Riding a horse using a bicycle helmet?!?

Question

I want to bareback ride my Belgian Carlene, she is 17 hh. I have never rode bareback before. My dad goes "I don't give a @#$% about that horse go get on her for all I care!" I ride western usually and I don't wear a helmet as most westerners don't. He don't care if I die. So I am asking is a bicycle helmet too tacky on you if you ride a horse? No one will see me and I guess it's better than dying. She is 12 yrs old like me and she has never been ridden. I know this might be a bad idea but I want to ride really bad, I usually ride well broke trail horses and my dad said I could ride her until I get a 15 hh Haflinger in September.

Answer 1

Sweetie, WHY are you attempting to ride a horse that has NEVER BEEN RIDDEN, using a bike helmet ( which I might add, is NOT suitable or safe for riding) when your own experience with riding is limited to well trained horses only? What you are about to do is incredibly DANGEROUS, sweetie !!! You may want to ride this horse badly, but if she has never been ridden before and is not accustomed to having a person on her back ( and horses have to be taught to accept this, they aren't born knowing it) then the likelyhood is very high that you will be thrown. You can get BADLY injured or even KILLED, sweetie- DON'T DO THIS !!!

As for your dad, he may pretend not to care about that horse, or about your plan to try to ride her- but he WILL CARE A WHOLE LOT when he has to come and see you in the Emergency Room, or has to identify your body at the county morgue !! Apart from this, there are legal issues he needs to pay attention to- if he allows you to do this, knowing as he does that the horse in question has never been ridden, if you fall or are thrown and get hurt or killed, he can be charged with a whole range of crimes- everything from child endangerment to manslaughter or even murder !!!  This is NOT a "cool" thing to do right now, sweetheart- no matter how much you may want to ride that mare. I know what you are facing- I was 12 years old once myself, and like you, I lived, ate, slept, dreamed, and breathed horses from morning till night, and everywhere in between. I HATED not being able to ride unless my parents decided to take me to a local stable where I could. It was even worse when they decided, as they often did, that they didn't want to spend the money so I could ride or take lessons. But even when I was young, no one I ever knew ever was allowed to do what you are planning to do with your mare. It's JUST NOT SAFE, PERIOD. If you want to ride your mare, you need to have a professional help you learn how to start her under saddle- and how to teach her to accept your weight on her back without getting scared and trying to throw you because of it. This takes time, though- and it sounds like you may not be willing to spend that time.

Now, on the subject of helmets, I want to point out a couple of things to you. First, bike helmets are NOT meant to be used for riding horses- they aren't designed for this and do not provide enough protection to the head. Second, YOU NEED to have a helmet on your head EVERY TIME YOU RIDE, NO MATTER what horse you are on !!! Now, I know you will tell me that helmets are not "cool" when you ride Western- but consider this: ANY horse can spook, buck, bolt, rear, or lash out with its feet, no matter how well trained the animal is. If you are on that horse's back, you are going to get hurt- and one of the single biggest causes of preventable head injuries and deaths among young teens and preteens is the failure to wear head protection during participation in sports such as riding. I can't tell you the exact numbers of people who are KILLED every year because they won't wear a riding helmet- but they number in the MILLIONS, sweetie. Try reading the obituary columns in your local papers on a regular basis. You will discover that not everyone listed in them is old. Many people die young, from preventable causes, and this is one of those causes.

There are many companies out there which manufacture approved, safe helmets for riding- and two of the best known are Troxel and IRH. The helmets are available in a wide variety of styles and colors, and the great majority of them are also vented for comfort in hot summer weather. What you want to look for in a helmet is the ASTM-SEI label which tells you that the helmet has been tested and approved for use in equestrian sports. DO NOT buy any helmet or hat which does not have such a label- that hat is an item of apparel only, and provides NO protection to the head in the event of a fall. I currently use an IRH myself- it's gold, with a black rim, and it also has a built in visor to help sheild my eyes from the sun. It's vented, like most of the helmets are- which is a plus, given how hot it is right now. I bought my helmet from Stateline tack, but there are any number of other tack and equipment companies that sell helmets of this type. Stateline, Dover, and Dressage Extensions are some of the better known companies, but you can also get helmets from the farm and feed supply companies like Valley Vet and Jeffers.  ALL of these companies have websites and dot com addresses, so it's easy to go online and order from them. Some also offer free shipping.  

One note of caution on buying a helmet, however. NEVER BUY a helmet on e-bay !!! The reason for this is because you will never know the history of what you are buying- E-bay has no disclosure requirements when it comes to helmets. For all you know, that helmet may have already been through a fall- and such a helmet provides no protection whatever. Nowadays, most modern helmets work by partially self destructing on impact in a fall. This damage may or may not ( and it usually isn't ) be visible afterwards. Any time this happens, the helmet must be replaced immediately, as it will provide no protection if used or worn again. One of the things that sometimes happens with e-bay is that people will try to sell a helmet that is like this for whatever they can get. Since there are no disclosure requirements, whoever buys such a helmet is risking serious injury, because they have no way of knowing that it has already been through an impact and should be replaced. That's the big danger with buying a used helmet this way.

Helmets should fit the rider's head snuggly. They must also sit squarely on the head, and not be tilted backwards or forwards. The safety harness ( which is what some people still call the chin strap) must be kept fastened at all times when the helmet is worn- a helmet without one provides no protection whatever. There should be enough space between it and your chin so that you can comfortably insert at least 1 or 2 fingers. Likewise, if you have long hair and wear a ponytail, like I do, you will need to push or pull your ponytail holder down to fit your helmet properly.  When not in use, helmets need to be stored in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight. Make sure that you don't share your helmet with anyone- it's yours alone. This will prevent the spread of head lice or other skin problems.  Hope this helps you. Think again before you ride your mare- and get her trained first, for your own safety. Good luck.

