Helmets

[celeste <celestem@badgermining.co.za>]

I never rode in a helmet except at shows (english classes). I hated those 
little black things that gave you headaches and cooked your brains! About 
ten years ago I had to exchange some tack and I ended up taking an eventing 
helmet in exchange as I was doing some "fun" eventing and felt it would 
come in handy. I even backed two youngsters without a helmet (I know, 
pretty dumb!)
Then two things happenend that made me a dedicated helmet user. I was 
mounting my gelding (he had the habit of starting to walk off as soon as 
you started to swing your leg over and I mounted him this way for 11 years 
with no problems) when he stumbled just as my leg was swingiing over his 
rump and I was thrown forwards where I landed on my side in front of him, 
he tried to avoid me but in correcting himself nicked my head with his 
front foot. I was riding with my dad who said he helped me up walked my 
gelding back to the stable, took me inside and helped me wash off my face 
where I "woke up"....my last memory was off waking up that morning with my 
dad asking if I want to ride!!!!!
I STARTED WEARING A HELMET PRONTO!
Then a few years later I had a horse flip over backwards on top of me, I 
dislocated my hip, bruised my lower spine, cracked three ribs, broke two 
ribs, tore some ligaments in my shoulder, took all the skin of the side of 
my face and broke my nose...I felt evrey millisecond of pain on the way to 
the hospital, but it felt great!!!!! why???? I was wearing my helmet!! How 
could it have been worse you may say.....when I got home after 6 weeks 
intraction and checked my helmet, the back was gouged away down to the 
padding!!!!!!!!! Guess my head would have been gouged down to my brains!!!!

Celeste (South Africa)
Mawlud & Shadixx (so what if she looks funny, the carrots still taste the 
same!)

-----Original Message-----
From:	Helga Loncosky [SMTP:hblmh@ptd.net]
Sent:	Monday, February 07, 2000 7:06 PM
To:	robert and carla lawson; ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject:	RC:  Re: HELMETS!!!!

OK, I was going to leave this thread alone, but feel compelled to share 
this
side of the story.

I LOATHE helmets. Helmets have the word "hell" in there for a reason in my
book, they always gave me terrible headaches that lasted for hours. I had 
to
wear one for lessons and events of course, and boy , was that a chore! i
take a very small size.  I endured that for 5 years until 2 years ago, i
found one that fits, is light, and doesn't give me headaches.  I still
didn't like wearing one though (I never wear a hat, it's a personal freedom
thing about my head, hate even wearing a hemet on my Harley).

However, after breaking my leg, and thinking that as bad as that was, it
could have been my head, I have revised a few things. One, i'm not getting
any younger. 2-I'm working with youngsters every day. 3- I really don't 
feel
like getting hurt again. So I now wear one, as I'm usually alone. I feel
like a dork sometimes, haven't gotten used to headgear feel yet, but i do
it. My best friend, who is an ER nurse, is delighted, she preached for 
years
at what she saw come in from head injuries because of no helmet. After my
leg, I think about that a lot, and thank God I've got another day to do all
that I love. Helmets suck, but they do the job, and my head is worth it.


Helga Loncosky
Archival Morgan Record
http://home.att.net/~a_m_r/index.html
Beacon Morgan Horses, Ltd.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/5292/
hblmh@ptd.net