The Things We Ask Of Our Horses - And Ourselves

There's some thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head for a few weeks, mostly since California Chrome lost the Belmont, and then a week later, two eventers were killed in competition on two separate continents. I've been thinking about what's fair to ask of our horses and ourselves, and how we define fair.

Note: I am drinking a kind of beer I've never had before. You have been warned.

***

Tradition. It's a word that I would like to greatly reduce the usage of. Of course, it has some benign contexts ("We have to get milkshakes! It's tradition!"), but often it becomes an excuse for pigheadness. We can't change the way we do things because that's the way we've done them, and we've always done them this way because no one's ever changed them. It's a cycle. So when ideas were floated about changing the Triple Crown, they were shot down. You can't change the Triple Crown, it'd diminish the accomplishment. Except the Triple Crown has changed, just as racing has. The track surfaces are different, the drug rules have changed, the tack has changed, veterinary medicine and farrier techniques have advanced in leaps and bounds, even the horses themselves have changed. So why would tweaking the schedule be that much more different? Some people raised the prospect of limiting the races to horses entered in all three with no fresh challengers, but I like the idea of stretching out the time between the races. Have the Derby on the first Saturday of May, the Preakness on the first Saturday in June, and the Belmont of the first Saturday in July. That way, fresh challengers become less of a problem, and three-year-olds don't have to go through the toughest five weeks in horse sport. Everybody wins.

It didn't diminish Secretariat's victory that he raced on a different track surface than Sir Barton. Does it matter that Affirmed was probably fed a very different diet than War Admiral? So, let's change it. Give the young'ins a rest. Winning 3 races back to back is already a remarkable feat, even if they are a month apart. I highly doubt the Triple Crown is ever going away, so let's help the horses out.

And let's help ourselves out. Eventing is also having a "come to Jesus" moment while trying desperately to pretend it's not. When two people die in different competitions on two continents, serious changes need to be made. But the powers that be will just keep twiddling their thumbs and create safety theater rules aimed at punishing the lower levels whilst ignoring that most of the serious accidents was taking place at the upper levels. A few rogues like Denny Emerson have made some suggestions that actually may be effective, like lowering the x-c speeds or limiting the amount of trappy combinations that can be on the courses, but that doesn't seem like it'll happen soon. Just convince people to buy more fancy helmets and vests designed to stop their necks from snapping when their horse falls on top of them.

We don't like looking at the system as a whole. We're so busy inspecting the veins on the leaves that we've neglected to notice that the forest is burning down around us. When people keep playing by the rules that were made when horses were expendable, horses pay the price. Royal is not my toy, he's my partner. And I'm not the exception. Horses are not living ATV's, they're dance partners, and the rules of our sports need to recognizes them as such. If a fence keeps causing problems, take it off the course. If people are throwing three-year-olds into an trial by fire that hoards victory like a starving man, change the rules. We don't have to be bound to tradition if it's not helping us.

Our horses deserve our best efforts.

Helmets: Less Stick, More Carrot

Wanna know a secret? Of course you do. C'mere.

No, closer.

Closer.

Ok, too close. Back up.

I'll tell you something, but you must never ever tell the Helmet Fanatics. Ok? Ok.

I like wearing my helmet. No, really. I do. I love my AYR8, the way it looks, the way it feels, the whole thing. When the time comes that I have to replace it (sometime in the next year or so), I'll most likely get the exact same thing. I LOVE that helmet.

That's why it takes no pressure for me to put it on. There's nothing holding me back. It's comfortable, stylish, and sleek. I love the the way it completes the whole picture, while giving me extra bonuses of sun visor and vents. I LOVE that helmet.

Which is another one of my big frustrations with the Helmet Fanatics. They see helmets as an obligation and a chore, something you because you have to, not because you want to. And I think that's a big mistake. You don't sell something by saying it's a burden and it sucks, but you do it because of insurance premiums and you love your family and THE CHILDREN THAT NOBODY (BUT YOU!!!!!) THINKS ABOUT!!!111!!1!!!!!1ELEVENTYONE!!!!!!! Ugh, what a drag.

