International Helmet Awareness Day

How will you be celebrating International Helmet Awareness Day?

Wearing a helmet has been a longtime argument among riders. Whether you wear a helmet or not, we all know that it does in fact protect a rider from serious head injuries. Of course, we’ve all heard the excuses, “helmets are for beginners,” “helmets are ugly,” “I’m not doing anything dangerous, I don’t need one.” The list goes on and on. Here are just a few reasons on WHY you should wear a helmet: 1. You only have one brain, protect it! Unfortunately, brain transplants are still in the works. 2. Of all horse related injuries, head injuries cover 60% of them. That’s A LOT! 3. Hospital costs for serious brain injuries costs about $25,000/day. Who has the money for that? 4. It’s not just the kids, equestrian injuries are found to be the highest in adults from ages 22-44. 5. There is a wide variety of helmet styles out there! From colors to patterns, you can surely find one that fits your own personal style. 6. You don’t have to be doing anything crazy, the walk is the most common gait at which injuries occur. 7. Believe it or not, horseback riding is considered more dangerous than motorcycling! You are on an animal that has a mind of its own. 8. The vast majority of injuries occur while pleasure riding. 9. Just because you are an experienced rider, doesn’t mean you aren’t at risk. There is no statistical correlation between skill level and injury likelihood. 10. A helmet can save your life. You don’t want to have an up close and personal experience with a fence post, rock, or cement without your trusty helmet! The horse community celebrates International Helmet Awareness Day on August 1st, but everyday is a great day to wear your crown of safety! Don’t ignore the facts – wearing a helmet will protect your noggin. Wearing a helmet can help to keep you in the saddle for years to come. Live to ride and ride to live!

{and while we are talking about safety and comfort, why not check out a POLL PAD for your horse?}