Horse and Hound lost the plot?

[littleshetland]

Well the fact is that the overwhelming odds are that nothing will happen to them. I am one of the very, very, very small percentage of riders who would probably be dead if I'd left my hat at home one hot day, as I often used to. And I never ride without one now. But I still know that the vast, vast majority of riders in the world don't wear hats, and only a tiny, tiny percentage of those will get a head injury which a hat would have saved them from. So I never look down on people who've made a conscious decision not to wear a hat, or force their child to. It is possible to worry too much.

^^ this.
I absolutely agree - it is possible to worry to much - I'm in my 50's now and only just recently started riding every time out with my hat on since I acquired a three year old. Over the years I've ridden a lot without my hat on - fallen off a few times, and injured plenty of other bits of me, but luckily I suppose, not my head. I actually like riding without a hat. I seem to remember spending most of the 1980's not wearing a seatbelt in the car, mucking about in boats in deep water without a life belt on for a lot my childhood, riding motorbikes without a helmet in countries where the law allows you to do this. I am mindful of a friend of mine who was tragically killed whilst standing on a pavement in the high street, when an out of control car mounted the pavement and mowed him down. Sure, I think as we get older we get more 'sensible' and perhaps our sense of self preservation becomes more honed, but we must try not to let this tip over into paranoia.

 

[blitznbobs]

I have fractured my skull twice in my life once coming off a loopy horse( skull cap in place) and once getting out of the bath ( no skull cap ) but perhaps I should wear my hat in the bath too😜

 

[ycbm]

I have fractured my skull twice in my life once coming off a loopy horse( skull cap in place) and once getting out of the bath but perhaps I should wear my hat in the bath too��

Definitely!

 

[littleshetland]

I have fractured my skull twice in my life once coming off a loopy horse( skull cap in place) and once getting out of the bath ( no skull cap ) but perhaps I should wear my hat in the bath too��

Oh dear! according to stats, most accidents occur in the home apparently..... I do think how we perceive risk is quite a personal issue - it seems to vary a lot from person to person and country to country. I've lost quite a few friends over the years to cancer who have never smoked or drank (I do both), and one or two to highly improbable accidents (I'm still here...) It's a real balance between enjoying life and taking the odd risk and keeping ourselves safe.....but I do find myself becoming quite cross when I see people foisting their paranoia upon young people - but I suppose it's all about perception and personal experience of yourself and those around you.

 

[Arzada]

I have fractured my skull twice in my life once coming off a loopy horse( skull cap in place) and once getting out of the bath ( no skull cap ) but perhaps I should wear my hat in the bath too��

And hi viz so the emergency services can locate you.

 

[armchair_rider]

I have fractured my skull twice in my life once coming off a loopy horse( skull cap in place) and once getting out of the bath ( no skull cap ) but perhaps I should wear my hat in the bath too!

And hi viz so the emergency services can locate you.

And waterproof, non slip shoes?

 

[Arizahn]

And waterproof, non slip shoes?

And one of those GPS locater things!

 

[D66]

I have made use of my hat in a fall, but have damaged both knees in two separate incidents, should all riders wear knee pads?

 

[Aoibhinn]

IMO it is down to the person riding to choose what they want to do. It is a high risk sport already so I think that wearing a hat is a sensible habit to have. Saying that, it also depends on the horse. With my own horse, I wouldn't dream of riding him without a hat AND body protector but I would often ride my pony in a head collar and leadrope bareback without a hat as she is more trustworthy.

 

[FairyLights]

I used to ride hatless and with the pony wearing a headcollar. no saddle. now I'm grown up I wear a hat to snell standard hi viz a hat cam and a gps locator [incase I come off in the woods or moors] the horse is saddled and bridled. Ignorance isnt bliss.
I also wear a seat belt when in a vehicle, didnt used to , used to zoom along the motorway unbelted with dad driving. Times have changed we now know better.

 

[SpringArising]

should all riders wear knee pads?

You can't give yourself a fatal brain haemorrhage by knocking your knee. I don't know why these posts always bring out sarcasm and immaturity in people.

 

[pennyturner]

You can't give yourself a fatal brain haemorrhage by knocking your knee. I don't know why these posts always bring out sarcasm and immaturity in people.

