When was the last time you were pleased you where wearing a hat?

dominobrown

dominobrown

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I got an email today saying it is National Helmet Awareness Day, or something along those line...
So just thinking, when where you last glad you had a hat on?

I have 2 recent occasions, 1) When I had just loaded a horse and I walked into the metal bars the hold the wagon ramp up and really had a got a good bash on the head!
2) In hand showing with a very very naughty horses that took several attempts at kicking out at my head. Naughty!

You?
 
Handling a project horse that was known to be tricky, put hat on in case she tried to shake hands with me, she didn't but did use her head as a weapon. I reckon she was part giraffe given the way she used her neck and head against me. Hat took a huge blow on the temple and was I pleased it was on !
 
Oh gosh, it is seven years since I last fell off a horse (bound to fall off now I've said that!). But the time a hat most recently probably saved my life was a couple of years ago. I never normally wore a hat unless I was riding, but one of my liveries called me to come and help unload her mare. I started walking towards the lorry, and then, I don't know what made me do it, but I suddenly decided to turn around and go and fetch my hat from the tack room. It was lucky I did because the mare rammed me against the side of the lorry and somehow managed to launch me headfirst off the side of the high ramp. I landed fully on my head on the concrete. Now I ALWAYS wear a hat for loading and unloading horses, and anytime when I am handling them that they may become excitable or is painful (like vet or dentist).
 
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When leading out my very sharp tb who had been on box rest, we managed most days although it was like leading the tasmanian devil, on that day she spun like lightning and caught my arm and head with her back feet, leaving me with a split arm that needed stitches and a massive scuff up the back of the hat,she sent me flying, thankfully she was on a long rope so i managed to hold her, i thought she'd broke my arm, just felt the pain and stickiness inside my jacket, then the blood appeared down the sleeve, didnt realise how much of a dunt she'd gave me till i checked my hat
 
When I worked on a private yard in Ireland, picking out the feet of the horses on 24/7 turnout. New guy held the horses too close together so when I went to pick up the back left of the sec D the tab mare squealed and I got booted in my head and sent flying a good few feet across the field. Knew it was quite an impact as I landed on my hands and knees, lifted my head up and my gaze didn't follow up!
 
This is going to make people wince. I had the most ridiculous low speed splat on a hack due to a squeaky gate I was opening, had 3 others with me and they all started to scream when I sat up as I had a piece of wood quite literally nailed to my hat. The fence around the gate was rotten and broken bits had fallen off all over the place and my head landed perfectly on 1 small piece with a nail sticking out of it the wrong way. Thankfully not long enough to go right through my helmet but it was through the shell and into the polystyrene. I felt sick all the way back to the yard. The bridlepath was then closed by the Council until the fence was repaired which it was a few weeks later. Yep, I am pretty glad I was wearing a hat!

I've also bit smacked full force in the face by an empty feed bucket being swung around in the mouth of a brute. Had a peaked hat on which I think prevented more damage.
 
Hmmmm, there is a trend here of hats saving people when they did not fall off a horse, most are ground incidents. People often take the pee because I wear a hat on the ground for anything tricky.

Mt last time was similar to one of the others- partition/head collision when ducking under in a lorry.
 
Today! I got off Fig and reached to give him a pat for being a good boy, at the same time he whipped his head round to scratch his side! Gave me a teeth rattling clunk with his chin, no doubt I'd have a very sore head if I hadn't been wearing one!
 
When I broke my arm two years ago I fell onto my elbow and head first! My elbow was smashed and the tendon detached from the bone, my head was very bruised from the hat alone, ouch but glad I had a hat on, could have done with elbow pads however!

I remember not long after I had a saddle fitting and got on the horse to try it, I suddenly realised I didn't have my hat on and just froze, I literally couldn't get off the horse in a normal way! These days I do occasionally get on and realise I've forgotten, but I am able to simply get off and go get it like a normal person :-)
 
I tend to get cracked on the head quite a lot as my horse is always curious when I'm near her legs and I tend to get up without looking! otherwise I don't think my hat has properly saved me but (touch wood) I haven't had any serious falls in my whole horsey career :D
 
My baby horse came to me rather ear-shy, so I started by assembling the bridle on her head, but decided that it was about time she accepted a more conventional routine. She smacked me in the head several times moving her own head sideways to avoid me putting her ears through the headpiece, but after the first time I learned to wear my hat!
 
Cantering through woods and bashed my head on a low branch (well more of a big twig). It made a good clonk, so I'm sure it would have hurt without a hat on, maybe even have made me fall off.
 
Two weeks ago when show jumping at Purston manor. Horse slipped and fell on me. Blue lighted to hospital and thankfully apart from a stud hole in chin, 3 broken ribs and a very battered body no serious damage done.
Same cannot be said for my hat
 
In hand showing, rather naughty excited boy, who is normally as gentle as a lamb, swung his head into mine. Thankfully only my pride was hurt.
 
When I was texting a friend whilst meandering along a bridle path the other day. Went smack into a branch!!
 
Last year, got pile drived into the floor jumping, Arnie landed and set off broncing (proper broncing), sat the first couple and last one sent me skyward, me holding onto the reins sent me floorward rather speedily, still have a bump on my head.

Also doing a lot of hacking in hand at the moment, people srive awfully close and I am sure I have been nearly hit by a wing mirror or two from vans!
 
About 10 years ago Pie and I were galloping on the moor when he tripped and somersaulted. I did a human cannonball impression head first into a rock. And walked away with a few scratches. My hat was not so lucky - but it saved me from what could have been a very nasty injury.
 
The nail story is horrific!
Last time I needed mine was about ten years ago, leaning down to tighten the girth on the crazy tb. She decided to do a cat leap and combined buck, I fell straight onto my head.
However reading these posts makes me think I will wear it more on the ground!
 
Not the only time but the most memorable. I was guiding horse treks in New Zealand and was the only guide who chose to wear a helmet, the others laughed at me for it! Then I was asked to take a young horse along at the back of the ride, going past a golf course he spooked and bolted, I pulled on him just at the wrong point as he galloped across the road and the horse and I crashed to the ground and skidded along with him on top of me for a while. When I peeled myself up off the road and took the helmet off the whole shell had been cheese grated off by the Tarmac across a 2 inch square, the white polystyrene inner was on show...and no-one laughed at me for wearing one after that!

Also seeing a guest having fallen, foot stuck in stirrup over horses back so he was dangling with just his head touching the floor as the horse blind panicked and ran. He was galloping along for 200m with his head bumping the floor before his foot came loose. I've never been so scared and thank god for his helmet.
 
Red-1 said:
Hmmmm, there is a trend here of hats saving people when they did not fall off a horse, most are ground incidents. People often take the pee because I wear a hat on the ground for anything tricky.

Mt last time was similar to one of the others- partition/head collision when ducking under in a lorry.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing!
 
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