BunnyDog
Well-Known Member
@Shilasdair Hi there!!! Apologies as I am based in the USA or else I would make a point of finding you at a show, in your region if I were out and about and saying "Hi" in person.
To answer your question, no. I am not an owner of any company, let alone in any way connected to MIPS as a whole. The folks that make/own MIPS are in Sweden.
I cannot be sponsored by any company as a declared "Amateur" rider in the USA cannot be given items worth money as it's considered a form of compensation and would be a ticking over point to losing Amateur status and having to compete with professionals for a number of years, as a penalty.
Also I do not work for a firm with any connection to MIPS. Veterinary medicine is the field I am employed in, but nothing fancy... I am an administrative assistant.
All that said, I have been a long time member of the Chronicle of the Horse Forums here in the USA. One of my friends/fellow forum posters is an ACTUAL scientist who is himself a member of the ASTM (the testing body for USA helmets and MANY other things) A while ago, over a decade I believe, he gave us on the forum a heads up that there was a new technology out there that if it made it to riding helmets would be worth investing in. It was when MIPS was first starting in bicycling helmets. So, many of us who have had multiple concussions, paid attention. For his part he kept updating advances and when and if it was being considered for riding helmets. In 2016 (I think) he mentioned there was an equestrian helmet in the works. In 2018 when Back On Track/(Named "Trauma Void" here in the USA) launched their helmet, I bought some right away. And almost just as fast had to replace one from a fall but it was a defining fall. No concussion, no concussion symptoms even though I frankly REALLY got my bell rung. Fast forward to 2019, I had a freak accident when I was standing on my own two feet ringside and a horse in the ring, dropped it's rider, galloped loose jumped out of the ring on top of me and knocked me down and out while peeling back some of my skin from my eyebrow area. BUT I was wearing my MIPS helmet. I ended up with a much lesser concussion than the likely TBI or death that would have happened. And two different neurologists at the Rehab center having seen the video of my accident, my imaging from the hospital and such agreed the helmet for sure saved my life and the Mips did a hell of a job minimizing the damage to my brain. I had to do 12 weeks of occupational and physical therapy to recover from the damage that did occur. It wasn't a minor fall.
After I got home and when I could once again use computers with my dr's blessings, I decided to start talking about MIPS more. I created a FB group then and we're up to nearly 2k members now. I have talked to brand reps for all the companies that have MIPS helmets now. I have talked to reps for all the companies that don't have MIPS. Overall I view it as putting things more into the public eye and centralizing the information so everyone can come to the group, see all the stuff we have collected and make their own choices. They can speak to reps and other members about helmets, likes dislikes etc. We promote studies and share info on sales. All in all I am just trying to help everyone be able to come home after a bad fall.
So that's who I am, why I am doing this, and so on.
I am pretty easy to talk to. If you, or anyone else, have more questions feel free to DM here, FB or email. emily.daignault@gmail.com
FB group link: www.facebook.com/groups/Mipshelmets
All my best,
Emily
