Re: Keep your hats on

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MilosDad

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I just wanted to explore what 'choice' means for those few individuals who claim wearing a hat is a matter of individual choice.
At heart it is but I would suggest only after you have checked with the following people and made sure they don't mind:

Your parents and family who may have to look after you for the rest of your life.
The people who may suffer financially if you are a breadwinner.
The people who may lose out on your contribution to life, financial and individual.
Your children, if you have them, who may see their parent impaired and who may have to become carers themselves.
The state which may have to support you.
The health professionals who may have to keep you alive or may have to ask you family for permission to cease efforts to keep you alive.

You can choose not to wear a helmet but you cant choose the nature of your head injury and your 'choice' may well leave many other people with no choice at all.
 
Well said.
Where was my choice when my son suffered a head injury 10 years ago. The whole family suffer on a daily basis still.

I keep seeing young people out with hats on but strap undone when out riding. It seems in my area this is the in thing among a certain age group.
 
What a good post. I quite agree with you.We always think it won't happen to us but unfortunately it does from time to time, and as you say we never know how bad it could be until it happens.
I always wear a hat as I feel naked without one.
 
All very true,and why I consider a hat vital.
However,when you are getting ready to ride,it is up to you to put it on-it is your choice to pop it on and do it up or not.

As I said in the other thread,if we only did things that were 100% safe we would not go near a horse at all,even simple tasks can lead to injury.
 
QR: I can see what you (OP) are trying to say, but surely the same thing applies to the choice to ride? Before you chose to ride in the first place think of your family who would have to look after you in case of an accident, the taxpayer/NHS who has to pay for it, etc.

To be fair the same argument applies to many other leisure activities, lifestyle choices, etc.
 
Yes it does apply to many other sports, but, being as 'dangerous' as our sport is, i cant understand why people wouldnt want to make it as safe as they possibly can...

I would never ever let my son get on a horse without a hat, so nor would i.

A good friend of mine hit her head falling off without a hat 3 years ago, she now suffers from epilepsy, she lost her job as a mounted police officer and she can no longer drive, she hates her life as it is.

A good friend of my mums hit her head falling off without a hat, she had a brain clot and died!

Wearing a hat isnt alot to do to save your life!!
 
I could no more get on a horse without a hat than i could drive without a seatbelt; I believe they are the same thing.

I remember once getting on without a hat (i was wearing a baseball cap so it felt like I had one on) I have never dismounted so quick in my life, I felt so vulnerable.
 
I completely agree with you that it is very wise to wear a hat when around horses and I personally wear mine all the time not only when riding but also when I am anywhere near a horse.

However, this is not OP's argument. OP's argument is that we should wear hats because others will suffer if we do not and we get injured. I was pointing out that this argument applies equally to choosing not to ride in the first place. So if our choices should be influenced by the cost to others then we should not ride at all.
 
OP, good point well made.

My initial reaction was, yes, good point but same could be said for getting on the horse, choosing to drive a car etc.

Actually no it isn't. Its about reducing risk, as far as I can see.

I don't think many people would argue with the statement that wearing a hard hat is the single most important thing you can do to reduce the risk of serious injury when you ride . The rest, IMO is on a scale after that: in no particular order: wearing a body protector, wearing suitable boots and legwear, suitable gloves, tack,

Then there is the issue of making sure your horse is not likely to be unpredictable: is he well schooled in whatever you are about to do, if not are you prepared for what might happen, and have reduced the risk accordingly? i.e. XC schooling starting with smaller fences. If he is well schooled, is he free from pain as far as you can reasonably tell? Have you taken precautions such as booting him up, event grease etc.
........................

The point is there are many, many things we can do to reduce the risk of accidents and injury, many of which we all do as a matter of course. Yes, we could wrap them in cotton wool and not ride, hell, don't own a horse to prevent the risk of it escaping the field, but its got to be a balance between goal (pleasure from riding, winning the competition etc), risk of accident and severity of accident.

Just because the majority of us don't fill in risk assessment forms, doesn't mean we aren't subconscious;y and consciously doing risk assessments all of the time.

