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Posts: 12928
Dec 24 11 2:17 PM
CindyECC wrote:AppyButt wrote:I've never understood why thinking that wearing a helmet or not is a personal choice and not really anybody else's business is such a big deal, which is what most people here are saying. Unless you are a minor or otherwise subject to someone else's rules (riding a horse that is not yours, show rules, etc), wearing a helmet isn't anyone else's decision but your own. Many of the things we do as adults are our own choices, good or bad, for better or worse. Why should wearing a helmet or any other type of safety gear be different? Shit happens, people get hurt. Sometimes it's their fault and sometimes it isn't. That depends. Do you have enough health insurance to cover an extended hospital stay? Or will the public be picking up the tab if you're in a coma for 2 yrs from a *possibly* preventable head injury? I've argued this type of thing before. As members of a community/society, we ALL have a certain level of responsibility. It's not ALL personal choices because potentially *everything* we do impacts others...whether it's immediate family, the community or just a financial burden to the public in general. This does NOT mean that all of our personal rights are secondary to our societal responsibility...but there has to be a balance and a compromise.Would I mandate that all riders in a "professional" situation wear helmets? Yes. As in, if a clinician is putting on a clinic (getting paid for it), then the instructor and riders wear helmets while on horseback. Or if it's a show, participants wear helmets. Yes, even the fancy dressage riders should lose the top hats and wear a helmet. Doesn't matter how you try to argue it...IF you take a fall, a helmet CAN prevent injuries. That's not saying it will prevent injuries 100% of the time, but if you don't wear it, it's guaranteed to NOT help 100% of the time.Would I carry the argument so far as to say riders should wear chest protectors and other protection? Nope. Because, again, it's a balance. A helmet is an EASY and rather inexpensive piece of equipment to wear to potentially protect you from COMMON injuries to your head. Granted a chest protector will protect your ribs and internal organs, but those types of injuries from horseback aren't as common.I also wouldn't take the argument so far as to say that, in a personal capacity, everyone has to wear helmets, because, again, there has to be a balance. I usually don't wear a helmet if I'm riding in the indoor round pen. It's sand. Yes, I know I could hit my head hard enough or even hit a round pen panel. But it's a relatively "safe" environment. However, on trails or riding in the outdoor (rock/gravel/harder surface), I put the helmet on.
AppyButt wrote:I've never understood why thinking that wearing a helmet or not is a personal choice and not really anybody else's business is such a big deal, which is what most people here are saying. Unless you are a minor or otherwise subject to someone else's rules (riding a horse that is not yours, show rules, etc), wearing a helmet isn't anyone else's decision but your own. Many of the things we do as adults are our own choices, good or bad, for better or worse. Why should wearing a helmet or any other type of safety gear be different? Shit happens, people get hurt. Sometimes it's their fault and sometimes it isn't.
Posts: 5950
Dec 24 11 2:19 PM
You can wear a garbage can on your head as for as I am concern but just don't SCOLD he about how I am going to die if I don't wear one.
It's your fear not mine.
