[4hooves4me2]

question...how do you get one that fits?

( I KNOW, silly question...) But I would think getting one that does NOT fit, would not serve the purpose....

[Feliche]

4hooves...that's sooo not a silly question You're absolutely right! An ill fitting helmet is a useless one. I've heard they can even make it worse. To find a helmet that fits, it's generally best to go to a tack store and try them on like clothes! Well except they go on your head...not...yeah.

I don't know all the finer points of helmet-fittiness, but generally the one that's the most comfortable, that's snug but not tight, and doesn't shift a whole lot when you shake your head, is the best one for you. What I like are the ones with the little "dial dealies" in the back, because you can adjust the fit with them!

[kellidahorsegirl]

^^ Like megan said....go try them on. The tack store should be able to help you too.
Also, you'll want to shake your head side to side AND up and down (like nodding)...it should wiggle, but thats only cuz your skin is moving.....it should not move from where it was ... and thats withtout the buckle being buckled.

[Teaka_Winnie]

wow, good post, wasn't til now that I thought wearing a helmet is important...

[CatandMinot]

I had this same thing happen to my troxel-- though I liked it!

Skysthelimit (Brittany) and I decided to race Cat and Firefly up the hill-- us of course needing some extra competition in our lives! jk Cat was in a weird mood and was a little stiff, but being a teenager, I ignored the warming/ chicken lights going off in my head and raced anyway. Firefly broke in to a dead run, with Cat behind her. I was leaning over Cat's neck, when she out of the blue started bucking seriously like a bronc. Mind you we are at a flat out gallop, up a steep hill, with me already unbalanced in a 2-point. I fly off in front of her as, Cat jumps over me, stops after around 10 feet, and looks back at me with the "what are you doing down there you i.diot?" look on her face.

I lay there for a few minutes while Brittany came back with Fly. I slowly sat up, decided I was ok, and got back on. My head and back were hurting pretty badly, but I knew I needed to get back on. We continued riding (but not any faster than a slow lope), before we headed back to the barn and put the horses away. I didn't even notice the helmet damage, until I went back out to the barn later that night. I was shocked that I hadn't seen what had happened to it before. There was a huge crack in the back of it (too bad I didn't take any pictures!) through whole helmet about 4 inches long. The adjustment thing in the back had also snapped off and broken in 3 different places. I was shocked. It had never occurred to me that my helmet had probably saved me a trip to the hospital (or maybe even my life).

Now I ALWAYS ride with a helmet. When ever I forget, I ride all the way back to the barn to get it- no matter what we are doing or if Cat is in a good mood. I sent in my busted helmet a couple weeks later when I realized it was still under warranty and got my new one yesterday in the mail.

Moral of the story-- no matter how ugly helmets look, wear them anyway. They might just save your neck-- literally!!