Helmetless WEG Riders

[riderboy]

[QUOTE=Madeline;5122048]
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;5121918

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.

[QUOTE=fish;5123835]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![/QUOTE]

Excuse you, I did not bring up the comparison between the two. It might help if you read the other posts. And really for me, it is, at least on this thread, just this simple. Wear your damn helmet. I have no earthly idea what the “its” you refer to is.

[fish]

[QUOTE=riderboy;5123905]
Excuse you, I did not bring up the comparison between the two. It might help if you read the other posts. And really for me, it is, at least on this thread, just this simple. Wear your damn helmet. I have no earthly idea what the “its” you refer to is.[/QUOTE]

Unless there’s something wrong with this site, the following was your post [cut and paste here]:

riderboy: “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.”

The “it” was your pronoun-- in a context along the lines of 'what it’s all about…" What I’m saying is that what happens in life threatening/serious injury situations is “about” a great deal more than helmets.

[Go_Fish]

Rider Boy is a physician. If I recall correctly, he has been or is an emergency room physician. Not sure though and sorry if I have misspoken. I’m glad someone finally had the guts to step up and say something.

I can only imagine what goes through an emergency room doctor’s mind when someone comes in like CKD did. Any catastrophic head injury that could have possibly been prevented by simply wearing a helmet is probably hard to fathom, from their perspective.

I was disturbed by the fact, and still am, that everyone tip-toed around the gorilla in the room during the events surrounding CKD’s injury, head trauma, treatment, therapy, recovery, etc. I’m disappointed that a STRONG and CONTINUAL statement(s) from the CKD camp about wearing helmets have not been forthcoming. Or perhaps I missed them?

It’s just my opinion, but I think that because of her stature in the horseworld, she could do a lot of good by coming out strongly in favor of wearing approved helmets and by keeping the message in the forefront as much as possible.

If I ever go back to reining or cutting, I’ll be the rider out there with a helmet on. Period. Somehow, I really don’t think the judge will mind.

[fooler]

I encourage everyone to wear helmets, just as I:
Encourage smokers/dippers to stop
Call an alcoholic an alcoholic and do not enable
Call a drug user a druggie and do not enable.

Sad but true I know more people with problems stemming from tobacco and alcohol than people with TBI’s. Plus of those folks I do know who suffered TBI’s most were due to a car or motorcycle accident.

In short, for thousands of years mankind has recognized the cost of alcohol and drug excess. For the past 50 years we have been told about problems with tobacco. Yet everyday people start smoking, dipping, drinking or drug use. That said, from the CDC web site http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm
Deaths and Mortality

(Data are for the U.S.)

• Number of deaths: 2,423,712
• Death rate: 803.6 deaths per 100,000 population
• Life expectancy: 77.9 years
• Infant Mortality rate: 6.75 deaths per 1,000 live births

[B]Number of deaths for leading causes of death:[/B]

• Heart disease: 616,067
• Cancer: 562,875
• Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 135,952
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 127,924
• Accidents (unintentional injuries): 123,706
• Alzheimer's disease: 74,632
• Diabetes: 71,382
• Influenza and Pneumonia: 52,717
• Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 46,448
• Septicemia: 34,828

Source: Deaths: Final Data for 2007, tables B, D, 7, 30

In short mankind has a death wish. Encourage others to wear a helmet, enforce it where you have the authority. Finally if it is that important to you - pen a USEF General Rule Change requiring all competitors to wear a helmet in any USEF Endorsed or Recognized competitions.
http://www.usef.org/_IFrames/RuleBook/RuleProposals/PRC.aspx

[horse2rider]

It is so important to wear the helmet!!!

Adelinde Cornelissen always wear her helmet.

Check out for much more about WEG

Charlotte
www.horse2rider.eu

[Jeito]

:winkgrin:

[QUOTE=horse2rider;5124241]
Adelinde Cornelissen always wear her helmet.[/QUOTE]

I noticed that and respect immensely her for it. I loved her recent article in Dressage Today

I keep a picture of myself jumping a 3-year-old without a helmet just to remind myself of how stupid I used to be. I later broke two ribs on a fall from the same horse. I’ve never had a brain injury but have enough imagination to realize it could happen to me. And I realize a helmet is not completely fail-safe, but that’s no excuse for not wearing one. I’m not the “helmet police” - if I were I’d be fining people and putting them in jail :lol: - but just another person exercising my right to express a strong opinion :winkgrin:

[riderboy]

[QUOTE=Go Fish;5124137]
Rider Boy is a physician. If I recall correctly, he has been or is an emergency room physician. [/QUOTE]

I’m an anesthesiologist, I did OR and critical care for years and most of the critical care was limited pretty much to ventilator management . I had the chance to switch to outpatient surgery a few years back and took it, never looked back. No call, less stress, less money! Fooler has a great post that covers a lot of ground, is nicely done and correct.

