I am glad you were alright and made a choice about a barn, but I wanted to note, though, that the most dangerous fall I have had was on a steady undurgged horse (that I owned) at a fancy show barn with pristine footing. It just happens, even in the best conditions.
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I’m not reading others posts as someone or something to blame. I think people are looking for answers, maybe answers will be found. Many times an “accident” is the result of a series of actions. Take one of the actions out of the equation and the accident does not occur.
A thorough look at the tragedy might reveal what might be done differently. It’s not to pass judgement on the victim.
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Somewhat off topic but there’s lots of people on Etsy who make helmet covers that will fit over any helmet you want. You send them the measurements and they will make it! I have one for summertime.
Edit: mine is from here. She can do a wide of medium brim, I have a medium. https://www.etsy.com/listing/572014549/carriage-driving-helmet-covershats?gpla=1&gao=1&
To play devils advocate, MANY of the news sources (not horse related, think NBC) have reported her fatal injury was head trauma. I also disagree that having the conversation of “could this have been prevented depending on the helmet” is “to soon” or in poor taste. If the OP had been asking for details on the fall, specifics, etc, then we would be having one of those conversations. Questioning safety features in this sport should never stop being discussed.
(edited to remove double negative)
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Does anyone know if that has been confirmed by the medical officials? Or was it just reported and then repeated by other news sources?
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Yes. No helmet or air vest is going to withstand severe head trauma from a 1200lb+ animal landing directly on top of you in that fashion. There was absolutely nothing that would have saved her. It was just that sort of tragic injury and that has been discussed at length here and other places.
This was directly confirmed through multiple medical professionals.
Please let it go.
Furthermore, others have directed you to other threads in other groups of this forum that would help and assist with selecting a helmet if you feel your current one may not be up to safety standards. However, comparing the specific brand used by this young teen is not relevant as nothing would have prevented it. In this unfortunate case, there was nothing that was going to prevent the fatality from a trauma of that magnitude.
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It was head trauma. Yes, medical professionals have confirmed it.
Let’s not go into detail. It’s truly morbid and in bad taste. Rather, let’s celebrate a young life and find some peace in that she did not suffer and most likely did not realize it was happening and just left this world doing what she loved. Putting this under a microscope is not appropriate.
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I am a survivor on a fairly serious horse wreck 2 1/2 years ago, and am only here because the Tipperary Sportage, purchased on sale from Riding Warehouse for less than $75, saved my life. I still had a concussion and brain bleed, and my helmet was cracked through in 3 separate places. I was life flighted to the nearest trauma center.
I still ride in a Tipperary Sportage as my back up helmet, and primarily a uvex essential MIPS helmet daily.
I am going to be the first person forever to say I was extremely lucky to have lived. Many of us are! Our sport is dangerous no matter what precautions we take. The brand of helmet offers no guarantee that you will walk away unscathed!
I will also say you are fool to mount any horse, any time, any where without a helmet. A helmet may not prevent your death, but it certainly gives you a better chance at survival should any sort of accident happen.
Sadly, there are some things that no brand of helmet can protect you from. This girl was as protected as she could have been. She and her parents did nothing wrong!
My thoughts go out to this young lady, her family and friends.
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A poster on Reddit works as a trauma nurse at the same hospital / area. Didn’t see the patient firsthand but her colleagues did. The accident was unsurvivable. She didn’t give any details but the concise words she used said it all.
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That is the definition of gross behavior.
“We who get it”. No, Kris. No you don’t. Not one bit.
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what a moron to post that. Truly gross.
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You should bear in mind that this girl’s parents and family are able to read what you post, and act appropriately.
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Yeah. Their working gaits are stretchy walk. They don’t actually do much riding.
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You know, this got me thinking about a post I saw a while back on a FB forum for riding instructors. The child who fell was reportedly wearing a Charles Owens helmet with MIPS. While the child was uninjured, instructor was alarmed to discover the outer shell of the helmet had separated from the inner layers. A few others reported similar occurences. Unfortunately, the general tone of that forum is one of “See? Helmets are an expensive sham!” and the comments spiraled from there and all productive discussion was out the window.
My thought at the time was that the separation might be related to the MIPS design of the inner/outer layers sliding over each other. Because the popping beads in the foam layer are supposedly the part of the helmet that actually mitigate the force of a fall now I’m really wondering if the outer layer slipping away could actually be an intentional design point…
ETA: All talk of helmets aside – I believe that much of human circumstance is more a random roll of the dice than most of us would care to admit. And this accident truly sounds like it was simply not survivable. A terrible, horrible, tragic, unfair thing. As a parent of a child just a few months older, I’m holding this sweet girl’s family up in my heart 
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It is likely engineered as such. When you impact a motorcycle helmet, even dropping it on the pavement, the manufacturer requires its red tagging and replacement. I would hazard to guess many athletic head coverings are the same. That said it wasn’t that long ago we rode with a thin plastic shell covered in velvet with no harness. So whatever is now available is leaps and bounds safer than the sport ever has been.
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I would imagine they probably are not reading a COTH thread about their daughter’s death. I know I could not.
Kris McIdiot has deleted the post.
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I know of a Western trainer, who had tons of experience and was an exceptional trainer, who was killed in what I would define as a rotational fall.
It happened in her own very well maintained ring, on her personal horse, at either a walk or jog. There was absolutely nothing she could have done differently.
To think that you can train a horse how to fall is total and utter hogwash.
Being an equestrian is a dangerous sport. Period. End of sentence.
Are there things we can do to mitigate risk? Yes, but we can not totally eliminate it.
But let’s also realize- everyday life comes with inherent risks that we cannot control. In the end, we are all leaving, as my husband likes to remind me.
This situation is tragic, but there is no where to lay blame. Anyone who attempts to lay blame is not very intelligent and very unrealistic!
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Please do not for one second underestimate the chance that a family member could be reading this thread or any other one about the situation. Trust me on this one.
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Omg a follower of insufferable ignorant megalomaniac Will Faerber. Never met a horse he couldnt lame.
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