Do you think i will need a helmet?

Question

i just got my horse, we are going riding next weekend, but we live in the desert, and where we are going to ride, there are no rocks or cement. its all dirt and sand and stuff like that.

do you think i should get a helmet?

im getting a cowboy hat to keep the sun out of my face and stuff, but should i get one?

and if so, are there any helmets that are shaped like so i could still wear a cowboy hat and it wouldnt look like im wearing a helmet?

thank you!

Answer 1

ALWAYS wear a helmet cuz even if u fall off wat if ur horse goes crazy and kicks u in the head??? i like the 1 on Madye's link. u should get that 1

Answer 2

Yes you need a helmet. Even if there is no rock the horse could throw you off and you could get stepped on & if you fall at a fast enough speed you can crack you head open! so yes buy a helmet. If you want the sun out of your face then buy the helmets with the visor onto them.

GET A HELMET! :]]]

Answer 3

you can buy helments that look cowboy hats

Answer 4

wear your helemet

Answer 5

you definatly need to wear a helmet - you can get badly injured even on a soft surface - my friend got a concusion falling off on grass while wearing a helmet.

I don't know where but you can get ones with a cowboy hat on them but if you can't find one of those then your head is a lot more important than how you look - it's not much good looking cool wearing a cowboy hat but with your head smashed in. It also sounds like youre fairly inexperienced in which case it's even more important to wear a hard hat. It's not just the surface to be considered - if you fell and caught your foot and were dragged then it doesn't matter what surface you're on, you could also get kicked if you fell etc - hats are an essential requirement.

If you can't find a cowboy hat one then if you get a jockey skull you can get coloured silks to go over it.

Answer 6

You should defitely wear a helmet, as like someone else said, what happens when the horse stands on you O OH

You can get brims to go over the helmet also and like the previous person get the western helmet

Idk what else

BUT DEFINATLY GET A HELMET it'll save you in the long run

Answer 7

I would say the demeanor of the horse is an important factor to consider. But you are definitely better off wearing a helmet than not. Consider this fact from the website below:

"Horseback riding carries a higher injury rate than motorcycle riding. On average, motorcyclists suffer an injury once every 7000 hours of riding. By contrast, an equestrian (horseback rider) may have a serious accident once every 350 hours."

I wonder if anyone would recommend not wearing a motorcycle helmet because its hot. Yet the injury rate from riding horseback is 20 times greater.

http://www.hughston.com/hha/a.horse.htm

Even if there aren't many rocks where you're riding, you can still hurt your head falling from a horse. And maybe you'll happen to fall in that one location where that rare rock where you're riding happens to be located.

Why are you worried about looking like you're wearing a helmet? You shouldn't be worried about that. The fact you're wearing one might encourage someone else to wear one themselves.

Cheers,

David

http://gentlenaturalhorseman.blogspot.co...

Answer 8

you should always have a helmate no matter what... what i did was buy a helmate with a removable visor to protect my face from the sun...

Answer 9

This shows that the people answering probably have little trail riding experience in hot weather.  Considering the location you are riding in... In your case... IF you have a very gentle horse you might be in more danger of heat stroke from the helmet than from getting hurt by falling off.  It just depends on how gentle the horse is and how experienced you are.

I say this because I have spent enough time in the desert to know how hot it gets and I have ridden in hot weather enough (I have not ridden in the desert yet though) that I know those helmets can become a danger.  They do here in Missouri and it is not nearly as hot here as there.

Once I had to take a helmet off my little girl as she became dizzy and a little nauseous.  Very close to having a real major problem.  I was very careful to judge the heat before I put one on her again.  I do insist shw wear one if the temps are low enough that heat stroke is not a danger.  But if it is then the helmet comes off.

Answer 10

YES!!! You always need a helmet no matter what!

Answer 11

You're going to need a helmet. You always do. Sand could still crack a skull or something. You could also get a helmet with a removeable visor to keep the sun out of your face.

P.S. Sometimes I ride bareback without a helmet!

Answer 12

A few years ago I went to a product show and they had on display a helmet that was designed as a cowboy hat. It was brilliant but I have never seen one on sale anywhere. Odd because I would have thought that would be a great seller.

Personally I'd wear a helmet everytime but there are thousands of people who don't.

At the end of the day it is your head.

Think about it, hitting sand at 30 miles an hour from a height of about 5 feet - it's still going to hurt.

Answer 13

You should always wear a helmet when mounted on a horse. You could fall wrongly on your head and something could go wrong. To answer your question and cowboy hats...

     They have helmets with built in cowboy hats. I recommend buying one of those! Below are some examples-

www.statelinetack.com

www.ariat.com

www.crosby.com

www.drfosterandsmith.com

Hope I helped :)

Answer 14

You have made a very good point saying that you live in the desert so if you fall no harm is done. But have you ever tought that what if you fall off and your horse with his powerful hoof are aiming for your head. SO use a halmet this is very unlikley to happen but I would rather you be safe and always wear a helmet.

I hope you make the wise choice

Danielle

Answer 15

This helmet is very good for Western riders, or in the hot, since it has lots of air vents...

http://www.doversaddlery.com/product.asp...

I would say that yes, you should always wear a helmet. A friend of a friend was standing with her calm, dependable horse tied and the horse freaked out, pulled back, knocking the girl over. She hit her head on a rock a died instantly. Scary. Things like that can happen when you're riding too, even the most calm horse is going to get scared at something, they're still wild animals!

Answer 16

Always a helmet if you're riding, no matter what you're doing or where you're riding.  Get one with a visor to keep the sun out of your eyes.  Helmets are not optional, if you value your health and keeping your brain intact inside your skull where it belongs...

And here's a simple solution to the possiblity of heatstroke due to becoming hot while wearing a helmet...

1)  Hydrate yourself well beforehand and during your ride

2)  Dress in cool, comfortable clothes

3)  If it's too hot to wear a helmet, then it's too hot to ride.

Pretty easy, huh?

Answer 17

i always thought that I would be ok without a helmet...but one day my horse tripped and we both went crashing to the ground(it was grass) and i had major head and back aches for a week....GET A HELMET!

Answer 18

http://www.charlottes-saddlery.com/Merch...

check out this link. when i first saw it i thought it looked pretty nifty. i think you will too

definitely ride with a helmet. you never know what you are going to fall on. and if you ever decide to ride somewhere where its not your won back yard, it is required to wear a helmet when under the age of 18. if you decide to ride at a barn you are required to wear a helmet at any age