I'm at risk of becoming one of the "wear a hat" brigade

[ConnieLove]

I hope your aunt makes a brilliant recovery!

I always wear a hat and always have since I have a brilliant talent of always landing on my head! Even with my hat on, last year I came off badly and landed right on the side of my head and ended up with concussion for a week. I dread to think how I would have been without it!

 

[kit279]

The NHS does not, will not and should not discriminate, as long it remains an NHS.

In the end, the consequences of the decisions that we make affect ourselves very much. If you smoke and are obese, your risks of morbidity and mortality are higher than someone who does not. The same is true for people riding without hats. Their risk is higher. But the emphasis MUST be on the individual to make the decisions to minimise their risks, not the NHS.

I should think the carrot of a functioning brain is more motivating than the stick of lack of treatment, should something awful happen.

OP, I hope all turns out OK for your aunt.

 

[PucciNPoni]

Should the NHS refuse to pay for people who have riding accidents whilst not wearing a hat? Or car accidents not wearing a seat belt?

Maybe controversial but it might have an effect.

Considering that this story never happened in the UK, perhaps it might be more relevant in this instance to suggest that maybe the insurance company might not pay out? Or those found that working around horses hatless might have higher premiums?

I don't know the answer to this to be honest. But there will be many different points of view on it. I am not one to try to change legislation with regard to making it mandatory to wear a hat, and or refusal for insurers or NHS to pay for treatment.

The reason I posted the story was to highlight the fact that even if you've been around horses all your life, have never suffered a bad injury, that these things CAN and DO happen. It happened after a not too bad of a fall, some months passed and then a seemingly minor bump on the head. It didn't happen while out doing XC or jumping of any sort. When she fell off it happened because the horse spooked while she was mounting. It's a 17.2 hh Friesian - so a long way down. She was on her own front lawn.

I've got one uncle (my aunt's brother) who is trying to convince her to get rid of the horses.

To those that say she was lucky....yes she WAS lucky that it never happened sooner, or ended up much worse.

I too hope she recovers well, but I hope that she'll be a bit more safety concious in the future. Somehow it's being laid upon me to be the one to try to convince her. Hmph. Good one.