... and the single biggest thing you can do to prevent serious injury when riding is to wear a hat to current safety standards.

Simples?
 
Very good point!

Ive only ever chose not to wear a hat once and just happened to be the time my lad spooked in school and i fell of and bashed my head. I suffered only mild concusion but could have been a lot worse was lucky the sand softened my fall. Taught me a big lesson!
 
Hats all the way!!
I NEVER ride without my hat and my body protector, and neither does my dad thank god!
Accidents still happen but atleast we've done what we can to try and mitigate some damage!
I can't understand these people that don't wear hats even?!?!
 
I used to teach at 2 different yards and i have seen some really bad falls that would have been alot worse if the riders had not been wearing a hat. i always used to wear my hat to teach in- even lead rein cos u just never know what twist of fate is round the corner.
Very useful to avoid having bird poo in your hair too!
laugh.gif
 
When I was about 13/14 I rode my mare in the field, bareback, just her bridle on..I had no hat on (my parents weren't there to tell me off-cringe)..the other horses decided to join in on our canter to the gate, my mare bucked I fell off underneath the pony cantering alongside us abd it kicked me in the head.
Coming around, had total amnesia for about two or three hours. It wasn't long I know, but it was the most awful feeling looking back, I didn't even know who I was and why I was in this field in the middle of nowhere...bleak, loneliness and confusion.
I walked towards the nearest house (which happened to be the landowners) they took one look at me and sent me to the hospital, I had concussion and my memory returned after a few hours.
My parents went ballistic.
I am lucky I am here at all, it could have been a lot worse.

I have four children a pony 12.3HH, and a 15.2HH. My kids ALWAYS wear their hats.

EDIT- Oh, and I always do too
blush.gif
 
I would never ride without a hat!! I would feel so vunerable!!
It made me so mad when I was watching Olympia last night, and nearly all the riders undone and/or removed their hats before dismounting!! I think if its being shown on national TV, there should be a rule about it, as it only encourages the younger, more fearless riders to copy them!!

I hate watching people riding with the hat undone too..... especially when they have the reins loosely in one hand, a mobile to their ear, and a fag in their mouth..... I see that all too often at local shows!!
(What makes me laugh too, is the horse they are riding has the strongest bit and half a ton of gadgets drapping off their bodies.... giving the impression they are uncontrollable... surely, if thats the case, the rider needs to be alert!!)

You got me on a role now!!!
 
well said

i would never ride with out a hat.
i had a very bad fall, and the doctors said had i not had my hat on i would of broken the base of my skull; from that day onwards, it will never enter my mind to ride with out it.
i also hack and jump with a back protector, as the day of that bad fall i had it on, and it saved my back. there was slight damage to my kidney; but it would of been much worse without it
 
[ QUOTE ]
All very true,and why I consider a hat vital.
However,when you are getting ready to ride,it is up to you to put it on-it is your choice to pop it on and do it up or not.

As I said in the other thread,if we only did things that were 100% safe we would not go near a horse at all,even simple tasks can lead to injury.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, yes they can....but its about minimising those risks as best you can isnt it?

You wouldnt cross the road without looking......
 
Of course it is,which is why I always wear a hat.A hat which is kept on a peg with a hi viz vest on,it has become second nature to wear them and I am more likely to forget the bridle then those two items I consider so important.
My son has the same rules as I do,but I am not going to waste my time telling another adult they must wear one when they dont want to-it's their head on the line.
 
I posted on the other thread. I agree with the OP's comments but on a risk assessment from a H & S point of view of show jumpers undoing their hats before they leave the ring or for the presentation - how often is this done against how many falls or accidents have they had - I would think in this instance the risk is very mininal on that basis. There are far more risky things to get bothered about - for example the local eventer who rides out on the road without a hat and without any hi viz in poor light conditions.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I could no more get on a horse without a hat than i could drive without a seatbelt; I believe they are the same thing.

I remember once getting on without a hat (i was wearing a baseball cap so it felt like I had one on) I have never dismounted so quick in my life, I felt so vulnerable.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am exactly the same !

I always ride with a hat, occasionally school/show in my beagler on my old girl - but wont with my youngster.
 
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