Posts: 11559
Dec 24 11 2:20 PM
AppyButt wrote:CindyECC wrote:AppyButt wrote:I've never understood why thinking that wearing a helmet or not is a personal choice and not really anybody else's business is such a big deal, which is what most people here are saying. Unless you are a minor or otherwise subject to someone else's rules (riding a horse that is not yours, show rules, etc), wearing a helmet isn't anyone else's decision but your own. Many of the things we do as adults are our own choices, good or bad, for better or worse. Why should wearing a helmet or any other type of safety gear be different? Shit happens, people get hurt. Sometimes it's their fault and sometimes it isn't. That depends. Do you have enough health insurance to cover an extended hospital stay? Or will the public be picking up the tab if you're in a coma for 2 yrs from a *possibly* preventable head injury? I've argued this type of thing before. As members of a community/society, we ALL have a certain level of responsibility. It's not ALL personal choices because potentially *everything* we do impacts others...whether it's immediate family, the community or just a financial burden to the public in general. This does NOT mean that all of our personal rights are secondary to our societal responsibility...but there has to be a balance and a compromise.Would I mandate that all riders in a "professional" situation wear helmets? Yes. As in, if a clinician is putting on a clinic (getting paid for it), then the instructor and riders wear helmets while on horseback. Or if it's a show, participants wear helmets. Yes, even the fancy dressage riders should lose the top hats and wear a helmet. Doesn't matter how you try to argue it...IF you take a fall, a helmet CAN prevent injuries. That's not saying it will prevent injuries 100% of the time, but if you don't wear it, it's guaranteed to NOT help 100% of the time.Would I carry the argument so far as to say riders should wear chest protectors and other protection? Nope. Because, again, it's a balance. A helmet is an EASY and rather inexpensive piece of equipment to wear to potentially protect you from COMMON injuries to your head. Granted a chest protector will protect your ribs and internal organs, but those types of injuries from horseback aren't as common.I also wouldn't take the argument so far as to say that, in a personal capacity, everyone has to wear helmets, because, again, there has to be a balance. I usually don't wear a helmet if I'm riding in the indoor round pen. It's sand. Yes, I know I could hit my head hard enough or even hit a round pen panel. But it's a relatively "safe" environment. However, on trails or riding in the outdoor (rock/gravel/harder surface), I put the helmet on. Everything you have talked about here is a personal choice. You choose to take responsibility or not. You choose to care or not. You choose to patronize clinicians and trainers who practice what you view to be right. You choose to follow show rules and wear a helmet. You choose to set your own rules that all who ride your horses wear helmets. Or whatever it is that you have decided. You weigh the risks and make a decision. Or you don't weigh the risks and blunder on ahead anyway. Those are also choices. People who do the former tend to make choices that improve their safety. People who do the latter will usually hurt themselves in some other way, helmet or not. Personally I don't like others to tell me what I can and cannot do on my own time and with my own head. I choose to wear a helmet because I don't like the idea of going splat on the gravel road. If others choose not to, I can't make them, and I wouldn't really want to anyway. Mandating personal responsibility is generally self-defeating. Responsibility is a choice, and one that everyone has to make for themselves. Forcing people into it doesn't make them more responsible, it just adds something else to the list of things they "have to do". A list of things they will happily ignore at the first opportunity.
Posts: 1271
Dec 24 11 2:22 PM
shaunny wrote:ddranch wrote:I don't care what she puts on her head and I don't care what you put on yours.I wear a cowboy hat and that is MY culture.If a helmet is your culture than live it up.There are many people that don't wear helmets,vests,knee guards,shin guards,elbow guards,shoulder guards,chin guards,gloves,back braces,ear muffs and adult diapers.Isn't freedom great!That's nice. Now would you listen to your own advice and stop belittling those of us who choose to wear helmets? Not all of us are fear-mongering safety freaks like you're making us out to be. Also, you said that skill and knowledge is the best protection a person can have. How do you expect people to gain those traits? People need to make survive their mistakes in order to learn. If a helmet is going to prevent me from being killed or injured during the learning process, then I'm all for it.
ddranch wrote:I don't care what she puts on her head and I don't care what you put on yours.I wear a cowboy hat and that is MY culture.If a helmet is your culture than live it up.There are many people that don't wear helmets,vests,knee guards,shin guards,elbow guards,shoulder guards,chin guards,gloves,back braces,ear muffs and adult diapers.Isn't freedom great!
Posts: 16218
Dec 24 11 2:25 PM
hunterqueenB wrote:I've stayed away from this thread because it hits close to home for me. But I felt I should share my story. Four years ago (almost five, jeez!) I took a terrible tumble at a local "A" rated show. My horse refused the second jump of a line (the oxer), which normally I would have stayed on for, but he stopped *really* dirty. He lifted his front feet off the ground like he was going to go, I rose up to meet him and stay out of his way, and he SLAMMED back down, dropped his left shoulder and spun right with everything he had... I tumbled ass over teakettle and ended up breaking the back pole of the oxer with my body. The force of his stop literally flung me through the air. I landed ass first but then my head hit, bounced, and I was knocked unconscious (messed myself... so embarrassing). I had to be taken out in ambulance on a stretcher. I had a terrible concussion, a broken arm (from where the pole broke and whizzed up to whack it) and some serious ass-kicking bruising... But because of my helmet, I am not a vegetable nor brain dead. It was a HORRIBLE fall and people who saw it REMEMBER it even today. When I was in the hospital the words "Horse" and "Accident" were spoken in very negative tones. Those ER nurses see accidents involving horses ALL THE TIME. We have to remember that these are animals and they are unpredictable. Period. Please wear your helmet EVERY TIME you ride. I don't care if you're the best rider in the universe - freak accidents happen and people can get seriously hurt if they're not taking the steps to protect yourself. I compare it to driving a car and putting on your seatbelt. Maybe you'll NEVER EVER need it, but the one time that you do, you'll be grateful.
