This Will Probably Be Interpretted As An Anti-Helmet Post

"Self," I said to myself, "it's been a while since we've written a helmet rant, hasn't it?"

Self considered this and agreed. "It has been a while. Why is that?"

"Well, we've been busy. And we haven't felt like it."

"Do we feel like it now?" ask Self.

"I suppose so." I said.

***

So Lendon Gray posted this on her Facebook page:

and then there is the official Parelli opinion on helmets:"Personally speaking we feel very uncomfortable wearing helmets because it affects our balance and perceptiveness." In listing the "torture" equipment seen in stallion sheds, "equipped with chains, whips, hobbles, helmets and flak jackets." And from a letter posted onlinefrom[sic] the Parelli team, "The reason you do not see our people wearing helmets is because we try to teach people that rather than be brave because they are wearing a helmet to protect them, they would be better off not riding until their horse is behaving safely.
People have called us brave for not wearing helmets, but we say they are a lot braver than we are. We would not get on their horse until we had addressed the issues that cause it to behave in unsafe ways." And no comment that I have seen at least after Linda Parelli was knocked unconscious when her own horse fell on her.
HOWEVER you can buy an extra special Parelli helmet cover from their website, for those of you brave enough to ride your unsafe horses.

I struggle with how to respond to this. I could start out by pointing out that in no place in any of the quotes above does it say that helmets are bad. Or that people shouldn't wear them. Or that people who wear helmets are bad rider solely because they wear helmets. I could point out that it merely says that they would prefer that helmets not be the first defense, so to speak, in terms of protecting yourself from injury. That your helmet won't save you from everything. That if your horse seems to think there are ninjas hiding in the corner, it may be best to not ride that day. I could point out that there are a number of Parelli Professionals who wear helmets regularly and have not had their star ranking pulled or downgraded. I could point out that I have ridden with multiple Parelli Professionals, while wearing a helmet, and nary an anti-helmet comment was said. I could point out that people have taken lessons from Pat or Linda Parelli, while wearing a helmet, and everything was fine. Copacetic. Peachy keen even.

I could point that that, until recently, you did not have to wear a helmet in pure dressage or the dressage phase of USEF recognized eventing competitions. That you still do not have wear helmets in any dressage competition at the FEI levels. I could point out that it took until 2006 for approved helmets to be mandatory for showing over fences. I could point out that you don't have to wear a helmet in pretty much any breed or western discipline if you are over 18. I could also point out that nobody has (to my knowledge) accused the USEF or FEI of being anti-helmet.

I could point out that being anti-helmet and anti-mandatory-helmet are two completely separate positions. I could point out that not being a helmet evangelist does not necessarily mean one is anti-helmet. I could point out that it is possible to be committed to wearing a helmet and still not think that helmets should be made mandatory (I myself happen to hold both positions). I could point out that nobody, least of all the Parellis, has advocated banning helmets from competition. I could point out that nobody, least of all the Parellis, has advocated banning the sale of helmets. I could point out that everyone is free to wear a helmet whenever they want (even in competitions where they are not required (because those still exist (how anti-helmet!))), and no one, least of all the Parellis, has said that they should not be free to do so. I could point that there is a fundamental difference between "I don't think X should be compulsory" and "I think X is a bad thing and anyone who does X is a bad person."

 Or I could simply post some pictures of Linda Parelli in a helmet.

 

From Linda Parelli - Fan Page

From Linda Parelli - Fan Page

From Linda Parelli - Fan Page

From Linda Parelli - Fan Page

I know! How anti-helmet! Won't someone think of the children?