PS: To ROB U: You are absolutely right in most of what you said, but I do want to point out one thing to you- Christopher Reeve's accident was HIS OWN FAULT !!! I am a huge fan of the sport of 3 Day Eventing, and I have followed it since I was far younger than the asker of this question. Reeve got hurt, and then later died, because he wouldn't take "NO" for an answer. No one forced him to ride that day- in fact, his coaches ( who were experienced, former members of our Olympic team) tried to warn hm off and keep him from doing it. They knew, as he did not, that the course he was riding on was very dangerous because of the heavy rain that had fallen the previous night. They also were aware that Reeve was riding a horse with a bad reputation for stopping ( refusing fences violently, with great risk of a fall to the rider) on course. Reeve would NOT listen to them, no matter what they said- and we will never know why.  He decided to ride anyway- and about half way around the course, his horse, Eastern Express, stopped at one of the fences. Reeve was thrown off over his horse's left shoulder, and he got his hands tangled in the reins as he fell. That's why he broke his neck.

Now, anyone can have a stop on course- even our Olympic team members have had that happen to them on occasion. But the difference with them is that usually, they have the knowledge and experience which allows them to get out of dangerous situations like that without injury to either themselves or their mounts.  Reeve was a weekend athlete who rode as a hobby, instead of a seasoned pro, and he simply couldn't cope with what happened. He was in WAY OVER HIS HEAD, plain and simple.  Part of being a responsible athlete, and a role model in any endeavour, is knowing one's limitations and staying within them, and knowing when and how to say NO. Reeve didn't, or couldn't, do this- and we will never know why.  I have NO sympathy AT ALL for Chris Reeve- my sympathies are with the poor orphaned son he left behind. That child, Will, is only 14 years old now, and he is living with one of his older half siblings. This poor kid never even knew what it was like to have healthy parents- he was 3 when his dad got hurt, and he spent most of his formative years living with a cripple and watching his mom wear herself out caring for his dad. Then, after his dad finally died from septicemia ( brought on by an infected bedsore that ulcerated) he watched his mother die of a rare, but fast growing and extremely lethal form of lung cancer. Dana wore herself out trying take care of her husband- that much is clear. When the cancer came along, she had nothing left to fight it with, and within a year of Chris's death, she too was on her deathbed.  So I would end this tragic tale by saying that if you want to feel sorry for someone, feel sorry for Will. He deserved far better than he got- from BOTH his parents.  To the asker: This tragic story just goes to show you what can happen when people do stupid, irresponsible things with horses. Christopher Reeve  behaved in a manner that got him killed, which is similar to what you are thinking of doing with your mare. What happened to him could happen to you- and if you ride your untrained mare without a helmet, or with the wrong helmet, the odds are good that yes, it probably will.  A word to the wise.

Answer 2

I have never rode bareback before.

She is 12 yrs old like me and she has never been ridden.

This is a very bad idea.

Riding helmets should always be worn especially if you are jumping or still growing.

and horse riding helmets are stronger then bicycle helmets and of course not as strong as motorcycle helmet.

and don't forget the chin strap.

Another bad idea. Riding with no one around.

especially when you do something new.

Two reason for this, one it would be nice for someone to either pick you up or go after the horse, and they might prevent a big mistake.(could be bad for the horse and/or yourself)

Death is the easy step, but the odds are you will most like injure yourself, or the horse.

If your damage your Skull,brain, or spine the odds are it will never be the same.

People (Christopher Reeve,Superman) do become stuck in a wheal chair for the rest of there lives, some have to be fed out of tubes. To me, that would be to much of an inconvenience for you and the people around you.

I would not only require you to ride with a helmet I would also suggest a protective riding vests and always were shoes.

( I can just see you grooming a horse in just a swimsuit)

Answer 3

When it comes to bicycle versus riding helmets, I would say by all means an ASTM certified riding helmet is much more preferable. This is because bicycle and equestrian riding helmets are made to protect different areas of the head in the event of an emergency and/or fall. As an english showjumper, we come from two very different backgrounds and beliefs when it comes to helmet usage. But I believe any helmet is better than no helmet, as long as it fits you properly. That means the base of the helmet should rest in a horizontal line across your head, not tilted up and backwards and not crooked on your skull. If you shake your head and you notice the helmet moving, add more padding, check the chin strap, or try a smaller helmet. The chin strap should be tight enough that the helmet will not rock or twist around on your head.

Yet it is important to remember that even a good fitting helmet will not keep you  safe if the horse is still green (untrained) and/or you are a novice rider.

In all, it is ultimately up to you to be responsible for your safety. If you haven't ridden very much, the horse has never been/rarely been ridden, the horse is still untrained, the horse gets scared easily, the horse is wild, or any other combination thereof,  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be very careful. Just because a horse isn't a baby doesn't mean it doesn't have the potential to be dangerous. Please ALWAYS ride when there is someone else, preferrably someone who knows what they are doing, watching you to be able to help you in an emergency. I hope this is somewhat helpful!

Answer 4

What does Dad have to do with your behaving dangerously and acting out? You know better than that!

Wait until September to work with your new Haflinger!

Until then, train the Belgian Carlene to longe nicely, act in a mannerly way and basically sell your dad on how trustworthy you are. IF you must mount up, borrow a friends ASTM -f1163 certified helmet, or invest in one for just $40 bucks.

That 17hh is no  horse to ride in any hat,being UN ridden before. Topping your head with a bike helmet is silly and obviously won't get dad's notice,nor will it absorb the shock of a fall.Its unwise and unsafe.

Have some fun and train her. Your instincts that it is a bad idea to ride are square on: Believe in your skill in training and get  going the right way.