Dec 24 11 2:28 PM
graureiter wrote:shaunny wrote:ddranch wrote:I don't care what she puts on her head and I don't care what you put on yours.I wear a cowboy hat and that is MY culture.If a helmet is your culture than live it up.There are many people that don't wear helmets,vests,knee guards,shin guards,elbow guards,shoulder guards,chin guards,gloves,back braces,ear muffs and adult diapers.Isn't freedom great!That's nice. Now would you listen to your own advice and stop belittling those of us who choose to wear helmets? Not all of us are fear-mongering safety freaks like you're making us out to be. Also, you said that skill and knowledge is the best protection a person can have. How do you expect people to gain those traits? People need to make survive their mistakes in order to learn. If a helmet is going to prevent me from being killed or injured during the learning process, then I'm all for it. Fixed it.
Dec 24 11 3:11 PM
ddranch wrote:Snip.Just wear a better looking helmet and I will be happy.
Snip.
Dec 24 11 3:19 PM
graureiter wrote:ddranch wrote:Snip.Just wear a better looking helmet and I will be happy. Does this one meet with Your approval ?
Posts: 4385
Dec 24 11 4:01 PM
AppyButt wrote:Everything you have talked about here is a personal choice. You choose to take responsibility or not. You choose to care or not. You choose to patronize clinicians and trainers who practice what you view to be right. You choose to follow show rules and wear a helmet. You choose to set your own rules that all who ride your horses wear helmets. Or whatever it is that you have decided. You weigh the risks and make a decision. Or you don't weigh the risks and blunder on ahead anyway. Those are also choices. People who do the former tend to make choices that improve their safety. People who do the latter will usually hurt themselves in some other way, helmet or not. Personally I don't like others to tell me what I can and cannot do on my own time and with my own head. I choose to wear a helmet because I don't like the idea of going splat on the gravel road. If others choose not to, I can't make them, and I wouldn't really want to anyway. Mandating personal responsibility is generally self-defeating. Responsibility is a choice, and one that everyone has to make for themselves. Forcing people into it doesn't make them more responsible, it just adds something else to the list of things they "have to do". A list of things they will happily ignore at the first opportunity.
Dec 24 11 4:25 PM
I am a nurse working in head injury research. Someone mentioned that they didn't know the statistics for
equestrian related head injuries. Well, I have a few sources here and will provide some of them for you.
Sports Medicine 9(1):36-47, 1009
Synopsis: The most common location of horse-related injuries is:
- upper extremity 24-61% (reported in different studies)
- lower extremity 36-40%
- head and face 20%
The most common type of injury is:
- soft tissue injury 92%
- fractures 57%
- concussion 15%
The most frequent consequence of injury is:
- hospitalization 5%
- residual impairment 2% (i.e. seizures, paralysis, cognitive impairments, etc)
- death 1%
JAMA, April 10, 1996, vol 275, no 14, p. 1072
Synopsis: During 1992-93 in Oklahoma, horseback riding was the leading cause of sports-related head injury, (109 of 9409 injuries or 1.2% associated with riding and 23 additional injuries attributable to horses) Of the 109, there were 3 deaths (3%). The injury statistics were:
- males 55, female 54
- age range 3 yr to 71 yrs, median 30 yrs
- most commonly seen in spring and summer
- 48% occurred on Saturday or Sunday
- 95% involved riders who struck their heads on the ground or a nearby object after falling from the horse
- 4% were kicked or rolled on after falling from the horse
- 1% hit head on a pole while riding and fell to the ground
- 90% were associated with recreational activities
- 10% were work-related
- 107 were hospitalized with a median LOS of 2 days
- 79% had one or more indicators of a severe brain injury, including
1. loss of consciousness 63%
2. posttraumatic amnesia 46%
3. persistent neurologic sequelae 13% (seizures, cognitive/vision/speech deficits, motor impairment)
Among the 23 injuries not riding related, 21 (91%) resulted from a direct kick to the head by the horse, where 1 died immediately and 2 required CPR. 13 of these injuries occurred in children less that 13 yrs old.
