Horsewoman thrown to death had out-of-date helmet

I wonder what going for a 'tack' is.....and how said tack can be uneventful!

Its horrible to hear of anyone dying in the sport, but it begs the question why she bothered with a hat at all really!
 
Condolences to the family, regardless of the unnecessary risks taken.
The yard where I livery is full of young riders who ride young horses in the school, and outside, without hats on.
I hope they never have a fall.
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My condolences to the family as Shils says, it doesn't matter to them why, they will just be devastated to lose her.
I have long argued with my own family who persist in riding in our arena hatless on horses they know well.
I had a horrendous fall some years ago when doing my training when a horse mistook a hedge on top of a bank for a jump instead of turning and hopping off. I fell 8 feet onto a concrete drive with the horse half on top of me and ended up in hospital with concussion.
My hat saved my life, there is no doubt because the tack shop that sold it me had it on view for months to show people what would have happened to my head had it not protected me.
I never ever rode without one after that.
I think many of us forget that a horse's hoof with metal shoe can do a lot of damage even in an arena fall.
It's sensible to update your hat every time you have a fall or within two years, as the standards improve so much.
What a waste of a life because of her hat...but had she realised the risk I bet she would have updated hers.
 
Totally agree HH

How awful for her poor family regardless of the circumstances!!

I used to give a right load of stick to the son of the livery yard that I used to keep my horse in, he started not wearing a hat because the guy who we used to have lessons with didn't!!
I never go out without a hat on. I will admit to occassionaly bare backing a horse back to the field as a kid with no hat but I wouldn't even do that now, I suppose I have fallen off too many times now and I know it hurts!!!
 
oh No her poor family. I have been laughed at before as if I have a bad fall my hat goes in the Bin. It makes me think I should wear my kull cap trying horses instead of my pretty velvet!! She was only 4 years older than me.
 
artyannie, rather then just bin them you need to visably damage them (score the velvet with a knife or damage a skull cap) before putting them in the bin, it is amazing just how many hats that someone has put in a bin end up at 2nd hand tack auctions. At beeston horse market i was looking for a beagler (for inhand classes not for riding) and the amount of hats there that you could see had been in an accident if you knew what to look for was astouning and unfortunately people were buying them.
visably damageing it will prevent this as no one wanted the ones that were visably damaged.


I never ride without my hat, it has saved my life after a youngster bolted with me, attempted to jump out of the school didnt make the top bar and flipped over, i landed underneath the horse, my hat did its job and protected my head!
 
Never thought of that. I have always just put in with rubbish.
Next one I will trash.

A friends daughter insists on riding hatless with her blonde flowing locks out the back. I just hope she never gets 'unlucky'.
 
I've been very unpopular by refusing to let people get on their horses on my yard unless they have an up to standard hat on, and safe footwear. It amazes me what people ride in and how little awareness there is about how a hat should fit and how often it should be changed.
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I've seen second hand hats on sale in charity shops, and I always tell the staff they should take them off sale, trash them and bin them.
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Indeed - I never ride without a hat anymore and a prime example is 10 months ago whilst hacking in the village my horse was hit by a car and natuarally I got thrown rather rayally to put it that way, yes I had concussion but I did hobble away, I dont think I would be alive with out a hat. Yet the drivers friend who rides in the village continues to ride without a hat! Stupid!
 
conniegirl is absolutely right, i always put an axe through mine (very satisfying actually) before binning them. i also buy a new one if mine gets dropped far onto a hard surface.
it always amazes me that horsey people will spend hundreds of pounds on boots, jacket, thousands on tack, but cavil at £50 for a new hat... for the most important part of them of all!
 
Such a waste of a life, my thoughts go out to all who knew her.
I am sure her family hope that the tragidy they have suffered may get at least one person to wear a hat or buy an up to date one so their family does not suffer.
 
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I've been very unpopular by refusing to let people get on their horses on my yard unless they have an up to standard hat on, and safe footwear. It amazes me what people ride in and how little awareness there is about how a hat should fit and how often it should be changed.

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I have been in this position, not allowing a 7 year old to ride wearing her mum's old hat in my lesson. I offered her free use of one of our up-to-standard hats but the mother was absolutely furious and had a huge go at me in the yard.
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It seemed unbelievable to me that a mother would behave this way when my concerns were only for her daughter's safety.
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My condolances to the family, what an awful thing to happen. :
 
How dreadfully sad. I guess many times we all fall off and walk away....and probably get back on. Sometimes serious incidents do occur though on occasions (I know that first hand). This can happen just as easily in a rubber menage doing flatwork as jumping x-country fences.
I have only ever ridden once without a hat - and I can't have been in my right mind at the time. I know this hat debate has gone on and on in this forum, but I will still say that frankly I think people that ride without hats are thoroughly, scaringly stupid. I will never see why people feel happy not wearing a hat.
I also see so many dressage riders wearing beaglers - which look to me like they would provide little protection in a fall (if they stayed on the rider's head that is). Can anyone tell me what safety standards these comply with?
Anyway whilst I feel deeply saddened and offer my sympathies to the family I feel very stroingly about riders not wearing a suitable hat, or sin of sins, not wearing one at all.
 
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I also see so many dressage riders wearing beaglers - which look to me like they would provide little protection in a fall (if they stayed on the rider's head that is). Can anyone tell me what safety standards these comply with?

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They don't- most have a disclaimer on them saying "not to be used when mounted".

What is worse than that is the people out hunting who think a patey will offer adequate protection!
 
so, so sad. I will never ride without a hat - rode Oscar in the school once and he tripped, I went over his head and he clipped me with his hoof....would have been a whole lot nastier had I not been wearing a hat.
 
I accidently rode out without a hat once. It was about 5 in the morning, before school, with an exhausting week behind me, and I just wasn't thinking right. I got about halfway when I realised I was actually bare headed, and I completely panicked. I had to get off and lead the horse back, even though he was a placid old thing who I had never, and never actually did, fall off - the thought of one little spook or buck causing me to hit the road with no protection made me feel slightly sick. I just don't understand why people ride hatless, leaving unprotected one of the most important and vulnerable parts of the body!
I think the problem is that a lot of people don't realise that hats do go out of standard, and lose their protectiveness, especially after a fall - they think if they have SOMETHING on their head then that's ok. The same goes for cheap or badly fitted hats - was it Tesco a few years ago that started a range of riding hats? It seems ridiculous that people can just go and pick a cheapy hat off the shelf with no professional fitting!
I guess it's just incredibly important to raise awareness of the dangers of old, or even non-existent, hats. Tragic as this death is (and my greatest sympathies to the family), at least it has probably spurred a few riders to check and replace their hats, and has probably prevented several other horrific accidents.
 
I used to ride without a hat all the time, but now I am a mother instead.
My daughter's £120 hat saved her life when she hit her head, and is now planted with pansies, so that won't show up at a tack auction!
 
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