I am printing this out out to go with the Helmet Theory I am posting at the new barn. 
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by poltroon:
Remember, a big helmet makes your ass look smaller anyway.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I too have had a few concussions, one severe in which I was in a coma for some time (I have no recollection of this at all). Not nearly as severe an injury as Coreene’s though.
Since my injury I have had mild brain function changes - a hesitation when I speak (some think I should hesitate a whole lot longer! 
), I reverse numbers and letters, even on a keyboard - these things are mild. I do have lots of memory ‘blanks’ too.
When I had my really bad concussion, I don’t remember if I was wearing a helmet. Probably was, but these were almost 40 years ago, and mostly decorative by today’s standards.
I had another concussion, courtesy of my Big Bob, I was putting hoof ointment on him, and yes, bent across his leg to reach the other foot - his knee came up, hit me in the temple, and I guess I went down like a stone. I don’t remember that I either.
Sometimes I think we should be wearing head protection at all times when we are around horses - especially the babies. Something more like a hockey or football helmet with a face guard. I’m ot kidding.
Yes, please wear your helmet on the ground.
I have a lovely horse shoe shaped scar on my upper forehead from a frisky OTTB who somehow kicked me while I was lunging him
Actually just as I was letting him out on the line, he heard something wheeled and BAM.
Oddly enough no one saw it happen, and it did not knock me down. So I let him go out on the circle and asked a friend if the horse had kicked me.
She said no, after awhile my head felt lumpy so I lifted my wooly Cowichian cap, and MAN out came a gallon of blood, (in my mind).
Pretty scarey.
makes my head hurt even thinking about it
We even tried to program the DVD to play it all in order and it wouldn’t!
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by AAJumper:
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rockstar:
I know what that’s like… and it IS very scary for all parties involved! For two of my concussions I turned into a RAVING lunatic. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I acted totally wacky right after my head injury. In the ambulance, apparently (I don’t remember this) the paramedics asked me if my husband was a paramedic, to which I replied “NO. He is a firefighter specialist”, with a really snotty tone. Then, in the ER, when my trainer was explaining to me what happened and that my horse was fine, I rather nastily asked her “are you LYING to me???” Then in ICU I went on to constantly demand my underwear and more pillows. The nurses asked my trainer and friend, “is she always like this???” Luckily this did not last long, and I think by the second day I was sort of back to normal, personality-wise. But those head injuries can really make you wacky!
visit http://www.victorianfarms.com<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Funny AA jumper! I guess you and me both aren’t meant to have head injuries!
Even though I was a mild mannered twelve year old who would have told you that coke was soda and nothing else, they drug tested me heavily because they thought I was such a lunatic that I HAD to have been on something when I got in the accident! A little embarassing for my father in his office!!
Vote November 5th!!!
My turn:
My hubby used to ride in steeplchase and timber races. He was riding a young mar ein here first one, she jumped the hurdle, felt the brush tickle her tummy, got distracted, and never put her feet down. They hit the ground doing about 700mpm. Hhe was wearing a helmet, caliente style, but this was in the days before apporveds.
He was unconscious for about 12 hours, and has lost at least a week of his memory. he feel very fortunate he hasn’t lost more. After he was released fromthe hospital, he though his problems were over–he seemed to be having no physical side effects. He sat down at his desk, and realized he had no earthly idea how to use his computer. How to turn it on, how to type information in to it, how to send information to other computers (this was in the days before networking, so it was pretty complicated anyway). He had to completely relearn the technical aspect of his job.
His handwriting also changed completely. It used to be neat and square–now a doctor would have a hard time reading it. He also found doing interviews difficult–he could no longer process answers and questions at the same time, so there would be long pauses during the process.
All in all, he was very lucky.
I’ve had three minor concussions. The first just left me a little addled, and made some things spotty (I remember someone holding my head in their lap and talking to me, but I remember nothing about them or their face–not even if it was a man or woman. Same with the second. THe third was a bit more serious, my head hurt, literally, for months. But, when I discovered that i had narrowly escaped permanent injury or death by wearing an approved, I didn’t mind so much.
When people get angry, and call us helmet nazis, I just wish they could come and live with Coreene or others like hehr for a day or two. We don’t want to be mean or harsh–we just want to prevent others from ending up where we were.
Great thread.
and in the ensuing months, watch the friend for sudden changes in behavior, or loss of memory, etc.
EVERY concussion is considered a mild brain injury. There are almost always some minor effects of the injury.
Robby
You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
This thread is a must read for all.
Robby - I think it was me that posted the misinformation about the brain “healing” that prompted this thread. I am almost glad that I did because this is a great discussion and you are wonderful for starting it.
Coreene, Robby, and Kachoo thank you so much for enlightening everyone about brain injuries. I’ve been very fortunate to only have a few minor concussions (although concussions do add up in severity), nothing too serious, but I always, ALWAYS wear my approved ATH helmet, without a thought. I’m still amazed how many people only wear then when they jump or are at shows. As Coreene story tell, it only takes one time. Thanks again guys, this is something that needs to be said again and again.
“Friends don’t let friends reply to all”
(I won’t post names because, well, I don’t know them) but her story went like this …
She was walking out of the barn on her beloved TN Walker. The barn floor was concrete. Someone had tied their dog at the end of the barn and somehow the dog’s tether got caught up in the horse’s legs. It spooked, she hit the concrete with her head.
When I see the kids riding into the barn (we have an asphalt barn aisle) I just go beserk. “Don’t ride in the barn!” I tell them. Even with helmets, the risk is high.
Robby
You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
I am not talking about this thread. Thank you for starting it. What I am talking about happened Friday afternoon.
I am talking about a fall that resulted in a seizure.