You know what's not a drag?

This:

That's Charlotte Dujardin, double gold-medalist from the 2012 Olympics. But look at that helmet. I'm not a particular fan of the smooth leather helmets (I'm a suede lady myself), but doesn't that helmet look amazing? Much much better than a top hat. She looks like an athlete, not a weird throwback to an 18th century gentlemen. Now, that's how you sell helmets.

I've noticed a trend when it comes to a large portion of Helmet Fanatics. There's a lot of sighing and moaning and tsking when it comes to How Dare You Not Wear A Helmet When I Deem It Necessary, but lot of them would gleefully check them off at the slightest provocation. A show? Photographing a sale ad? Riding in a big name clinic? Off goes the helmet, quick as you please. You can call it hypocrisy, but I think it goes deeper than that. When you constantly make the argument that helmets are Just A Thing You Gotta Do But Really Everyone Hates Them, it's not a stretch to say that you may really believe that. So, take the opposite track. Helmets are awesome, and they make you look awesome. Don't you look great in that GPA/CO/One K/Samshield? Doesn't it fit your head like a glove? Why wouldn't you want to look and feel that fabulous?

This is also where the helmet companies need to step up. Right now, there's a wide variety of choices when it comes to English helmets, but western-style helmets are few and far in between. So, I think it would be majorly helpful if they could design some more western-friendly helmets, pay professional barrel racers and reiners and the like to wear them, and market the crap out of them. Make cowboy hats the equivalent on hunt caps: traditional, a throwback to the roots of the sport, but best left for exhibitions and award ceremonies. Make helmets become the cool thing, not the dork signifier.

More Carrot, Less Stick.

The Limits Of Helmets

So I came across this article a few months ago and have been mulling it over ever since.

http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/injury-prevention/After-the-Crash.html

The short version of it is that helmet use in extreme sports (the author mostly references mountain biking and snowboarding/skiing, but the principle applies to any high risk sport) has been increasing, but so have traumatic brain injuries, the very thing they were supposed to prevent. The author points to the increase in the intensity of the sports, to the point where our safety equipment can't help us beyond a certain point. As has been pointed out, you can sustain a concussion while wearing a helmet.

Debilitating brain injuries get all the press, but the more troublesome issue is the build-up of "small" concussions over time. Get enough minor concussions and they'll have the same long term outcome as a big-time TBI. So, while helmets will most likely keep you from dying, if that's your only safety measure, you may end up with irreversible brain damage anyway.

So how does this apply to horses? Other than the fact that horseback riding is probably one of the most high risk sports available. Right now, there's a MASSIVE push to make sure everyone and their closest blood relative wears a helmet any time they're on or near a horse. And... I have no idea whether it's making a huge difference. Seriously, no one keeps tabs on these things, so while we can see an increase in helmet use at recognized dressage/eventing shows (because they're now mandatory), we have no idea what the average rider is doing. Or if helmet use would really make a huge difference. Because your average backyard/casual rider is not engaging in the same high risk behavior as an eventer or polo player. I am engaging in much more risky behavior when Royal and I canter out of the start box than when we mosey down the trail. And while humans are not the greatest risk assessors, we can tell when something is a bigger risk than another.

And this is where I think the Helmet Police approach falls short. Hyperventilating at people that if they ride a horse without a helmet, they're signing their death warrant is unhelpful at best.

Because unless they take measures to prevent accidental decoupling from the horse in the first place, the helmet is just a band-aid. If you keep riding and taking stupid risks, hoping your helmet will keep you safe, you could ending up sustaining concussion after concussion until your gray matter becomes a happy memory. The better thing to do is focus on prevention, rather than intervention. Don't get on the horse if it's scared of its own shadow. Don't ride on bad footing or places where your horse is likely to slip. And don't anything you're not comfortable with. Get off if your horse starts acting possessed. And, then, your helmet can do its job. The less you call it into action, the better it is for everyone. And the less chance you'll have of concussion buildup.

