Importance of wearing a riding hat

[kppony]

I just wanted to stress the importance of wearing a riding hat even when you are "just" schooling. I fell off my mare yesterday, completely my fault. She was a little excited and I wasnt concentrating and managed to end up under her feet. I got quite a kick to the head as well as a few other bruises etc. I went to hospital as I was throwing up and had a bad nosebleed. I only have minor concussion which should pass in a few days. However, if I hadn't been wearing a hat it would have been ALOT worse.

So, even if you're only schooling, or on a horse you know well. Please please wear a hat. It really is worth it.

 

[SVMel]

Goes without saying really....

Glad you got off lightly, it could have been so much worse.

xx

 

[TheoryX1]

Poor old you and hope you feel a lot better soon. So glad to hear you had your hat on. I am going to print your post out and give it to some teenagers on our yard who think its 'cool' to school their horses without one on. They both ride fairly feisty competition animals and all their mum says about it is 'they know their horses'. Accidents do happen as you have found to your cost, but quite honestly these girls seems to think they are immune. I've had words with their mum (who is a great mate of mine) and she just thinks they look 'professional'. Words can express my anger, they are just so stupid. I even wear a hat when lunging - I had a near miss when my well behaved 17 year old cob, who never actually puts a foot wrong decided that it was fun to buck and squeal when being lunged and missed my head by inches, or the occasion when he reared up on me when lunging because a horse in the field next to the arena was messing around, and he wanted to join in the fun. Hope you are feeling well soon. Horses are so unpredictable, even the well behaved ones.

 

[kppony]

Thanks the reason I've posted this is, like Theory said, that so many people don't wear a hat when they are schooling as they think it is a "safe" activity. Horse riding will always be a risk sport, no matter what you are doing. I don't understand why so many people don't wear hats! Madness!

 

[CBFan]

sounds like you were very lucky indeed! so many people don't wear hats when riding and I cringe, knowing how breakable and fragile us humans actually are, having sustained a broken arm myself...on which occasion it could have been much worse as said hoof was coming towards my head... hope you make a swift recovery.

 

[kerilli]

very glad to hear you're okay. thanks for the warning to everyone.
i heard recently of a young rider who went out hacking without a hat on, had a fall and sustained serious head injuries, and died. it is neither "cool" nor "professional" to endanger yourself that way, no matter how much of an expert anyone thinks they are - horses are, as said, unpredictable, and daft things happen.
the skull is not that hard, it's only a layer of bone (and they're not that difficult to break, as some of us know to our cost!) with a lump of jelly floating inside. also, different people's skulls are of different thicknesses...
it is quite literally a bloody no-brainer to go hatless.

 

[marinitagsd]

Thank goodness you are ok!! I always wear a hat as you never know, even with the quietest of horses, something may spook them and there you go, under their feet or banging your head against a rock/post anything! Better to be safe than sorry. Hope you have a speedy recovery!
xx

 

[Cluny]

So glad to hear that you are OK, and totally agree with you, a hat is invaluable.

I had a similar experience, I was mounting my horse in the school, who I knew inside out, but something startled him and he took him broncing whilst I was in the process of swinging my leg over the saddle. Next thing I knew, I was under his hooves and sustained a kick to the head and shoulder.

Luckily I got away with bruising, but was certainly in shock. I checked my hat and found a severe dent in the back of my hat, I know I wouldn't have survived if I hadn't been wearing my hat. I immediately went and bought a new hat as my old hat had done it's job and saved my life, so I knew if I continued to wear it, it would not give me the level of protection I needed.