gosh, if wearing a helmet is important to you - wear one. but please stop with craziness about trying to shame and force folks who don’t want to wear them!
as it is now, DT and other mags are photo shopping helmets on everyone since the press is so bad! doesn’t mean the riders actually wear them, but the readers are happy since they see that helmet!
i am not sure about a rider falling, but i do know that a rider Eitan Beth-Halachmy did have some kind of medical emergency - he is in stable condition and you can get updates etc here:
Seems to me that helmets may be contra-indicated in equestrian activities along the lines of vaulting?? Hard to imagine vaulters (not to mention trick riders, performers in Cavalia, etc.) compelled to wear helmets by the FEI. Seems to me that many beautiful athletic endeavors involve inherent risks of TBI which it might prove impossible to reduce without destroying the sport itself-- in addition to vaulting, I’m thinking of sports like diving, gymnastics… Let reasonable precautions morph into overprotectiveness, and you can sap the joy right out of life.
And I do speak as someone who’s cared for a family member who suffered a TBI.
I would think wearing a helmet for sports like vaulting would make it more dangerous as you could get hung up on the harness.
Maybe y’all should be more concerned with the AQHA “ride a reiner” demo where any person can get on a horse test one out (sans helmet, boots, anything). That scares me more than one of the althletes that are quite aware of the inherent risk with riding helmetless!
The Volunteers around the dressage warm up rings all had these paper hats on over their hats that said “Use your Head Wear a Helmet”
I personally found it out of place. The volunteers should be left out of the helmet debate between dressage riders & pro helmet people.
[QUOTE=SmplySweet1021;5121792]
The Volunteers around the dressage warm up rings all had these paper hats on over their hats that said “Use your Head Wear a Helmet”
I personally found it out of place. The volunteers should be left out of the helmet debate between dressage riders & pro helmet people.[/QUOTE]
that is very upsetting! not a very nice welcome 
I actually had the exact opposite impression of the schooling photos coming from the WEG this year. THREE CHEERS for what appears to be a HUGE increase in helmet wearing! At least in dressage, which is all that I’ve really paid attention to.
Here: http://www.dressage-news.com/?p=6915
Pictures of Stephen Peters, Katherine Bateson-Chandler, a belgian rider and Adelina Corneilesson schooling in helmets. That’s at least two combos who will likely be in the top 10.
Christoph Koschel’s blog had a picture of him and Matthias Alexander Rath (both on the German dressage team) hacking in helmets (not an easy way to link to the pictures, sorry).
I know the CKD accident scared a lot of the top Americans into wearing helmets, and I was really excited to see some top riders at national championships warming up and/or showing in helmets (the young and developing horse championships are the ones I saw personally - huge increase in helmets from last year). And it seems the Europeans are also starting to wear helmets more frequently, at least for WEG.
I hate the idea of a “shame cam” (geez how negative), but I love the idea of helmets becoming ‘normal looking’ and I think people who make that choice get a big thumb’s up. So rather than complain, I’d like to take an opportunity to give a big pat on the back to all the riders schooling at WEG with helmets! As it becomes more ‘normal looking’ I think we’ll see more and more in the show ring, too.
[QUOTE=asterix;5118882]
I don’t understand that attitude, DLee.
It matters what the “best of the best” do on the world stage. We are missing a rider who should be on a WEG team because she didn’t wear her helmet schooling. I guarantee you this is why the USA dressage rider now schools in a helmet.
Don’t be so dismissive.[/QUOTE]
Please keep in mind that Guenter Seidel was wearing his helmet when he fell off UII months ago, and was seriously injured. He is out of the WEG as well.
Was that part of their uniform ? and sanctioned by WEG organizers ?
Sounds obnoxious.
I think that’s terriffic!
If you can photoshop out a double chin to make someone look better, you can certainly photoshop in a helmet that makes them look smarter.
And exactly where would you like to put that helmet? He broke his pelvis.
News Flash! Helmets are meant to prevent or reduce the severity of head injuries. They are not magic.
Isn’t this argument a bit like your mother asking “Just because your friend stuck her finger in a light socket and didn’t die so you think it’s a good idea already?”
Really. Stupid comes in many guises.
Exactly !
My point to the other person who was scolding a previous poster was that it’s not possible to use Courtney as the only rider who was not able to compete in the WEG selection trials because of an injury. Another top contender was also injured, and he WAS wearing his helmet.
Yes, yes, their injuries are in different places, but her point was that had Courtney been wearing a helmet, she may be in the WEG today. And I say Not Necessarily. Guenter is the perfect example of that.
On the other hand, Seidel will be able to function just fine as soon as he heals up. Courtney probably not so much. Just because a helmet didn’t save GS from injury does not say that helmets don’t work. ( How’s that for a triple negative?) Maybe GS also hit his head and was OK there because he had his helmet. You never really hear about those multiple times where the rider walks away because he had a helmet on. Not getting permanently maimed is not newsworthy, though the article about GS did point out that he was wearing a helmet. We don’t know.
