her own helmets are a gazillion years old, no lining, and probably were NEVER comfy, even when new! SOOOOO....helmets. I love em. Especially as I've only landed on my feet once, all the other times it was my head hitting the ground! New helmet(s) were purchased after the falls of course, but I'm getting better at not falling off Jacks, a great way to save for my much coveted dressage lessons... But I have three helmets, so I should be set even if I crash one..... Hmmm. Just wrote a book. Told you it was my soapbox!!! HEEE HEEE! --Mindy
Good for you Mindy, having the kahunas to talk frankly to your friend. I am ANGRY with Dressage Today for allowing professionals depicted in their pages ride without helmets. These people should be ROLE MODELS and instead they're riding sensitive, explosive animals while being nicely coiffed. Does it have to happen to people within our DISCIPLINE before we pay attention?
YEP! And that just breeds the thinking, "Well, the professionals don't do it, it must NOT be the cool thing to do if you are a good rider." Misleading and a discredit to the sport in my opinion! It KILLS me to see all of the Western riders (esp. the kids) w/o helmets. A nurse I know is friends with some folks who lost their 14 yr old daughter last year due to a head injury r/t no helmet. SO sad and uneccessary. At least put them on the kids..... Sigh. Stepping back off soapbox... :) --Mindy
Hi Guys, Your comments are valued and appreciated -- until recently I never rejected a post. Please note that I reserve the right to reject an anonymous post.
I was especially impressed with the lovely horse in the first video, who ignored the ringing phone, the motorized whatever-it-was, and all the other stuff...and as soon as he stumbled and the rider came loose he STOPPED so he wouldn't run over her!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes: I love my helmet.
I wear a helmet all the time and I really don't jump anymore. Dressage riders often think they are immune to accidents, but that is absolutely not true. Anyone who gets up on a horse is vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteHow many times do we have to say it? Always wear a helmet when you ride.
Amen to that!
ReplyDeleteOH, YOU HAVE HIT my soapbox issue! Check out my post a couple back titled....The phone call you never want to get....AFTER her Fall...
ReplyDeleteThanks to her best friend taking this BAD fall (3 broken spinous processes and a broken nose--and YES, she had her helmet on!!!...) my main riding buddy now rides with a helmet!!! This was a MAJOR endeavor. Crazily enough, a couple days previously I had told her I wanted something to happen to her. Nothing where she would get majorly hurt, but something that would scare her into wearing one. I felt pretty bad when not 2-3 days later our friend (an EXPERT trainer, dressage & trail rider) had her accident. Just goes to show you...a horse is NEVER totally bombproof. The scary prospect of what could have been is prob. the only thing that made her say, "Hey, can I wear that extra helmet of yours?" on our next ride out. She starts wearing it and says, "Oh, your helmet is so comfortable, I'm gonna buy one next payday! Her own helmets are a gazillion years old, no lining, and probably were NEVER comfy, even when new!
SOOOOO....helmets. I love em. Especially as I've only landed on my feet once, all the other times it was my head hitting the ground! New helmet(s) were purchased after the falls of course, but I'm getting better at not falling off Jacks, a great way to save for my much coveted dressage lessons... But I have three helmets, so I should be set even if I crash one.....
Hmmm. Just wrote a book. Told you it was my soapbox!!! HEEE HEEE!
--Mindy
Good for you Mindy, having the kahunas to talk frankly to your friend. I am ANGRY with Dressage Today for allowing professionals depicted in their pages ride without helmets. These people should be ROLE MODELS and instead they're riding sensitive, explosive animals while being nicely coiffed. Does it have to happen to people within our DISCIPLINE before we pay attention?
ReplyDeleteYEP! And that just breeds the thinking, "Well, the professionals don't do it, it must NOT be the cool thing to do if you are a good rider." Misleading and a discredit to the sport in my opinion!
ReplyDeleteIt KILLS me to see all of the Western riders (esp. the kids) w/o helmets. A nurse I know is friends with some folks who lost their 14 yr old daughter last year due to a head injury r/t no helmet. SO sad and uneccessary. At least put them on the kids.....
Sigh. Stepping back off soapbox...
:)
--Mindy