Please, wear your helmet. But also, don't do anything you'd be embarrassed to explain to the medical professionals.

F**king Helmets, How Do They Work?

So, this blog post has come across my Facebook feed a couple of times and at first I didn't bother to read it, thinking it would be the same inane blather that usually occurs. Anecdotes, not forcing people to wear helmets at knife-point = telling people not to wear helmets, THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, the Parellis are money-grubbers, blah blah blah.

Then I read it and came across this passage (no emphasis added):

I’m writing this calmly but inside I am screaming: If Linda Parelli had been wearing a helmet [when she fell off Remmer] she may not have been knocked out (read- concussion) and under her horse’s feet when he got up.  A helmet may have saved her from a concussion and it may also have saved her from bruises and 4 broken ribs. I wonder if that was extreme enough for Linda Parelli. I wonder what she considers a safe horse.

Oh, for crying out loud.

No. No, Ms. Fox, we can't say that at all. People get concussions while wearing helmets. People get knocked out while wearing helmets. People die while wearing helmets.

I come across this sort of thinking all the time, people seeming to think that helmets are magic, a force-field of protection against any and all head injuries, and, by proxy, any and all other injuries. Because people never break bones or anything like that unless they sustain head injuries. F**king magic. Like magnets or something.

Then, I got to thinking ("A dangerous idea" "I know"). Maybe I'm being too critical of Ms. Fox. Maybe she has never taken a physics course and has no idea how the basic principles of force work. Maybe she has about the same level of expertise regarding the principle of helmets as I do about how the internet works: absolutely no idea. For all I know, fairies bring websites from one computer to the other, and that's how websites get overloaded and shut down: not enough fairies. Perhaps Ms. Fox believes fairies reside in helmets and generate protective fields as the ground looms ever closer. So, in order to help Ms. Fox and anyone who didn't take (or failed) physics, I shall now destroy the magic and attempt to explain the basic principle behind helmets.

The main guiding principle behind helmets are among the most basic is physics: f = ma. Breaking down the equation, we have f as the force an object experiences, usually measured in Newtons. m is the mass of the objects. a is acceleration or the rate of change in the velocity of the object (usually we use acceleration to mean increasing the velocity, but in physics acceleration means either speeding up or slowing down). So, the force of the impact is directly related to both the mass of the object and the rate of change in the velocity of object. The saying "The bigger they are, the harder they fall" is actually true from a physics standpoint. But (and this is where helmets come in) it is also true that the faster they are, the harder they fall.

Your brain is a very soft and squishy thing that is surround by solid hard bone. A concussion is caused not by injuring to the skull bones, but by your brain bouncing around inside your skull cavity. Your brain starts bouncing around in your skull when you hit the ground, and that is where the equation f = ma comes in. In order to reduce the likelihood of head injury (and thereby brain injury), you have to reduce the force sustained by your head when you hit the ground. There are two ways to do that: reduce the mass, which is not possible, or reduce the rate of the change in velocity, which is where helmets come in. A helmet is composed of a hard shell enclosing lots of padding, usually some kind of foam. When a helmet contacts the ground, the inner foam starts to compress and crumble. This decreases the rate of deceleration and therefore the force of the impact, and hopefully bring the total force experience by your head below the threshold of injury. Or, watch what happens when the Mythbusters go to town with beer bottles.

So, there it is: slow the rate of change in velocity, reduce the force experience by the head and brain, hopefully reduce or eliminate injury to the head. Simple and elegant, but not magic. No fairies, no shields, no guarantees. Helmets have limits. Sometimes the force of the impact is still large enough to send the brain bouncing around the skull and cause a concussion, even a fairly severe one. Or loss of consciousness. In addition, helmets only have one shot, so to speak. Once that lining is crushed, it's done. It's already done its deed, thrown itself on the grenade, and it can do no more. So if, after a fall on your head, you hit your head on something else (like a fence or your horse's hoof), the protective properties are greatly reduced, and you may get a concussion or broken skull anyway. Also, helmets do not prevent general shock, and your reflexes may not be as sharp after a fall and not able to get out of the way of your horse's hooves.