Journal of Trauma 1997 July; 43(1):97-99
Synopsis: Thirty million Americans ride horses and 50,000 are treated in Emergency Departments annually. Neurologic injuries constitute the majority of severe injuries and fatalities. A prospective study of all patients admitted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center with equine-related trauma
from July 1992 - January 1996 showed the following:
- 18 of 30 (60%) patients were male
- 11 (37%) were professional riders
- 24 (80%) were head injuries and 9 (30%) were spinal injuries (4 with both)
- age ranged from 3 to 64 yrs
- 5 patients died (17%)
- 2 suffered permanent paralysis (7)
- 60% were caused by "ejection or fall from horse"
- 40% were kicked by the horse, with 4 of these sustaining crush injuries
- 6 patients (20%) required craniotomy (i.e. brain surgery)
- 24 patients (80%) were not wearing helmets, including all fatalities and craniotomy patients
"Experience is not protective; helmets are."
This last line is a direct quote from this article. I hope you find these statistics helpful.
Emmy R. Miller, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurosurgery
Posts: 12196
Dec 24 11 4:30 PM
Dec 24 11 4:31 PM
Statistics gathered by the United States Combined Training Association from AHSA Technical Delegate (TD) reports from 1990 and 1991 USCTA-sanctioned events are included in this issue of the AMEA Newsletter. Reports from the TDs include incidents that may or may not have resulted in injury. These statistics were compiled by Lois Cozzi, Competitions Manager in the USCTA Office.
The most frequent injury to the Event Rider is a shoulder injury. Of the total number of injuries reported, 42 (21%) were shoulder injuries, the most common being fractured clavicles and shoulder separations. I personally do not feel a protective riding vest would have prevented most of these shoulder injuries. First of all, since in my experience most event riders wear the vest, the injuries were not prevented. Secondly, the newer vests can now be fitted with shoulder "pads." While some riders feel these restrict their arm and shoulder motion and do not use them, I feel the amount of force generated by a fall probably will not be absorbed by these pads. Many riders, when falling off, land directly on their shoulder. This amount of force localized to this one area is quite difficult to absorb. I am not aware of any studies on whether these shoulder pads protect the shoulder and believe further studies are warranted.
The second most common injury was "Other". Of these, most were mounted and the TD simply reported a fall without apparent injury. If you combine the "Kicked", and Spectator/Groom" and part of the "Other" categories, you find a surprisingly large percentage of the total injuries reported by TDs at the events were unmounted. Nine of these incidents involved being kicked by a horse while: in its stall, applying or removing bandages, leading a horse, walking past a tied horse being next to a horse that was rolling, and while trying to catch a loose horse. The site of the injury was usually not specified, but 9 were kicked in the head (one was unconscious) and one was kicked in the chest. Other injuries in the unmounted category included being run over by a horse (spectator), stepped on my a horse, bitten by a horse, falling on the show grounds (usually by tripping in a hole), and hyperventilation.
Twenty percent of injuries involved the head and face. Of these about half (15) involved a concussion or possible concussion and another ten involved a "blow to the head" but further comments indicated the rider was "okay" and without concussion. Many times the rider was able to complete the event. The type of headgear usually was not specified, but in 2 incidents it was noted SEI headgear might have prevented a more serious injury. The USCTA did not mandate ASTM/SEI headgear until 1991 and then rescinded this mandate later in the season. The number of head injuries was slightly higher in 1991. Five riders were kicked in the head. Three were unmounted. Of those mounted and falling off, both were noted to be kicked below the helmet but on the head. Facial injuries included fractured jaws (3), lip injuries (5), fractured nose (4), bloody nose (3), chipped or lost tooth (2), facial lacerations (4) fractured cheekbone (1), and lacerations inside the mouth (1). Some of these injuries were sustained by the same rider and given in detail here whereas in the chart are listed only once (e.g., all facial injuries combined for that rider as "one" injury.)
