Falling off horses is part of the deal when you sign up to get on a horse. We all hope we won't fall off (or at least we won't fall off too often) but at some point the inevitable will happen and your body will hit the ground and, more often than not, your head will also hit the ground.
We all know that the wearing of a good quality, correctly fitted, safety approved hat or helmet is vital if we want to protect our heads when riding – and who wouldn’t want to protect their head! But it’s easy to forget that if your fall results in your head hitting the ground your hat could be damaged, even if that damage can't be seen by the naked eye.
The owner of this hat (above), an experienced rider, recently suffered a fall in an indoor arena, whilst schooling a ‘quiet’ horse on the flat. No one was in the arena at the time of the fall, so it’s impossible to know what happened, but when the horse galloped up to the stables the other people at the yard went down to the arena to find its rider unconscious.
Thankfully this is a story with a happy ending. The rider was air-lifted to hospital and after a few days of tests he was given the all clear to leave. His hat had done its job. His brain had certainly been given a good shake (and he still can’t remember anything about the day of his fall) but his hat had protected him from a situation that could have been so much worse.
When the hat was checked over there didn’t appear to be too much damage although it was clear where the hat had hit the ground thanks to the sand. However on closer investigation a tiny fracture (below) was found towards the top of the hat, showing that the hat was indeed seriously damaged.
If this rider had chosen not to replace his hat and had another fall the hat would not have been able to protect him, as it had done previously, and the outcome could be far worse.
The close up of the damage - proving that this hat hat had certainly saved the rider's head
So the message is … falls can happen and they do happen and they could happen to you. Even when you are doing flat work so be sure to wear a correctly fitting hat and if you have a fall – go straight out and buy a new one! Riders should also remember that after a few years even hats which haven’t suffered a blow get affected by the weather and your sweaty head so it is recommended that a new hat should be purchased every five years.
Saddleworld currently have a great offer on helmets CLICK HERE for more information
For more great information on riding helmets and equestrian safety visit Riders4Helmets website