Most helmets come with an ASTM/SEI certification, which entails hitting the helmet against an anvil designed to simulate a horse's hoof and measuring the forces experienced by various parts of the helmet. They do not, however, strap the helmet to a crash test dummy and torture it, a la Mythbusters, by dropping it from ridiculous heights to see if any other body parts get injured.

Pictured: not an approved method of testing helmets

There is not a helmet manufacturer in the world stupid enough to claim that their helmets will completely prevent any and all head injuries or injuries to any other body parts. Because they would get sued for false claims, and they would lose. There is absolutely NO DATA showing that helmets are magical panaceas, or that they even have a chance of preventing injury to any area of your body that is NOT your head.

Should Linda have been wearing a helmet? Probably. Would a helmet have prevented her concussion? Maybe. Would a helmet have left her faculties intact and/or thereby prevented the broken ribs and bruises? There's absolutely no reason to think that could have been the case.

You want more people to wear helmets, Ms. Fox? A good start would be if you stopped lying about them. Stop trying to pretend more than they are. Treating your audience like a bunch of idiots who can't read the news and see lots of cases where people are injured or killed while wearing helmets is not going to get you very far at all.

You want to know why people don't wear helmets? Maybe you could ask them why not. I would be very surprised if "Pat and Linda Parelli don't wear helmets" cracks the top ten reasons. So maybe get off your high unicorn and join the rest of us in the real world. It's surprisingly nice here.

So You Want People To Wear Helmets

As a latent sociologist, I find the helmet "debate" fascinating. As I've pointed out before, there's really only one side: helmets are good things that save lives. Nobody's trying to ban helmets, either from competitions or retail stores. No one's arguing that competitors should be penalized for wearing helmets in shows. There aren't any multi-million dollar organizations smearing helmets as dangerous. The "debate" largely revolves around whether of not helmets should be mandatory or an option. That's it.

A fair amount of people would like riders to wear helmets every time, every ride. A lot of people don't. It seems to me, if you want to change that, the best way to start would be to figure out why people are not wearing helmets right now. Which is the approach public health researchers use when trying to find out why people don't use clean needles. (Relevant part at 3:20, but the whole video is awesome. Bonus: subtitles in 31 languages. Learn how to sound smart about public health is Czech!)

While drug use and HIV transmission are much more serious than helmet use (and not wearing a helmet is not in the league as HIV transmission), the methods they used have a broad application. For those who can't watch the video, the researchers went to various cities in Indonesia and went to popular hang-outs of heroin addicts (or smackheads, as she calls them) and asked them a bunch of questions.

Question 1: Do you know how you get HIV? Almost everyone said, yeah, by sharing needles.

Question 2: Do you know where to get clean needles? Again, the answers are almost universally yes.

Question 3: Are you carrying clean needles? 1 in 4 or less say yes, and less than 1 in 10 use clean needles every time they inject heroin.

At this point, the equivalent tactic of helmet fanatics would be to start yelling and screaming about health costs and don't you love your family and think of THE CHILDREN and you'll deserve it when you die, you junkie. Instead, the researchers did something radical and outrageous and unheard of and asked the people why they weren't using clean needles and listened to their answers. And it turns out they had a very good reason: carrying needles was against the law. If the police caught you with a needle, you'd go to jail and possibly get HIV or killed there. So, for these heroin users, sharing needles was actually the less risky choice.