The percent of back and neck injuries was the fifth most common type after shoulder, head, other, and bruising. Reviewing the reports indicates the majority of these are neck injuries sustained in association with head injuries. There was one fracture of C6 reported. These did not appear to be significant back injuries. One rider was reported to have sustained a back injury and was noted not to be wearing a body protector vest. Perhaps the small number of back injuries indicates body protector vests are helping reduce these type of injuries.
The place where most accidents occurred was on cross country. Cross country involves jumping fixed obstacles at speed. If a hors hits one of these obstacles, either the rider or horse and rider will fall. The second most common area was either stadium or other unspecified. Warmup areas for the jumping phases were the next most likely place for an injury. It comes as no surprise the jumping phases accounted for 86% of the injuries. Dressage accounted for only 1% and the stable area and other accounted for 12%, again indicating the surprisingly large number of unmounted injuries.
The total percentage of injuries for all riders was 0.36% or about 4 per 1000 riders. Since the average rider shows at more than 4 events per year the number above 1 per 1000 rides. Assuming 6 rides per year, there are about 2 injuries per 100 rides per year.
The number of injuries at the Advanced or Olympic level is small, only 8 in two years. This, however, amounted to 1.3% of the competitors at this level or about 5 times that of the lowest or novice level. The denominators of the two divisions are quite different with 39 times more starters at novice than at advanced! A small difference in the number of injuries in the advanced group would make a huge difference in the percentage. Riders at the upper level have more spectators watching them, perhaps adding to a higher level of incident reports and medical attention than at the lower levels. Also, at Advanced there maybe up to 45 jumping efforts on cross country and steeplechase and 25 on stadium for a maximum of 60 jumping efforts on cross country and steeplechase. In novice there are only 12 to 20 jumping efforts allowed on cross country and 8 to 12 on stadium. At Advanced, the maximum number of jumping efforts is often used, whereas, at Novice it is not. Therefore, an advanced competitor may jump three times the number of fences at greater height and faster speed than a novice would jump. Obviously, the risk of injury increases with the number of jumping efforts not to mention the height and speed at which they are jumped. It should also be noted that one rider accounted for 25% of the incident reports at Advanced. Of the Advanced injuries, all were from falls on cross country. One involved bruises only, three fell without serious injury, one fell with a slight concussion and three sustained fractures. One rider fractured a jaw and cheekbone, one fractured ribs, his pelvis, and sustained a concussion and one fractured a clavicle. Of these 8 injuries, 6 were at CCI Three Day Events, when the horse may be more fatigued, and 3 were at horse trials. There were no non-jumping accidents in the advanced group, indicating perhaps a smaller risk by this group to sustain unmounted stable injuries.
The total number of accidents increased slightly in 1991, but the number of riders also increased by 4%. Overall, the per cent of riders sustaining injuries was low.
Dec 24 11 4:32 PM
roro wrote:A vest would not protect your lower extremities, ding dong.
Dec 24 11 4:35 PM
Christchurch School of Medicine, New Zealand.
Horseback riding injuries are responsible for an estimated 2300 hospital admissions annually among persons younger than 25 years of age in the United States, but injury rates, patterns of injury, and risk factors for this population have not been well studied.
Study participants were selected from a list provided by a national mail-order company that sells riding equipment. A total of 557 persons younger than 25 years of age who rode horses at least six times a year completed survey questionnaires.
Among the study participants, 34 (6.1%) had been hospitalized at least once because of a riding injury and 153 (27.5%) had been treated by a physician within the previous 2 years for such an injury. The overall injury rate was 0.6 per 1000 riding hours. Among those injured, sprains or strains (41.8%), lacerations or bruises (40.0%), and fractures or dislocations (33.3%) were the most common types of injury. A total of 27.5% of those injured sustained concussions or other head injuries. Riding 15 to 24 hours per month (odds ratio [OR] = 2.04), being female (OR = 1.81), and riding English style (OR = 1.77) were the characteristics most strongly correlated with injury.