[Mara]

[QUOTE=Go Fish;5124137]
Rider Boy is a physician. If I recall correctly, he has been or is an emergency room physician. Not sure though and sorry if I have misspoken. I’m glad someone finally had the guts to step up and say something.

I can only imagine what goes through an emergency room doctor’s mind when someone comes in like CKD did. Any catastrophic head injury that could have possibly been prevented by simply wearing a helmet is probably hard to fathom, from their perspective.

I was disturbed by the fact, and still am, that everyone tip-toed around the gorilla in the room during the events surrounding CKD’s injury, head trauma, treatment, therapy, recovery, etc. I’m disappointed that a STRONG and CONTINUAL statement(s) from the CKD camp about wearing helmets have not been forthcoming. Or perhaps I missed them?

It’s just my opinion, but I think that because of her stature in the horseworld, she could do a lot of good by coming out strongly in favor of wearing approved helmets and by keeping the message in the forefront as much as possible.

If I ever go back to reining or cutting, I’ll be the rider out there with a helmet on. Period. Somehow, I really don’t think the judge will mind. ;)[/QUOTE]

JMHO, but right now CKD’s focus is completely and totally on her rehabilitation, as it should be. Maybe later she’ll have time to be a pro-helmet spokesperson.

[Trak_Eventer]

Press Release on Rider Injury at Opening Ceremonies

For anyone wondering about the riding who had to go to the hospital at WEG opening ceremony…

http://www.lex18.com/news/rider-injured-at-equestrian-games-improving

The injury was not helmet vs. no helmet related.

Just my two cents also… they are adults, not minors. If there is no rule saying they have to wear a helmet, then it is their choice. A “shame cam” is not going to make them change their minds on a forum.

[magnolia73]

Please people, stop ranting about adults not wearing helmets, go somewhere, look around at all the little kids pushing strollers with little kids in them and go make a difference and pass out condoms.

This made me laugh and laugh.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

Horse riding is “AN INHERENTLY DANGEROUS ACTIVITY.” According to the statistics, it is responsible for more emergency room visits than driving a motorcycle. It is not safe under any circumstances, and it is not necessary. How long do you think that it will be before insurers will not cover it, period? In national healthcare countries, don’t you think the taxpayers will have a right to complain about shelling out money for horseback riding injuries?

On the other side, we have people shouting about “ABUSE” when it comes to certain methods of riding and various sporting activities.

Between the “helmet nazis” and the PETA types, I see the demise of equestrian sports in our lifetime. Why is it that people cannot see that?

[fish]

[QUOTE=fooler;5124167]
I encourage everyone to wear helmets, just as I:
Encourage smokers/dippers to stop
Call an alcoholic an alcoholic and do not enable
Call a drug user a druggie and do not enable.

Sad but true I know more people with problems stemming from tobacco and alcohol than people with TBI’s. Plus of those folks I do know who suffered TBI’s most were due to a car or motorcycle accident.

In short, for thousands of years mankind has recognized the cost of alcohol and drug excess. For the past 50 years we have been told about problems with tobacco. Yet everyday people start smoking, dipping, drinking or drug use. That said, from the CDC web site http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm
Deaths and Mortality

(Data are for the U.S.)

• Number of deaths: 2,423,712
• Death rate: 803.6 deaths per 100,000 population
• Life expectancy: 77.9 years
• Infant Mortality rate: 6.75 deaths per 1,000 live births

[B]Number of deaths for leading causes of death:[/B]

• Heart disease: 616,067
• Cancer: 562,875
• Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 135,952
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 127,924
• Accidents (unintentional injuries): 123,706
• Alzheimer's disease: 74,632
• Diabetes: 71,382
• Influenza and Pneumonia: 52,717
• Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 46,448
• Septicemia: 34,828

Source: Deaths: Final Data for 2007, tables B, D, 7, 30

In short mankind has a death wish. Encourage others to wear a helmet, enforce it where you have the authority. Finally if it is that important to you - pen a USEF General Rule Change requiring all competitors to wear a helmet in any USEF Endorsed or Recognized competitions.
http://www.usef.org/_IFrames/RuleBook/RuleProposals/PRC.aspx[/QUOTE]

Interesting-- my google search actually has suicide, not septicemia, as #10-- with 34.598 deaths in 2007-- definitely right up there.