So let's extrapolate this to helmets. I'm guessing if someone with a background in statistics were to stand around at a horse expo or fair anywhere in the country asked people 1) Do you know the function of helmets, 2) Do you know where to get a helmet, 3) Do you wear a helmet, we'd learn some interesting things. I'm sure pretty much everyone would know where to get a helmet (most feed stores and even Fleet Farm carry them) and what they're for, but maybe half or less would actually be wearing them. So, a good thing to know would be why.

There a common theme among helmet evangelists that nothing is less comfortable than a TBI, so nothing excuses not wearing a helmet. Which sounds like "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels," which I can tell you ain't true. Chipotle burritos, nuf said. And helmets can be EXTREMELY uncomfortable, especially if you're like me and have an oval shaped head, it's hard to find a helmet that fits and is comfortable. For years, I hated wearing helmets because they gave me headaches. It wasn't until the local tack store started carrying Charles Owens and GPAs that I figured out that helmets weren't the problem. The problem was I'd only worn Troxels and they are not very comfortable for me. Nothing wrong with them, they just don't fit me well. But most places around here only carry Troxels, so I was out of luck. When I actually got to try on multiple brands and styles, the two that fit be best were the Charles Owens GR8 and the GPA Speed Air. Both of which are expensive and not found at a lot of brick and mortar stores around here. Now imagine someone like me, but who doesn't live within driving distance of a store with many different brands of helmets. Either they order dozens of helmets from online retailers and hope they eventually find a comfortable one, or they might just forgo the helmet thing altogether.

And not wearing a helmet doesn't guarantee you'll die of a TBI, believe it or not. Anyone can point to tons of people who have ridden without a helmet - multiple times even! - and lived to tell the tale. There are people who have been riding a long time helmet-less and are still alive. So the implication that no helmet = YOU WILL DIE AND IT WILL BE YOUR FAULT is very very false. A helmet lowers your risk of a TBI, sure, and no one has ever said otherwise, but a lack of helmet does not increase your chance of an accident occurring.

And there could be plenty of reasons why people don't wear helmets. But berating them is not going to change anything. People will wear helmets when the advantages outweigh the drawbacks. How that happens is different for everyone. The USEF recently changed the dressage rules so that everyone has to wear a helmet in dressage, even in the FEI levels. But not if you're competing in an event under FEI jurisdiction, which only adds to the confusion. At Ye Olde Locale Showe, helmets for all. At Big Important International Event On US Soil, helmets for some, odd hats for others. It's just so weird.

But first, if you want people to wear helmets, ask them why they are not. And listen, instead of moralizing or berating. The answers may surprise you.

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?

PNH Blogging #11 - Pat and Linda don't where a helmet….do you? Why or Why Not?

Okay. Here we go. *sounds of Renee cracking her knuckles and neck*

[Helmet Fanatic]Yes I wear a helmet! Because I care! about my brain! and family! and friends! and insurance premiums! and the CHILDREN!111!!11!eleventyone! WHY DOES NO ONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!!?!?![/Helmet Fanatic]

Helmet Fanatics make me embarrassed to wear a helmet. I wear my helmet because I feel it is a safety measure that I like. Not need. Like. I've gone back and forth with wearing helmets. When I first went to horse camp when I was seven, helmets were mandatory for all the campers (but not the counselors as I recall). When I started riding lessons at ten, helmets were, again, mandatory. It wasn't until I started "working" at Last Chance Farm (the farm where I got Royal. Not its real name.) that I started riding without a helmet. On the camp/trained horses, not Royal. I wore a helmet when I rode Royal and all the other green horses. Helmets became less of an everyday piece of equipment, and more of a precaution when riding green horses. I can honestly say my Troxel saved my life the three times Royal threw me.

Since I didn't ride very much for two years after starting Parelli, besides the odd hop-on-and-sit session and I usually wore my helmet for those. Then, I stopped wearing it, mostly because it didn't fit my head. I had a risky fall off of Royal when he got stung by a bee and lost my confidence all over again. It took me a year to get it back, and for the first few months, I wore a new helmet. But then, I consciously made the decision to stop. Why, you ask? Because I realized I was using my helmet as a crutch. If I felt I needed a helmet to ride, that was a HUGE sign that I wasn't feeling confident to ride. Either because of my own issues or because Royal was acting up. So, instead of donning the helmet, I would play on the ground from as long as it took for Royal to be ridable, which sometimes took two hours.

