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Helmet safety ratings are out!

And there are some big surprises - for me anyway. Not shocked that a higher price doesn’t mean safer. Very surprised that MIPS helmets didn’t universally rate higher than those without MIPS. Devastated that my current, beloved Tipperary Windsor ranked 36/40. https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/equestrian-helmet-ratings.html

UPDATE: It looks like testing was done with straight-on impacts, while MIPS offers protection from rotational impacts. Will try to get more details from Virginia Tech tomorrow.

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Out of curiosity, do Dressage riders place as much emphasis on helmets and safety as do riders who jump? I know the differential between eventers and H/J riders when it comes to safety equipment is significant, H/J riders are far slower to adopt anything “new”. And I also know that most “Western” riders are in the dark ages… helmets? LOL. Where do Dressage riders fall? And will they care about the study? Not trying to be inflammatory, but genuinely curious.

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Yes. I think due to the dynamic of younger folks jumping, and older folks dressaging, and older folks being far more safety conscious, dressage riders are very helmety.

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Okay, so they care as much about this study? Good!

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I think more and more dressage riders do care about helmet safety (though far too many still ride with no helmet). The main barrier from these results for dressage riders will be that the top performers are all really ugly!

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All the dressage riders I know wear helmets. I’ve been in a TraumaVoid Lynx for the past two years, which ranked out at #10. I can now save some money now not buying the CO Halo MIPS which came in at #15.

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Happy to see that my helmet came in at #6 (TraumaVoid EQ3). All the dressage riders I know also wear helmets—I would think they will be interested in this study,. I’m interested in checking out the Tuffrider carbon fiber helmet that placed #2----priced $58! Would be a nice schooling helmet if it’s comfortable!

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Ah darn it, mine came in at 35. Does anyone happen to know which one of the Trauma Voids fits the most like a OneK? The OneK fits me super well but I really need to replace it and have heard good things about Trauma Void.

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I was in the OneK Defender before switching to the TV Lynx. I tried the EQ3 a while back and felt like it perched up ony head but like how the Lynx fits.

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I get a kick out of the fact that the #2 and #3 are some of the cheapest helmets you can find. I know safety is more important than looks, but goodness - they are ugly.

exposed styrofoam :face_vomiting:

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I think Courtney King-Dye’s head injury had a big impact on people. I know it had a big impact on me when I came back to the sport. I was previously helmet-less (I thought they were ugly). I started riding again and saw she had been terribly injured from a fall, saw so many top riders wearing helmets while schooling and at shows. At the time it was shocking that a top rider could be so injured by a fall - many of us thought we were invincible, that good riders don’t fall, and that dressage was safer.

I want to read more about their methodology. I think direct impact is important, but from what I’ve seen (and felt) most rider falls have some twist or shear, as well.

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Me too!! Although mine is now 4 years old, and IIRC it was far better rated then than the one today!
I did not like the Trauma Void back then, I wonder if the fit is now different…

Cortney’s accident actually changed the helmet rules in dressage! Got rid of top hats!
I know of only 1 dressage trainer in my area who won’t wear a helmet all the rest do and it’s now a habit.

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Huh. My two came in #6 and #24#24 is the CO MS1 Pro I ride in daily. And I’m not shelling out $500 for the Champion skull cap, so… :woman_shrugging: I keep my EQ3 for showing and public appearances, so there’s that.

I’m curious to hear the additional details on the testing. Right now it makes it look like MIPS doesn’t really matter much.

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Very interesting! I currently ride in a Trauma Void Lynx and an Uvex Perfexxion (which it looks like they didn’t test).

That’s the helmet I have too. I was also quite surprised to find it at #6. The saleswoman did a great job on me, because I had chosen the far less expensive #1 helmet! :smiley:

I know a dressage trainer who will not wear a helmet as “they give her a migraine”. Which was certainly possible 15 years ago, but there are so many options today that it is just an excuse to not wear a helmet. She doesn’t show, so not forced to wear one in the show ring.

There is a pro in my area who shows some dressage but also has a all around barn - some hunter stuff, some western stuff, kids lessons, and starts young horses. It always blows my mind when I see photos of said trainer on a horse for the first time, not in a helmet. At a barn full of kids - it’s a terrible example to be setting.

It does somewhat surprise me that more facilities do not require anyone mounted to wear a helmet, regardless of the liability waiver that most are required to sign and are posted everywhere.

They’ll be testing more helmets soon! This is only the first part of the study and they’re going to continue conducting research on different impact types as well! This was direct impact and they hit each helmet multiple times** when ideally you should replace a helmet after every fall etc. Will be interesting to see if the MIPS helmets do better on the other tests since they’re made for multi-directional impact vs. direct which was this round of studying

**Am now hearing that it wasn’t repeated impact

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I rode without wearing a helmet for so many years, even starting young horses without wearing one. I look back at pictures and videos of myself riding helmetless now and cringe. What was I thinking? I’m so fortunate that nothing ever happened. I never get on without one now (and mine ranked #5 on the ratings: Tipperary Sportage Hybrid). Everyone at my barn is required to have one on when mounted, but I’m about to move to a new barn where I don’t think it’s a rule. I’ll sure as heck be wearing mine.

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The repeat impacts were in different locations,so should be the same as a brand new helmet

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