Horseback riding injuries among participants in this study tended to be serious. Family physicians should inform their patients who ride horses about the risks associated with equestrian activities and should emphasize helmet use.
Dec 24 11 4:38 PM
Anyone who has climbed on the back of a horse is acutely aware of how dangerous horseback riding can be.
But after some research, I was quite surprised to find out just how dangerous our sport is in comparison to other risky activities.
For instance, and this statistic is a shocker, horseback riding has a higher injury rate than motorcycle riding! On average, a motorcycle rider will experience an injury once every 7000 hours of riding. Horseback riders, however, can expect to sustain an injury once every 350 hours of riding.
Most horseback riding injuries occur in the upper extremities like the wrist, elbow, and shoulders. (As a matter of fact, shoulder injuries are most common among Event riders.) In addition, spinal injuries and head trauma come under this category and are frequently more serious.
Injuries to the lower extremities such as the knee, ankle, and foot occur most often in rodeos.
In addition, though most injuries result from riding accidents, some happen while handling horses from the ground. (I’ll vouch for that. I broke some ribs and almost had to have a toe amputated. Both of these injuries occurred while I was standing next to my horse!)
The most common types of injuries are bruises, strains, and sprains followed by fractures, dislocations, and concussions.
Fortunately, most horseback riding accidents rarely result in death. Those that do are usually due to head trauma.
Don’t let these statistics keep you from enjoying your horse though. Like any sport, taking precautions, receiving training, and using the right equipment will help keep you safe and healthy
Posts: 10014
Dec 24 11 4:41 PM
Each year in the United States, an estimated 7 million people ride horses. Riding as a sport has a certain amount of inherent risk due to the fact that a rider’s head when mounted in the saddle may be up to 4m or 13ft above ground level and horses are capable of moving at considerable speeds and can be unpredictable. The rate of serious injury per hour, is estimated to be approximately the same for horseback riders as of that for motorcyclists.
There appears to be little difference in the associated risk of suffering a head injury between Western and English styles of riding. The risk does however increase in the disciplines of racing and eventing. Head injuries not only occur while physically riding a horse, but can also occur while on the ground as a result of being kicked in the head, injuries that are sustained while grooming or cleaning a stall, during farrier or veterinary activities, or simply while spectating. It is estimated though that 75-80% of head injuries occur while physically mounted on a horse.
78,279 people visited the emergency room in 2007 as a result of horse riding related injuries. Head injuries comprised about 15 percent, or 11,759 of these visits (NEISS data 2007), and are the number one reason for hospital admissions and the leading cause of death. The annual incidence of horse riding related head injuries is likely higher than the NEISS 2007 figure due to the fact that less severe head injuries may be treated at physician’s offices or an urgent care center, or self-treated and so are never included in the statistics. Concussions account for about 5 percent of emergency room visits, a figure that is more than double that for other major sports. Over 100 deaths per year are estimated to result from equestrian related activities, with 10-20 times as many head injuries occurring for each fatality.
Dec 24 11 4:42 PM
goflippr wrote:I had never hit my head either, for years and years. And then this one time I went off my horse, and I hit my head!
Posts: 10557
Dec 24 11 4:46 PM
apocalypsepony wrote:Linda rides like a monkey humping a football. She should wear a helmet when she jumps because she has no level of expertise to save her, all she has is dumb luck. But even if she doesn't wear a helmet she should not be telling people not to wear a helmet. I don't wear a helmet, and I don't think it's necessary to always wear a helmet, but I also don't think it's my business to tell anyone that there is not a reason to or that they should not. Not wearing a helmet yourself is one thing, that is your choice. Telling people that they have no need to wear a helmet because only people that have badly behaved horses will get hurt riding is fucking moronic and deserves to be mocked, sneered at, and belittled.
proudmoma wrote:Fucking reality. It's so real.
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