So I went for three years without wearing a helmet, except for jumping. I always wear a helmet when jumping. Again, so I wouldn't use it as a crutch. It may seem weird to think like that, and it probably is, but for someone who had her confidence shattered twice, it was very important for me to not put myself in those situations again. And even though I now wear my helmet 95% of the time I'm on a horse, it's not the first safety measure I think about. My safety list is more like

1) Is my horse ridable (calm, relaxed, listening to me on the ground)?
2) Am I in a good mental state to ride?
3) Is this a good environment to ride in (footing, distractions, hazards like cars and other horses)?
4) If my horse got upset, could I handle it?
5) If everything went to hell in a handbasket, could I do an emergency dismount and get my horse back into a ridable state on the ground?
6) Do I have my helmet?

I'm always amazed at the kind of people who seem to think helmets are the ONLY thing that keeps people safe. I don't think they really think that, but one could be forgiven for getting that impression. So much energy and emotion over helmets, but not as much given to ground preparation, not getting on a explosive horse, and getting off when horse becomes unridable. Think how many falls/accidents could be prevented by people simply getting off their bolting/bucking/rearing maniac, instead of trying to "ride 'em through it" and getting thrown when the horse explodes. Yes, there are the freak accidents where a horse slips or trips, but head injuries are not the only possible injuries. Is breaking your neck a walk in the park? Does rotator cuff surgery come cheaply? And I suppose it only takes an hour to recover from broken arms and legs? Helmets are not magical force fields of protection.

I suppose the reason I get so mad at the Helmet Fanatics is because I feel like I was robbed of three years of progress with Royal because of that mentality. I shouldn't be just starting Beginner Novice this year; I should be doing Novice or Training. But because helmets were the only safety measure taken when I started out with Royal, I had to regain my confidence over two years. That's two years Royal and I will never get back, and I don't think I would have lost it from the Bee Sting Incident if it hadn't been so tenuous.

So, yes, I wear my Charles Owens AYR8 with pride, but because it's a choice I made. And because I don't need it. I only want it.

What is Safety?

When I wrote my Helmets and Other Veneers of Safety, I pointed out that helmets, for all their promotion and marketing, are not magical force fields of protection. They can definitely save your life or prevent catastrophic brain damage, but you can still be killed or injured while wearing a helmet. Look at Christopher Reeve, Darren Chiacchia, or Laine Ashker. They are not the be all and end all of safety, and I get so frustrated when people judge how safe someone is by whether or not they are wearing a helmet.

So what is safety? Is precautions taken to prevent accidents? Is it something that reduces the likelihood of injury? Is it something else? I refuse to quote the dictionary here, because everyone views safety in a slightly different way.

Look at it this way: when I was leasing and first bought Royal, I was riding the equine equivalent of a paranoid schizophrenic. The horse was literally spooking at his own shadow and urine. Oh sure, I wore a helmet every time and every ride. I still fell off and lost my confidence. Confidence that took me two years to regain. But a lot of people would have looked at that helmet and proclaimed me "safe". But what if Royal reared and flipped while I was riding him (which was a real possibility for how reactive he was)? I would have been crushed, which the helmet would have done feck all to prevent.

Then look at Linda Parelli. She jumps! Bareback! With no helmet! How unsafe! What horrors! Think of the children! Won't someone PLEASE think of the children?! Except for if you listen her talk, you'd know she promotes staying on the ground until you feel your horse is ready to ride and getting off the horse the INSTANT you feel the horse is unsafe. That little piece of advice has prevented more accidents for me than any helmet ever could.