Meantime, can’t help but wonder what’s more dangerous: high risk “activities” like riding or motorcycling, or high risk “inactivities”-- like drinking, smoking, promiscuity…
Also, I believe deeper investigations of equestrian injuries have shown-- that those most at risk are occasional and/or “backyard” riders, not those seriously engaged in the sport-- i.e., that even jockeys are injured less often than casual (mindless? totally untrained? unprepared? unfit?) recreational riders.

[Go_Fish]

[QUOTE=Eclectic Horseman;5124777]

Between the “helmet nazis” and the PETA types, I see the demise of equestrian sports in our lifetime. Why is it that people cannot see that?[/QUOTE]

Actually, it makes more sense for riders to wear helmets if you want to avoid scrutiny and having the insurance industry coming after our sport. Less catastrophic injuries just make the insurance companies very happy. Increase the level of catastrophic injuries and the insurance companies sit up and take notice.

Insurance companies are all about statistics and risk. Simple as that.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

@vineyridge;5118792

Habit and Helmet hair? Neither are good excuses for going helmetless. I would guess that if you wear your hair long so you can have the derigeur bun, helmet hair would be a PITA.

My suggestion–ditch the bun, cut your hair, and wear your helmet.

My helmet hair is worse when my hair is short. That is why god invented baseball caps

Really…longer hair is easy. You just yank it up into a pony tail when you take off your helmet!

But honestly…when you are a roll model…and a top athlete whose living probably depends on being healthy enough to ride. I do wish more would put on a helmet.

What they do at home in private…I don’t care. But I would rather not be fighting the image riders without helmets when trying to explain to younger less experienced riders why they probably should be wearing a helmet. And I’d rather not be “fund” raising again for another rider who could have avoided the injury just by wearing a helmet.

[LearnToFly]

why hasn’t someone invented a helmet that looks like a top hat?

[Beverley]

Just passing through to say…

If I were in charge of volunteers, and volunteers wore something ‘other than’ official uniform- in particular little hats with messages on them- I’d dismiss them all immediately.

Extremely inappropriate, rude, and inconsiderate behavior.

Who the h*ll do they think they are?

[n2dressage]

[QUOTE=2ndyrgal;5119262]
I’m quite certain I have made many choices my mother disaproves of.

Didn’t change my mind a bit.

Please people, stop ranting about adults not wearing helmets, go somewhere, look around at all the little kids pushing strollers with little kids in them and go make a difference and pass out condoms.

I was a confirmed “I don’t need no stinking helmet” whether on horse or motorcycle, never wore a seatbelt, indulged in questionable behavior in the 80’s… etc.

Somewhere along the line, I decided that I had too much responsibility to risk a TBI. No big catalyst, no big epiphany. Just life and being a grown up.

You don’t walk in someone else’s shoes. Go rail against drunk driving, because THAT kills innocent people. Stop smoking, eat sensibly.

If you can’t set a good example, then be a horrible warning…

worked for me for years.[/QUOTE]

I like this :yes: :lol:

[n2dressage]

[QUOTE=LearnToFly;5125487]
why hasn’t someone invented a helmet that looks like a top hat?[/QUOTE]

They have; it’s ugly.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

@NCRider;5119745

shawneeacres. Not really his decision. If that rider gets seriously injured on your property and you don’t have a helmet rule, his insurance company is going to make it your business pretty quick. Even if you win in the end, it’s going to be a serious pain in the you know what for you in the process.

And YOUR insurance company may not pick up the tab defending the suit either since you didn’t take the very minimal precaution of requiring helmets…especially for jumping.

Letting someone ride without a helmet on your horse at your farm is crazy from a potential liability standpoint.

[flyracing]

[QUOTE=LearnToFly;5125487]
why hasn’t someone invented a helmet that looks like a top hat?[/QUOTE]

As a side note, there are cowboy hat helmets, but sadly they are cheapish looking since they are aimed at youth riders having to follow local/barn/assoication/whatever helmet rules. I think if a helmet was made that closesly resembled a hat with high quality wool and such there MAY be a chance for it. But howmany top level reiners have brain injuries throughout their careers?? Probably similiar to dressage where it is one of the those freak things.

And because no one has pointed out helmets DO NOT prevent brain injuries, they may reduce severity. I even personally know two people who died from head injuries that occured while wearing helmets.

I just think many people have a false sense of immortality from wearing a helmet while riding…