[Caterina]

from NOT wearing a helmet to wearing one...



***If you dont wear helmets, or just wanna post either way that helmets should or shouldnt be worn, then please dont post***

[AQHA Hunter]

I used to only wear one when jumping or sometimes when trail riding. I am older and wiser now, and also riding young green horses, so I always wear one now. Plus, helmets are SO much lighter and comfier than they used to be, which makes it way easier. I have to admit, with my last mare being a WP mare, I didn't even own a helmet because it wasn't "cool" but I ride English now so it's easier to fit in as a helmet-wearer.

[ahorseofcourse]

For me it was probably the passing of Jessica Forsyth. Even though she was wearing a helmet, it just shows how beautiful but deadly horses can be.

[Preppy_Ponies]

Well for me I grew up always having a helmet on my head. But after I hit 18 I generally only wore it on a new or unperdictable horse or when jumping. For the most part my horse is about the laziest thing ever and most days very little can scare him. Just kind of a big plod along WB. But then Romeo was kind enough to remind me of his dreams of joining a rodeo bronco string I did a lovely somersault and hit the ground pretty hard but thanks to my helmet I was fine other than a bloody nose. Plus it's a long way down from the back a 17.2hh horse. Since then I've only sat on a horse once without my helmet and it was for just to pose for our christmas pic.

[cowgirlek7]

Pretty much, second time I came of off a horse, and I had a helmet on and still got a pretty good concussion.
I have $40,000 + in school loans, so I figure I have a lot invested in my head.
Also I got use to it when I was riding in English barns and just go it to habit.
One of the barns that did let you not wear a helmet, made me, just because they didn't want to deal with my mother if I got hurt.

[Anti-Silence]

When my horses got old enough to ride... and probably when I fell off a year ago, but luckily didn't hit my head.

[Rising Star]

I used to not wear one much when I was younger aside from when I had lessons since you had to. I started riding a mare and doing a lot of trail riding prepping for competitive trail and the lady I was riding for suggested I get a helmet incase anything happened when I was alone. Now I dont ride without it.. i feel like im missing something major if I dont have it on. thankfully I do always wear one since I have been thrown and it saved me big time then since I went right into a fence. Also jumping.. you never know what will happen.
even for example today could have gone really wrong and I could have gotten hurt bad. Flint refused a jump and then went out to the side making me loose my balance and I came off but thankfully he knows how to stop if the rider comes off from all w/t/c so I didnt fall to the ground.. it was actually a somewhat graceful fall lol. If he didnt though or it was another horse I would have been on the ground or even dragged

[Finallyownhorse]

I fell off and got hurt pretty bad last Spring. Since then I wear a helmet. Although I will admit, sometimes I forget to put it on when I ride around on our property.

Dumb thing is, that is where I had my accident that sent me to the ER. In the front pasture.

[Jess!]

I had to wear a helmet growing up, because my grandparents made me, plus I was in 4-H. As soon as I turned 18, I stopped wearing one except at 4-H events.

Then I fell on my head, spend 13 hours in the ER with a concussion, and still didn't wear one.

Was thrown off and trampled this last October, and I didn't go to the hospital, but should have. I had a concussion and it was severe enough where I couldn't get out of the bed. The world spun, my head hurt, I was throwing up.

Now I wear one every time.

[Trace]

I will be wearing one when I start riding again this year becuase I have a daughter now.