In the summer of 2009, Linda was riding her horse Remmer in a field when he tripped and fell. Linda was thrown off. She sustained a concussion and broken ribs. When people heard about the accident, many wondered if she would start wearing a helmet. But here's the thing: the concussion healed relatively quickly. The broken ribs took a lot longer to recover from. And a helmet wouldn't have necessarily have prevented the concussion. A concussion occurs when the brain bounces around in the skull, crashing into the sides. People have gotten concussions while wearing helmets. A protective vest may prevented the broken ribs, but again, not necessarily. Linda has been riding since the accident and does not wear a helmet or a protective vest.

It would seem that Linda has decided that she can be safe while not wearing a helmet. And, as a committed helmet wearer, I completely agree. Because safety is more than equipment and clothing. Safety is what you DO and how you react to situations. You can't wear safety, you have to live it. The day I went to the cross-country schooling, I was riding up the road while wearing my helmet and protective vest. At one point, after Royal spooked at a barking dog, I thought "I'm glad I'm wearing my helmet". The instant after that thought flashed through my brain, I stopped Royal, got off, and walked the rest of the way. That thought was a warning sign that I was not feeling safe enough. If Royal had thrown me into the path of a car going 60mph, the helmet would not done a whole lot to protect me. I should never need a helmet; it should always been a second line of defense. When I feel like I "need" one because my horse is acting up, that is a MAJOR HUGE warning sign that my horse is not safe to ride and I should not be on him.

So, I guess my point is: wear your helmet if you want, but make sure your horse is ridable.

The End Is Nigh!

Of the year, that is.

Right now we're getting a mix of sleet, hail, and fluffy snow and coldness. Can't ride Royal until Monday because of his chiropractic work. So, I thought I'd write about a fun day we had this year. There's another barn a mile north of where Royal lives that has a cross-country course. The day before my birthday, they had an open schooling day. I'd been debating all week about whether I should go to it. On the one hand, I didn't have any tests that week (so no hard-core studying), the weather was forecast to be wonderful, I didn't really know when I'd be able to do any X-C schooling for a while, and the barn is close enough that I didn't have to trailer him there. On the other, Royal was very out of shape and I'd have to ride on the highway to get there. But, that morning I decided to bite the bullet and try for it. If I had to lead Royal along the road, that was fine. So I gathered up my helmet and protective vest and went out to the farm. I had debated whether to use my bridle or hackamore and decided on my hackamore since it has a built-in leadrope and I thought that would come in handy.

I did end up leading Royal most of the way there. Being a Sunday morning, the highway wasn't terribly busy but people were mowing their lawns, burning leaves, and we encountered a couple of very vocal Labradors. Also, about 1/10th of a mile from the stable, I realized my cell phone had fallen out of my pocket. We'd mostly been walking through ditches over piles and piles of dead grass so I didn't think there was much chance of finding it. So we continued on. As I walked up to the barn, one of the volunteers asked:

"Did you walk up here along the highway?"
"Yeah."
"You're nuts."
"You're telling me."

She offered to trailer me back when I was done, but I declined. I wanted to at least attempt to find my phone. I handed in my registration stuff (somehow that stayed in my pocket) and started riding in the schooling arena. Royal, being the social butterfly that he is, wanted to meet all the other horses, so he wasn't really listening to me. I just persisted and used my reliable "Royal! Pay attention and relax" tools, mainly figure-8s. We did a lot of figure-8s around the schooling jumps, which was fine since I was the only one in there. Once he calmed down and stopped fighting me, we went over some of the jumps. He very much enjoyed that and was very obedient so I decided to go out to the X-C course.

Oh boy.

Royal was fine at first, but then he started throwing a tantrum because there were two pastures full of horses next to the course and he wanted to meet them. I tried to ride him through it, but then he started threatening to rear, so I got off and started working his ass from the ground. And he worked. I sent him over every jump in sight, including the big tables and tire jumps. I also sent him into the water and he had fun splashing around. Once he was calmer (and also somewhat sweaty), I got back on and did more figure-8s, this time around a log and a canoe jump. He settled down, but I was kind of wishing I had my bridle since he was not being very sensitive to the hackamore. We went over some logs and roll-tops and also up and down the small banks. Our last thing was a log to roll-top combination which Royal did very well.

