NY Times Article: Black Equestrians Want to Be Safe. But They Can’t Find Helmets

[Old_Mac_Donald]

Please show me where I compared a beehive (a style of updo) to, say, dreadlocks in a manner that showed prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group. I used the example of a beehive as a style of hairdo not conducive to the comfortable wearing of a helmet, because isn’t that what we are talking about? Hairstyles - worn for a myriad of reasons - that are currently at odds with the fitting of a helmet, or that can be irreversibly damaged by placing a helmet on them?

Sometimes I think people like to shout racism at others, not to point out highly problematical behaviours, but as a way of making themselves feel better. Do you feel better about yourself now? I hope so.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

In many cases, what is being discussed is a person’s HAIR not their HAIRDO. And even when a hairstyle may be involved such as a weave, these extensions are integrated into the natural hair and not removeable.

The racism detected is your being dismissive of a challenge that another race experiences, just because it is not a problem for you.

[sascha]

And many times people like to shout “I’m a victim of racism” when really they are only victims of their own ability to read for comprehension, their inability to try to understand that not everyone is as they are, and of their surety that they do not rank among The Privileged.

[Old_Mac_Donald]

I’m not being dismissive, I’m stating that I don’t know that the problem can be overcome with helmet design. I do believe that some hair styles / types cannot effectively be worn with a helmet - regardless of who the person beneath the hairstyle is. Helmets are designed (currently) to fit close to the skull, a shape that is pretty similar (in the scheme of skulls) to all human beings, taking individual lumps and bumps aside. If you have hair that is negative affected by a helmet (rubbed, damaged) a potential workaround is to use a liner or protective agent; I use a buff. This only works if you can scrape your hair back / down though.

So perhaps we need to look away from helmets and into something that provide protection without physically sitting on a person’s head. I really don’t think that any design that sits ontop a head can be created that doesn’t negatively affect certain types of hair, especially if worn in a fashion that puts a large volume of hair between helmet and head. But I am not an engineer.

I don’t think yelling “you are racist” at helmet companies - who fit helmets to skulls - is the solution.

As an aside, are these conversations occurring with other helmeted industries, ie. construction hardhards, cycle helmets? There is quite a bit of information on, say YT, about how to fit safety hardhats over dreads without damaging them. Are equestrian helmets the start of this discussion, or are we trying to catch up?

[hoopoe]

people keep throwing out NFL players. Please understand that those helmets are 3D custom built for each player

[sascha]

[quote=“Old_Mac_Donald, post:104, topic:783037”]
As an aside, are these conversations occurring with other helmeted industries, ie. construction hardhards, cycle helmets?
[/quote] It is starting to happen in other sports because mothers are sick to death of their kids not being able to safely participate due to cultural/religious requirements.

Post 39 in this very thread.

@AMWookey

A mom in Toronto just designed a new bike helmet for her kids, it’s both a wonderful and shitty story.

[snowblaze]

Hair straightening chemicals are associated with a higher risk of uterine cancer, so natural hair is safer.

Hair straightening chemicals associated with higher uterine cancer risk

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

Again, I think the CO removable plush helmet liners might be helpful in accommodating some dreadlocks safely. But I don’t know! I don’t claim to have all the answers. I agree there isn’t a way to accommodate every hairstyle.

But all riders of all races have noted how helmet fit is often very challenging on these forums, on numerous occasions. At minimum, when doing “crash tests” I think companies need to use different types of hair and helmets to give adequate ranges of sizes and styles. It used to be that women’s smaller bodies weren’t even taken into consideration with some car crash tests. Similarly, I grew up before car seats and just kind of ping-ponged around in the back; now kids bodies have different accommodations.

It’s not going to be an overnight fix, but just like there are now round and oval head shapes, we need to be heading in the right direction with more options, no pun intended.

I mean, how many of us have complained that “the only thing that fits my head is a dial Troxel, which gives me a headache,” or “the only thing that fits my head is a $500 helmet which is a lot of pressure if I have to replace it after a fall”? We’ll all benefit from more diversity.

[walktrot]

@Djones

Somehow, someway, football helmets accommodate the hairstyles of black men. I wonder why.

You cannot compare football helmets to motorcycle helmets to bike hlemets to equestrian helmets. There are reasons why there are many different standards. Think about what happens when you want the helmet to protect your head. If you are a football player you bang into other people and/or the ground at relativley low speed. Maybe professional football players have decided to accommodate hairstyles in their custom helmets even it it alters the level of risk.
When you are on your horse, you can wear no hat, a cowboy hat, a football helmet, whatever you want - unless you are somewhere that requires an ASTM/SEI certified equestrian helmet.

Does your hair offer any degree of protection to your skull and brain? If it did we woulndn’t be having this whatever-it-should-be-called. The point of helmets is that they absorb energy from whatever is going to hit your head. A football player, a horse hoof, the highway when somebody runs you down on your motorcycle. Maine doesn’t require motorcycle helments. Dumb guys (mostly) go by bareheaded all the time. Sometimes the girl behind him has hers on.