All we really know from discussing these two accidents together is that a helmet will not protect your pelvis. Totally ridiculous argument.
[QUOTE=Mardi;5122038]
Exactly !
My point to the other person who was scolding a previous poster was that it’s not possible to use Courtney as the only rider who was not able to compete in the WEG selection trials because of an injury. Another top contender was also injured, and he WAS wearing his helmet.
Yes, yes, their injuries are in different places, but her point was that had Courtney been wearing a helmet, she may be in the WEG today. And I say Not Necessarily. Guenter is the perfect example of that.[/QUOTE]
Courtney King Dye is out of upper level competition probably for the rest of her LIFE! Guenter will be back when his broken bones are healed. Wear your damn helmets.
You know what bothers me more than seeing bareheaded dressage queens or cowboys with western hats. Seeing eventers doing flatwork with old style hunt caps. Really. What’s the point? It’s about as uncomfortable, hot and hair mussing as a helmet, looks far goofier and dated, and is as useless as going bareheaded. Why??? If you like the look, you can replicate with a look-alike ATSM certified helmet with a strap and save your head.
I wish AS was riding for the US. Her blue CO helmet looks awesome with her dressage coat.
[QUOTE=riderboy;5122116]
Courtney King Dye is out of upper level competition probably for the rest of her LIFE! Guenter will be back when his broken bones are healed. Wear your damn helmets.[/QUOTE]
And you have this on what authority??
I’m the last person who will ever minimize BI’s, but the brain is quite plastic, and in many cases can and does heal remarkably well with good treatment, including appropriately positive emotional support (not exactly exemplified by your remark!). Although I don’t know Courtney personally, everything I’ve read suggests such remarkable support and tenacity that I would not be surprised to her back at the FEI levels some day. Do you know something I don’t that makes it anything but insensitive to publicize your dire prognosis? (I do, BTW, have a daughter who suffered a near fatal TBI in 2005, so have done a fair amount of research on the subject).
Meantime, I believe the prognoses for pelvic fractures are hardly uniform either. While some “broken bones” do indeed heal quite nicely, so people can return to riding at previous levels, others do not. I have, for example, known riders whose pelvic fractures meant they had to ride side saddle for the rest of their lives to continue riding at all. Courtney is already back on a horse-- astride 
[QUOTE=Jersey Fresh;5121777]
Maybe y’all should be more concerned with the AQHA “ride a reiner” demo where any person can get on a horse test one out (sans helmet, boots, anything). That scares me more than one of the althletes that are quite aware of the inherent risk with riding helmetless![/QUOTE]
EXACTLY! They’re out there in shorts, tennis shoes and baseball caps doing whatever they want to on the horse; saw 3 in a small arena yesterday trying to canter.
[QUOTE=fish;5123595]
And you have this on what authority??
I’m the last person who will ever minimize BI’s, but the brain is quite plastic, and in many cases can and does heal remarkably well with good treatment, including appropriately positive emotional support (not exactly exemplified by your remark!). Although I don’t know Courtney personally, everything I’ve read suggests such remarkable support and tenacity that I would not be surprised to her back at the FEI levels some day. Do you know something I don’t that makes it anything but insensitive to publicize your dire prognosis? (I do, BTW, have a daughter who suffered a near fatal TBI in 2005, so have done a fair amount of research on the subject).
Meantime, I believe the prognoses for pelvic fractures are hardly uniform either. While some “broken bones” do indeed heal quite nicely, so people can return to riding at previous levels, others do not. I have, for example, known riders whose pelvic fractures meant they had to ride side saddle for the rest of their lives to continue riding at all. Courtney is already back on a horse-- astride ;)[/QUOTE]
I’m sorry if I was insensitive. The comparison between a broken pelvis and a severe closed head injury of the type Courtney suffered is ludicrous. Courtney is a courageous, tough woman and I hope she does make it back to the top. It’s a long, hard climb and that’s why I used the word “probably.” No one knows how fully she may or may not recover and however much she does recover she will always be able to contribute to her sport. Perhaps this quote from her website shows how much she has already done. “I have gotten several e-mails describing accidents, that because of my spill, they were saved by wearing a helmet.” That’s what it’s all about, wear your damn helmet.
[QUOTE=riderboy;5123676]
I’m sorry if I was insensitive. The comparison between a broken pelvis and a severe closed head injury of the type Courtney suffered is ludicrous. Courtney is a courageous, tough woman and I hope she does make it back to the top. It’s a long, hard climb and that’s why I used the word “probably.” No one knows how fully she may or may not recover and however much she does recover she will always be able to contribute to her sport. Perhaps this quote from her website shows how much she has already done. “I have gotten several e-mails describing accidents, that because of my spill, they were saved by wearing a helmet.” That’s what it’s all about, wear your damn helmet.[/QUOTE]
Excuse me, but you’re the one who made the “ludicrous” comparison between Courtney’s injury and a broken pelvis.
I also think that “it”'s about a whole lot more than “wear[ing] your damn helmet.” A whole lot more!
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