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The Great Helmet Debate

Published on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 in General

From the June 2014 issue of The Stable Magazine – www.thestablemagazine.com/june2014

With International Helmet Awareness Day approaching, and with the (relatively) new implementation of the FEI’s updated headgear guidelines, we thought it was a great time to have a look into the use of helmets in competition and at home - the facts and figures of head injuries in our sport, and the fit and care of our own riding helmets - and yours! 

Riders4Helmetsand indeed, the first International Helmet Awareness day were founded in 2010, after Courtney King-Dye, an Olympic dressage rider fell from a horse after it tripped and fell. Courtney was not wearing a helmet at the time and suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Enter Lyndsey White, a friend of Courtney, who took to the internet - and Riders4Helmets was born.  The aim? “To educate equestrians on the benefits of wearing a properly fitted and secured, certified helmet”.Riders4Helmets is now celebrating it’s fourth year of education and incentives. Every year for Helmet Awareness Day, retailers around the world can participate in the program and offer discounts on helmets to their customers. The website also features a wealth of information on helmets, and articles contributed by many experts in the industry, including doctors and neurosurgeons. In one webinar, Dr. Timms of Troxel Helmets discussed ‘Five Helmet Facts That Might Surprise You’. Dr.Timms’ five facts include the following:

1. Horseback riders have a similar rate of serious head injury as motorcycle riders.

2. Serious head injuries are determined more by how far you are off the ground than your forward speed.

What you hit upon falling is unpredictable - fences, a hoof, the ground, a stone - or many other things.

20% of injuries occur when you’re simply around horses, not necessarily on them.

It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced rider - the risk of injury is more tied to how much you ride rather than how experienced you are. Dr.Timms explains that when a rider falls, forward motion (speed, or how fast you are going when you fall) often does not come into play, as you are unlikely to be hitting a vertical object which will cause an impact to halt your speed. The impact in a fall - where, if you hit your head, you will come to an immediate stop - comes from hitting the ground. 

3. All it takes is a fall from over three feet to suffer a serious brain injury.

As most of us know, when mounted on our horses we are often much higher!

4. Most people fully recover from single concussions.

Multiple concussions are a different matter. Dr.Timms points out that riders do not often suffer multiple concussions from a fall, as our sport is different to sports such as football or hockey, where participants are often suffering knocks throughout a game or season. In a fall, if a rider suffers a concussion, it is advised that the appropriate recovery time be allocated to ensure no further changes to the brain (either physical changes or mental changes). Dr.Timms comments that studies have shown that people who have recently suffered a concussion may be more likely to suffer another if the head is exposed to further trauma.

5. Single impact helmets for equestrians are constructed differently to multi-impact helmets (such as those used in hockey or American football).

Dr.Timms explains that our helmets are designed to give up their structure in order to absorb energy. As helmets often do not have to withstand multiple impacts, they are designed so that the inner foam and outer shell protect your head by absorbing the brunt of the impact. in turn, they are really ‘single use only’.     

When discussing the effectiveness of helmets and whether or not they do, in fact, assist in the event of a fall, Dr.Timms notes that helmets were in fact, designed with prevention of serious head injury in mind - skull fractures, haemorrhaging, and death. He noted that helmets are really very effective for preventing such injuries, and did a great deal to prevent riders from suffering more serious injuries than if they were not wearing a helmet. In turn, figures for falls where a rider suffered concussion increased - as the helmet has in most cases prevented further more serious injury. A helmet can be the difference between walking away from a fall with a concussion as opposed to a serious brain injury.

Why don’t you wear a helmet?

Poor excuses and our two cents.

“They are too uncomfortable. I get a headache when I wear one. Helmets don’t breathe, and I get too hot and sweaty. I just don’t like wearing them.”

The short answer to this problem is to buy yourself a new, comfortable helmet. These days, they are lighter, more breathable than the older style helmets. Go and try on a few different brands and models - there will be one that fits you correctly and is comfortable. This isn’t a valid excuse!

“I don’t want ‘helmet hair’!”

Would you prefer helmet hair, or a cracked skull? Sounds dramatic, but this may be the choice you are making if you choose not to wear a correctly fitted helmet that complies with the correct safety standards.

“I only wear a helmet if my instructor insists on it, or if PC/ARC/EA/FEI rules say I have to.”

At some point, it’s time to take responsibility for your own actions - don’t let it be due to injury from not wearing a helmet! There’s a reason that helmet rules are in place - to ensure the maximum safety of riders.

“I’m an experienced rider, and I rarely fall off, so I don’t need one.”

You may be the most experienced rider in the world - but that won’t guarantee you won’t come a cropper. It happens to EVERYONE - novice to experienced. In fact, statistics suggest that when more experienced riders DO fall, they are more likely to be falling at speed, and there is a higher chance of harder impact as a result of the fall.

“It doesn’t look good in the show ring. If I don’t wear it when I’m out and about, I don’t need one when I’m at home.”

The FEI changed their rulings on helmets - and now, more competitors have been seen sporting a helmet, foregoing a top hat in the dressage arena. No it might not have the same traditional style, but it may just save your head. As for riding with a helmet at home, it is your choice - but all it takes is something to go awry, and a split second you could find yourself with a traumatic brain injury and months of rehabilitation ahead of you. Don’t risk it.

“My horse is bombproof and never does anything unexpected.”

Let’s get this straight right off the bat. Yes, your horse may be bombproof. He might be so quiet that he can barely raise a trot. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t expect the unexpected. Horses are unpredictable animals, and you could be falling from as high as three metres above the ground. No matter how much you trust your horse, protect yourself.

“It’s my head, it’s my choice, and I’m willing to take the risk.”

Fair enough. Have you heard of ‘Darwinisms’? You know, the theory of natural selection, and how those with the most superior brawn and intellect survive to carry on the species? Well - choosing not to wear a helmet is a little bit like going for a drive without a seatbelt.  It’s stupid.  So be smart. You’re protecting your head from something that may or may not happen. If it DOES happen, you’re much better off with a helmet than without one!

“It’s another thing to have to remember before I ride.”

If this is your excuse to ‘forget’ to wear a helmet, it’s a fairly lame one. Do you also forget to tighten your girth before you mount? Perhaps you forget the bridle altogether? If you’re reading this article, our bet is that you love your horse and would do everything to protect him should you both take a tumble. If you can remember to put on his bell boots, you can remember to put on your helmet.

Thank you to The Stable Magazine for this article, which was originally published in their June 2014 issue. Check out The Stable Magazine online now for FREE. Read this article and many more at www.thestablemagazine.com

 


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