One of my students was having a very nice lesson and after jumping a jump and rounding the corner- 2 strides into the short end of the ring, her horse’s feet just went completely out from under him.
I was teaching from horseback, so I was sauntering over to her, horse was up & caught by another rider, when I realized that she was NOT sobbing. She was having a clonic/tonic episode. After that, I remember being in front of her and
pulling her tongue out of the back of her throat. Within seconds, her body began to relax. THEN came what for me was one of the most frightening moments of my life. She let out a ragged breath and for what seemed like 10 hours did not take another. It was only about 1.5 seconds. She began to come around but was still not all there. As the EMTs were putting her on the backboard, and taping her down, I was given the phone with her mother on the other end. SHE was understandably hysterical. I had her meet us at the ER and all she wanted was to see her daughter alive and breathing. This is now Tuesday and she is OK, but is still sick to her stomach and has a headache.
SHE WAS WEARING AN APPROVED HELMET!
The neurologist said that if she had not been, the crushed helmet would have been her head.
This fall appeared to be a soft one, if there is such a thing. I am taking her helmet to our store and sending it to the company, but she will have a new one by this afternoon, even though she cannot ride until she has been symptom free for a week.
On a lighter note, the girl’s brother is a very accomplished golfer. In light of the accident, of course their dad asked if there was a chance his daughter might take up golf. Brother pipes up with a comeback. It seems a husband and wife were golfing this week and wife went to women’s tee and husband to men’s tee. Seems hubby fired off a shot before the wife did, and beaned her in the head. Yep, ambulance , whole nine yards. So now they were joking that brother would have to come in and get a helmet!
We are very lucky to be able to joke about such things.
Even though I am considered a pro, I am also a wife, mom, store owner, trainer, general helper of all things equine, SO…with all of the hats that I must wear, I am proud to say that at least the riding helmet is approved- GPA, Troxel, and COSJ2000 are my choices. I wish there was an ASTM/SEI approved mommy helmet.
Charter Member of the Baby Greenie Support Group
Where the horse and I seem to have a different set of directions. I did not have that last left turn on my map!
(Brushing dust off of self)
I thought to mention that with all the personal stories above, there is something that may apply directly to you or someone you know. After experiencing head trauma without brain injury or after recovering from a brain injury, you may be surprised to learn that you are not fine or have not actually recovered.
There was a middle aged fellow married with three children, in the NYU program at the same time as my mother. He had gone through life without ever being diagnosed with a brain injury he received falling off a bike at age 3. He only discovered later that some of his marital problem and problems at work were related to symptoms of the old brain injury that he didn’t even know he had.
Just a sad note.
All I can say is – it took about a nanosecond for me to get bucked off my horse a few weeks ago and to break a few ribs, but it took about 30 minutes for me to brush all of the dirt off of my helmet. . . . Thank God for approved helmets
“always look on the bright side of life” da dum da dum…
your Boob/Jerry Garcia post made me laugh out loud. Luckily I did not choke on my soup (I can see the headlines, “Middleaged Woman Chokes to Death while on Internet”
Those stats are pretty frightening. I can’t think how many ‘close calls’ I’ve had handling youngsters. A few years ago, a weanling was getting trimmed, and just as the farrier was doing her last back foot, she decided she had had enough, pulled away from me, spun and bucked up. I saw both hind feet coming at my face, and thought ,“crap, there go my teeth”, well, the trajectory was a little off, instead she hit me in the chest, sent me flying and broke three ribs. Ouch. and I was hoping for a nose job. (
)
Does anyone have any ideas for helmet/face protectors to wear while on the ground? That won’t make me look like tooo much of a chooch.
Bump!
I work for an area agency in NH and I am the Point person for our region to assist folks with Acquired Brain Disorder. Thanks for telling folks the truth!
May I add - any brain injury has some kind of internal result - think of your brain as jello in a bowl
and when the bowl is hit the jello slouches - that is
what impact injuries do - slouch your brain. Even so-called “mild” head injury result in some type of insult and injury to the brain. Stay safe and be smart - protect yourself.
i never knew i could learn so much about the brain…
i’ve been riding for 5 years, and every single time i’ve gotten on a horse, i’ve always had my helmet on. i dunno, it’s just kinda become routine and i honestly don’t think about it…
here;s a funny story, though… one time, i was in a horse trial, and i was going up to the ring. i had to remember to bring so much stuff, i completely forgot my helmet. i hadn’t gone more than a couple feet when one of my buddies told me i didn’t have a helmet on. oops!!! i laughed and quickly ran back into the barn to get my helmet on
“DELIVERY!!! did you order a boumb? a BOUMB?!?! AHHHHHH”- Revenge of the Pink Panther
ah but sweetie pie you had the strength to borrow their’s That to me proves my point
~ Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once ~
I just realized this thread is on the Hunter/Jumper Forum…but it is SOOOO important–is there anyway to let the other forums know about it (oh greal list masters/Moderators/Grand Kahunas)…?
I have always been a stickler for wearing a helmet, but I think now, it’s even more important that you wear an approved helmet all of the time - not just at shows! More accidents seem to happen at home, when your guard is down, goofing around, etc., than at shows.
A few weeks ago, I was WALKING a horse around the arena, chatting with a friend. Horse tripped, she could not get her balance right off, and flipped over on me. Thank goodness the mare did everything she could to not land or step “directly” on me, but I did a full flip off and landed flat on my back and smacked my head. I am certain that if I had not had an approved helmet on, I would have been unconscious. Instead, I ended up with a wringing head ache for three days.
Don’t choose to be stupid by not wearing a helmet… life is too darn short! (This goes for ALL disciplines, remember, I was just walking, not jumping.)