Pony Club started the helmet requirement years ago and injuries decreased. It was Courtney King-Dye’s injury that spurred changes that meant that if you wanted to compete in the FEI dressage arena you had to style your hair for a helmet because top hats were gone. Her horse tripped when they walked out of the barn. They fell and her head hit the ground… She was in a coma for weeks and spent years in recovery so she could get on a horse.

Maybe I shouldn’t say this but we are talking about science: physics, chemistty, and medicine to start with. What forces are at work, like gravity, acceleration, impact? What materials will protect your head, perhaps leather, plastics for shells, foam liners? What types of injuries are we protecting against - TBIs?

If you are a human being, your brain and skull are what they are regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or political inclinations. We are equal. If the science says protective helmets must be close to the skull and stable to protect you, that’s the science. Maybe I shouldn’t say this one either, but if you watch MSNBC you might have noticed that Joy Reid changed her hairstyle several months ago. Looks great, I love it, and I have no idea if there is a horse in her life.

There is plenty of racism these days and it seems to be getting worse when it was getting better. If you believe that the equestrian helmet manufacturers made a decision to make helmets for white people, I think you are misguided. That is your right, of course. Finger-pointing is not a constructive solution to disagreements between two or more different groups. Sometimes we have to make choices when we would rather not. That doesn’t mean it is racist or sexist or anti-LGBTQ+ but it may betray lack of respect or ignorance.

[volvo_240]

@walktrot

If you believe that the equestrian helmet manufacturers made a decision to make helmets for white people, I think you are misguided.

No one is saying that.

What we are saying is that they were designed without considering that the username have needs other than that of a white person. It’s OK to acknowledge that and work to create inclusive options.

[Djones]

@volvo_240

No one is saying that.

What we are saying is that they were designed without considering that the username have needs other than that of a white person. It’s OK to acknowledge that and work to create inclusive options.

Exactly.

Thank you.

[Scribbler]

The thing about black hair is that unless you just go with a buzz cut, every single option is likely to provide more volume and bulk than a helmet is currently designed for.

That includes big afros, small afros, straightened flips and bobs, extensions, locs, braids, with or without beads. And I think it’s asking a lot to expect teen girls to get buzz cuts in order to take riding lessons. It’s not that some styles don’t mesh with helmets. It’s that virtually all styles don’t.

It’s not that long ago that women in general were excluded from a variety of things for made up reasons to do with equipment or suitability. Including having to ride side saddle.

Everything can be made to adjust for different genders, body types, hair textures etc. if the will is there (and the market).

[volvo_240]

“User” not username but hopefully others get the point too.

[Djones]

@walktrot

. If you believe that the equestrian helmet manufacturers made a decision to make helmets for white people, I think you are misguided. That is your right, of course

You cherry picked my input to suit your bias’ and put words in my mouth.

I’m perfectly capable of expressing myself. How about you do the same.

What you asserted I said IS NOT what I said.

Back up.

[BigMama1]

@volvo_240

What we are saying is that they were designed without considering that the username have needs other than that of a white person. It’s OK to acknowledge that and work to create inclusive options.

Bingo. And that’s white privilege right there. We are the default and almost everything is designed for us - often without us or the designers even being aware of it.

However the bigger problem here is that helmet manufacturers, once the issue was raised, denied that there’s an issue and referred to Black hair as “an oddity.”

[bingbingbing]

@Scribbler

The thing about black hair is that unless you just go with a buzz cut, every single option is likely to provide more volume and bulk than a helmet is currently designed for.

Disagree. As someone who has done a lot of professional hair work with many races and cornrowed hair for a living, buzz cutting your hair is not the only option. And yes, I have ginormous hair.

[Scribbler]

@bingbingbing

@Scribbler

The thing about black hair is that unless you just go with a buzz cut, every single option is likely to provide more volume and bulk than a helmet is currently designed for.

Disagree. As someone who has done a lot of professional hair work with many races and cornrowed hair for a living, buzz cutting your hair is not the only option. And yes, I have ginormous hair.

Interesting. So you would disagree that black riders are not well served by the current range of helmets?

[bingbingbing]

I disagree the need for a buzz cut to fit in an off the shelf helmet.

[Jaegermonster]

@bingbingbing

@Scribbler

The thing about black hair is that unless you just go with a buzz cut, every single option is likely to provide more volume and bulk than a helmet is currently designed for.

Disagree. As someone who has done a lot of professional hair work with many races and cornrowed hair for a living, buzz cutting your hair is not the only option. And yes, I have ginormous hair.

How do you do your hair when you ride with a helmet (if you do)?

[GoneAway]

How utterly disappointing that the Back on Track executive’s comment is not the most shocking thing I’ve read in this thread…

Yikes.