Jeez almightly, I hope rider and horse are totally fine. I did not see that coming and that was a nasty fall.
Vxf, sheâs fine, that video is three years old. She lives to not wear a helmet and annoy me every day and fall of and break things and have domestic disputes in my aisle. The horse is still listed on FEI database, although she did not compete that horse again at any FEI shows, and did not herself compete at the FEI level the remainer of that year.
That company seriously just shot itself in the foot!
All they had to do was say âOMG we are horrified that this happened and will find out what occurred and how to fix it. The helmet must have been faulty because our company is very focused on producing safe products. In the meantime please let us make it up to you.â
Instead they basically call the woman a liar, tell her that the helmet was supposed to fall apart upon impact, and expect her to be grateful that she is still alive. WTF? :no:
What could have actually been very good PR for the company has turned in to a situation where they are now going to lose business. What idiots!
[QUOTE=Miss-O;8226103]
Of course these statements here are a paraphrase of the thread on horse and hound and some of it is based on my interpretation of the behaviors of the customer and company. Itâs a fascinating/terrifying read. I only wanted to post the shortened version for anyone who doesnât have the time to read the thread. [/QUOTE]
<Bow down> :encouragement: Thanks for the Cliffs Notes!
[QUOTE=PaintPony;8229368]
That company seriously just shot itself in the foot!
All they had to do was say âOMG we are horrified that this happened and will find out what occurred and how to fix it. The helmet must have been faulty because our company is very focused on producing safe products. In the meantime please let us make it up to you.â
Instead they basically call the woman a liar, tell her that the helmet was supposed to fall apart upon impact, and expect her to be grateful that she is still alive. WTF? :no:
What could have actually been very good PR for the company has turned in to a situation where they are now going to lose business. What idiots![/QUOTE]
Could not have said it better! They are apparently suffering from Recto-cranial Insertion Syndrome (RCIS) :D. They should be used as an example in the PR textbooks under how NOT to handle this type of situation! Unreal. 
Itâs really weird how some companies have the chance to possibly spin something into a positive outcome and yet they make seriously bad choices that just destroy their reputation. Is it really that hard to just apologize and accept responsibility?
Maybe they were afraid that admitting to a problem would open them up to a bunch of lawsuits?
Wow, just read that whole thread. KEP sure shot themselves in the foot with that one.
[QUOTE=Velvet;8229468]
Maybe they were afraid that admitting to a problem would open them up to a bunch of lawsuits?[/QUOTE]
I think their bigger problem is their fundamental design: they forgot that when you fall off a horse your head can have multiple impacts and the second one can be worse than first.
But maybe it isnât a part of the design, theyâre just covering their butts?? Could be.
No idea. Just bad every way you look at it.
[QUOTE=Velvet;8229542]
But maybe it isnât a part of the design, theyâre just covering their butts?? [/QUOTE]
Yeah, they are definitely trying to cover their butts. Iâll eat my shorts if that helmet was designed to break apart on impact! Thatâs complete BS.
It is true that helmets reduce the force of impact by crushing and breaking (which is why they canât be used again after a fall), but it should be the FOAM that crushes and maybe the shell crackingâŠnot breaking apart in totally separate pieces!
Wow, the way KEP handled that with lawsuit threats and what not, I would expect that behavior from NP but not a company like KEP!
Guess I donât have to worry about it though, as there helmets are much to pricey for me!
Remember this pic of Edgar Pradoâs skull cap? Thatâs a secondary impact for ya.
https://mobile.twitter.com/shealeparoux/status/557536530621661184
[QUOTE=Velvet;8229468]
Maybe they were afraid that admitting to a problem would open them up to a bunch of lawsuits?[/QUOTE]
I think this might be part of it. They seem hell bent on trying to convince people that the helmet itself was not faulty. Which is fine, but you can do it in a far less aggressive way.
All they needed to say was something like âthank you for reporting this to us. We would appreciate the opportunity to obtain your helmet so that we can examine it and use that information to make our products even safer. Oh, and here is a coupon for your next helmetâ. Classy.
Instead we got ranty posts, a stream of testimonials forced down our throats and a threat of legal action. Not so classy.
1 Like
Reminds me of what a smaller saddle company did out on these boards YEARS ago. Someone from the company had a hair pulling fight with another poster and everything spun out of control. It gave the company a black eye for a long time.
[QUOTE=Velvet;8230893]
Reminds me of what a smaller saddle company did out on these boards YEARS ago. Someone from the company had a hair pulling fight with another poster and everything spun out of control. It gave the company a black eye for a long time.[/QUOTE]
Donât you dare dangle that carrot without a hint at which company! I must have missed that threadâŠ
The ASTM standard specifically imagines and tests for a multiple impact scenario, say from a hoof after the initial fall impact. And, for example, the harness needs to keep its integrity after any tested impact. If the harness is intact but the helmet comes off because the shell breaks, thatâs not going to be a pass.
That the helmet might be âdestroyedâ after an impact, as in not safe/reusable after, is completely legitimate. But for it to shatter that way is not so much what people have in mind. You should have to unfasten the harness to take it off. It should still be providing at least a little protection until it is removed.
The current incarnation of this helmet does advertise itself as passing the ASTM F1163 standard. The text of the standard is behind a paywall, or Iâd quote it directly. Iâm not sure if the helmet the rider was wearing passed it, since it was an older helmet.
The companyâs insistence that it could not possibly have happened as the rider said, rather than an interest in investigating the situation that perhaps might tell them something they didnât know, does not stand in their favor.
Dru Malavase posts here sometimes, and she might have more insight as to whether this sort of performance would pass or fail a test if observed in the lab.
I once had a rotational fall over a jump where I went head first in the dirt and my horse flipped over on top of me. Then, when she scrambled to get up, she stepped directly ON my head/helmet.
Other than a concussion, cuts and bruises, and a big laceration to my elbow, I was fine. My helmet was scuffed and slightly dented, but completely intact. I can only imagine what would have happened if it had fallen apart like that womanâs KEP. :eek: And that was about 15 years ago! I believe it was an International. They replaced it for me at a big discount too.
I work for a professional association that represents the consumer affairs industry, and Iâm going to share this story with the community as a case study of how NOT to respond to something like this. I think they will find it VERY interesting! :yes:
I still canât believe an HELMET company would do something like this. I read the original thread and was constantly either shaking my head or rolling my eyes.