I lead him all the way home and found my cell phone! It was in a nicely mowed patch of grass, lying neatly with it's front screen facing up. And it still worked too. Once Royal and I got home, I gave him a good brushing (he had sweated quite a bit) and lots of cookies. I think we could actually compete in some events in 2011, if I could arrange to school at the other stable 2 or 3 times in the spring.

Since this was primarily a learning experience for me, here's what I learned:
1. Most people try to avoid horses on the road. Some do not. They will hopefully crash and wreck their fancy stinky muscle car.
2. I should try to trailer in next time I go to the barn (Lots of reasons why I didn't that day).
3. Hackamores are not the best tool for X-C riding on a tantrum-throwing horse, but it's still possible if not entirely pleasant.
4. Royal jumps stadium and X-C fences the exact same way. An odd combination of a springy deer jump with bascule and power mixed in. And, he can also jump Training Level tables from a walk.

So, all in all, a very good day with a (mostly) good horse. Hopefully next year more will follow.

Helmets and Other Veneers of Safety

Ah helmets. I don't think I've ever seen a "debate" where everyone is arguing for the same side, yet there is so much vehemence and not a lot to show for it.

If you think about it, there is only one side to the helmet debate: helmets are good things that save lives. I have never seen anyone say "helmets are bad things that don't save lives" but I suppose at least one person out there holds that view. I just haven't heard from them.

The two "sides" of the helmet "debate" (yes, I'm overusing the scare quotes) seem to be:
a. Helmets are good things that everyone should wear every single time they are on a horse. (Side note: I know there are lots of people who think everyone should wear helmets anywhere near a horse. Even when cleaning stalls)
b. Helmets are good things and it should be up to the individual whether or not they want to wear them.

That's it. Those are the two sides. But side B is always treated like they advocate banning helmets or they want people to end up in the hospital in a coma. Which is patently ridiculous.

Full disclosure: I wear a helmet 95% of the time when I ride. The other 5% are when I just decide to hop on bareback and don't have my helmet with me. I am firmly in the B side of the helmet "debate". But, I never hop on at all, helmet or no helmet, unless my horse is ridable. And by ridable, I mean calm, attentive, and not thinking that there are ninjas on the lawn. I do encourage helmets, especially with children, but I'm not going to insult people or tell them they have a death wish if they ride sans helmet.

I rode without a helmet for a number of years. I recently started wearing one frequently this spring. Those who keep up with horse news may think that I started wearing one because of Courtney King-Dye's accident. But while that did play a role, the main thing that got me to start wearing my helmet 95% of the time was watching the luge bobsled (oops, got the sports mixed up) races in the Vancouver Olympics. Especially the ones where people fell out of the sled. For some odd reason, I watched those and thought "I should start wearing my helmet more often." And I did.

For all the passion in the helmet debate, there are only two horse sports that require helmets at all times while riding: hunter/jumper and endurance. That's it. Dressage, eventing, cutting, western pleasure, vaulting, or any of the other riding sports don't require helmets at all times. Combined driving requires helmets, but I'm not quite sure how much good they'll do if you get run over by the cart. Or a horse, which is the other thing: helmets are not a magical force field of protection. They can only do one thing: lessen the chance of a traumatic brain injury. That's it. While it is important to protect your brain, that is not the only part of your body that can be injured if you fall off a horse. You can still break your neck or back. You can still puncture a lung. You can still rupture your spleen.

I point this out not to discourage people from wearing helmets, but to encourage people to be honest about what helmets can do. When you get on a horse, you can get injured in a number of ways. The best way way to prevent that is to make sure your horse is ridable. If you wish to wear a helmet, great! But the helmet should be a side component of your safety measures, not the main one