I always wear a helmet. I want to keep my brains intact for a long long time!

I made my kids wear them, but I never do. It would probably be a good idea to start though.

In 2009 my daughter was thrown from her horse in a concrete event center that when used for horse events has roughly 10 inches of dirt over it. She took a violent fall, suffered a broken collarbone, whiplash, and a severe concussion. She landed on her head and neck. She was taken to the hospital by EMT with serious injuries and a possible broken neck ( thankfully it was NOT broken). With the severity of the fall she is lucky to have not suffered a major head injury. We are STILL dealing with multiple problems from this accident and I am grateful she wore a helmet that day and thank the Lord things did not come out worse. Helmets may not look all that cool and are not the most comfortable things to wear but this mom knows first hand that they DO save lives.

I also always wear a helmet. Every time. I don't care if the cowboys tease me. Helmets have been around for long enough to be their own "tradition"!! I've had 2 concussions, both falls from horses, one with helmet, one without - but both back in the 70's when helmets weren't great anyway. With those falls, 1 horse was supposed to be walking, the other standing still. I don't like that feeling and don't want to go there again. I don't think helmets look funny or that "hat hair" is unattractive. I think both look SMART! This is always a good topic to bring up for discussion. Helmets are a choice, but I haven't really heard good reasons for NOT wearing one. TGG...

Most injuries, besides the head and neck, can be fixed. If I recall, Reeves had the decorative hat, not the protective. However, once the spinal column is severed by broken spinal bones, there is no fixing it. Probably most of us have been lucky over the years. We just don't know that luck will give out.

Only time I wore a helmet was when I was a paratrooper.

I rode as a child when there was no such thing as helmets. Now I am riding again and I will not ever ride without a helmet. I trail ride and have seen too many freak accidents that occur in a split second. I have also heard of several deaths that could have been prevented most likely if the rider had been wearing a helmet. Life is too precious to take the chance. It only takes a split second to die or be paralyzed. I have to live long enough to torture my children! Lol

It's just silly to not wear a helmet. End of story.

I just bought myself a really nice Tipperary helmet, they only weigh about 10 oz and are pretty stylin! The reasons I wear a helmet: 1.) I ride two young green broke horses in rocky terrain 2.) I've seen some pretty bad wrecks in the past year where helmets have prevented head injuries and last but not least 3.) I make my granddaughter wear one! I guess I need to set a good example and protect myself so her and I can go riding for many more years!

It's been a really long time since this string was originally started. It's always a relevant topic. So here's a little helmet update: In general, the last few years have seen advancements in the polyurathane and polypropolene chemistry. The absorbing 'cushion' materials are now lighter and more absorbing. So helmets should be more comfortable than just a couple of years ago. Venting has improved also. If you investigate wearing a helmet be sure to try it on and keep it on for about 15 to 20 minutes to make sure it is comfortable; check that it's certified for horseback riding. It should not be loose when you shake your head. If it fits properly you should be able to fit two fingers (index and middle) between your eyebrows and hedge of the helmet on your forehead. And yes, I wear a helmet every time I ride my horse, my motorcycle and bike. Onehorseperson (Rick).