Because it's funny, and most of us enjoy reading it. Lighten up!
(and you can give yourself an embolism by knocking your knee, which would be just as fatal as your hypothetical head injury)

 

[ronakyra63]

my friend didn't wear a hat for years despite us saying she should - it's ok she said - just a quiet pony & cobs - no problem.....until the day on a quiet offroad country lane, the quiet pony spooked, she fell off and hit her head. She now can't walk properly, has lost her full mental capacity (equivalent to age 7/8 now) and is unable to look after her children herself. Her husband has had to give up work to look after her and the family and they now can't afford to keep the quiet pony & cobs. So photos of 'no hat' riders are sending the wrong signal. You don't need to be on a stallion, a TB or be racing, hunting or eventing to have an accident. No need to stop the sports but just take the precautions you can.....it's not a question of nanny state here....you can't stop all accidents but you can try to minimise the severity of injury. Her life and that of her family has been devastated and medical opinion was that if she'd had a hat on, she'd have got up with nothing worse than a mild concussion......

 

[horsebenny]

my friend didn't wear a hat for years despite us saying she should - it's ok she said - just a quiet pony & cobs - no problem.....until the day on a quiet offroad country lane, the quiet pony spooked, she fell off and hit her head. She now can't walk properly, has lost her full mental capacity (equivalent to age 7/8 now) and is unable to look after her children herself. Her husband has had to give up work to look after her and the family and they now can't afford to keep the quiet pony & cobs. So photos of 'no hat' riders are sending the wrong signal. You don't need to be on a stallion, a TB or be racing, hunting or eventing to have an accident. No need to stop the sports but just take the precautions you can.....it's not a question of nanny state here....you can't stop all accidents but you can try to minimise the severity of injury. Her life and that of her family has been devastated and medical opinion was that if she'd had a hat on, she'd have got up with nothing worse than a mild concussion......

That is my view too and has been all through this thread. I too don't think it's a subject for levity and sarcasm but that's all too prevalent
here.

 

[Wagtail]

I have ridden without a hat in the past, even as recent as 8 years ago. But no more. In fact I very rarely even handle horses on the ground without wearing my riding hat. I would probably be dead if I hadn't have been wearing it one day when unloading a mare from the lorry.

 

[Serianas]

HB, you're just so wrong. Stallions are just horses. Half my herd are entire , and live/work happily alongside geldings. They share their hay piles, nuzzle each other affectionately, pass other horses quietly on hacks and put up with all manner of things which most horses wouldn't. They even do the baby rides at the local fete!
The 3 being sat on after a ride in this photo are entire (ignore the no-hat thing for a moment if you can - this was after a long, fast ride, after the kids had removed hats and were relaxing and talking). They're kind, reliable and utterly bombproof. I'm pretty sure that the rest of the world, where stallions are routinely used as working horses would provide similar references.

Off topic, but this was a good example of herd-training. The pony on the far end whilst quiet is only 4, and initially a little unsure about being mounted bareback and expected to stand still (a spontaneous whim from one of the children). However, because his more experienced buddies just continued eating their hay, it took a matter of seconds for him to relax. This is how they end up bombproof!

Nothing to add on the hat debate, because I wouldnt not wear one (though i had a photoshoot on ratbag without one and bricked it the entire time... all of five mins) but is Pennyturner is the horse on the left at least part NF? he looks alot like Jack

 

[oldie48]

yes, how many of us wear a hat when handling horses, or always wear gloves and proper footwear? But the OP was suggesting the H&H had "lost the plot" by showing a rather small old photo of someone riding a horse without proper footwear or a hat which was relevant to the article. It didn't start out as a thread about whether we should or should not wear a hat and this has tended to get lost. I am an adult capable of making my choices and in common with most people, I suspect, I am not influenced by a small photo or a full page spread for that matter! I just wish someone would invent a hat that protected my hairstyle as well as my head. I'd spend a lot of money on that!!

I have ridden without a hat in the past, even as recent as 8 years ago. But no more. In fact I very rarely even handle horses on the ground without wearing my riding hat. I would probably be dead if I hadn't have been wearing it one day when unloading a mare from the lorry.

 

[horsebenny]

I think the debate moved on from my original post to one on hats/footwear and safety in general.

 

[SpringArising]

I just wish someone would invent a hat that protected my hairstyle as well as my head.

I think that's something we can all agree on!

 

[applecart14]

And hi viz so the emergency services can locate you.

ha ha very funny

Although the subject is all to real and serious.

 

[pennyturner]

Nothing to add on the hat debate, because I wouldnt not wear one (though i had a photoshoot on ratbag without one and bricked it the entire time... all of five mins) but is Pennyturner is the horse on the left at least part NF? he looks alot like Jack

Nope, he's a Dartmoor. The far 2 are NF.