Yep! I’m interested in her answer and had no idea she wasn’t in the US. What I find difficult is people commenting might not be based in the US and each country often has different ways of dealing with things.
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@enjoytheride @Xctrygirl it’s a great question!
Helmet cameras not allowed by a variety of sanctioning bodies. There are potential safety issues where the attached camera adversely affects the rider’s head upon impact and changes the nature of the shock dissipation. Some bodies (FEI) are also sensitive to their own video rights.
British Riding Club Rule: “The use of HEAD CAMS are strictly prohibited at any BRC affiliated competition [ed: BRC, British Eventing, Pony Club]. This includes use on the head, chest, bridle or any other part of the horse or rider.”
FEI outlawed them worldwide in 2012 (see pg 26, Article 140, FEI General Regulations). They do allow cameras if you petition the FEI General Office. The FEI Rule: “The use of cameras on Athletes or Participating Support Personnel (as applicable) or equipment (such as on Protective Headgear, head covering or carriage) shall not be permitted, unless otherwise specifically agreed by the FEI.” They then require the Ground Jury to approve or veto at the event. But, they do so with words that place a lot of liability on the Ground Jury, who may not wish to take it.
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The allowable age of a helmet has come up several times in this thread, so I thought I’d chime in on some research we did that evaluated the effectiveness of bicycle helmets up to 26 years old during impact attenuation testing. We solicited used bicycle helmets (traditional and BMX style) from the public and those that met the selection criteria (no obvious impact related damage, had visible labeling, etc.) underwent impact attenuation testing at 2 speeds and separate material testing of the foam liner. We found that peak headform acceleration increased by less than 1g per year of helmet age. Within the limitations of our samples and test conditions, our findings do not support discarding or avoiding the use of an old, undamaged and properly fitting helmet simply because it is old.
While we tested 2 styles of bicycle helmets, there are similarities between bicycle and equestrian helmets. Both types of helmets use a foam liner (usually expanded polystyrene (EPS)) to attenuate head impacts. Head acceleration is decreased when the foam is compressed, increasing the impact duration and distributing the force over the head (along with the shell). So equestrian helmets likely have a similar response as bicycle helmet as they age. There may be other reasons why you’d want a new helmet, perhaps the helmet has sustained an impact, the retention system has issues, or you want a different style, but the age of the EPS liner likely won’t effect the helmet’s ability to attenuate head acceleration.
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This is a bit of a different scenario, but this discussion made me think of it. Under USEF, what power do judges or stewards have to halt a rider mid-round for a clearly unsafe helmet?
I was at an IHSA show last year (so, governed by USEF but not a typical show) where a rider’s helmet was clearly several sizes too large. It was sliding around on her head so badly that it was almost around her neck (with the brim above her forhead and the back of the helmet on the nape of her neck), and she took her hand off the reins several times mid course to push it back onto her head. Only the (loose) chinstrap was keeping it on. It was scary to watch because if she had fallen, it would not have protected her at all. I was astonished no one stopped the round - it was that bad.
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