|
|
|
|
|
(Continued from page 16)
precious. Cherish it. Live to ride another day.
NEED A HELMET?
Your local tack store, equestrian mail-order catalogs, and Internet equestrian stores carry ASTM/SEI-certified helmets. You may find equestrian helmets from companies such as Aussie Rider, International Riding Helmets, Lexington Safety Products, Troxel, and Polybid Polystyrene Products. These manufacturers sell equestrian helmets that have been ASTM/SEI-certified.
What does ASTM/SEI Certified mean? Riding helmets made to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F1163 standard and certified by the Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) are considered to be the world's best head protection for horseback riders. Double-check the tag inside the helmet. If it doesn't say ASTM/SEI Certified, don't buy it!
Say it costs too much to buy a helmet? You may be able to get some financial assistance through your medical insurance plan. Some insurance carriers have a program that provides reimbursement for some portion of the cost of the helmet. You just have to fill out a form and send in a copy of the receipt showing you bought the helmet. Call your insurance membership services department to see if you can be reimbursed for your equestrian helmet.
GOT HELMET?
Take a good look at it. What's it made out of? Plastic and styrofoam mostly. Heat, cold, ultraviolet light, and the air in your barn can effect the plastic used in your riding helmet. Over time, the protective styrofoam disintegrates. In other words, nothing lasts forever, including your riding helmet.
Does your riding helmet show any of the following signs?
1. harness pulling loose from helmet
2. squeeze clips with broken teeth
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3. white helmet turning yellow
4. black velvet helmet turning beige
5. surface cracks, holes or dents
6. chunks missing from the liner
7. liner squashed down in places
8. shell or liner cracked through
9. manufactured date printed on tag inside helmet is more than five years ago
If you answered "YES" to any of these signs, BUY A NEW HELMET. In general, riding helmets have an average life of five years. However, some helmets sit in a closet between shows; some helmets are used as soccer balls while their owners are awaiting a lesson; some helmets live outside in bins. Use common sense. Inspect your helmet often, particularly any time you have dropped it or have fallen with it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Your helmet is there to protect your head. But it can't do the job alone. It must be in good, working order, and . . .
YOU MUST WEAR IT
But no matter how well a helmet is made, it can't do it's job if it isn't on your head, correctly fitted, harness adjusted, and the chinstrap secured. Dru Malavase, from the New York State Horse Council Safety Committee, says that
when a helmet fits correctly, it sits about an inch above the eyebrows, squarely on the head with the brim straight ahead. The harness must be fastened so there is direct firm contact with the jaw or chin, depending on the model and the manufacturer's instructions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Safety Helmets
by Jennifer A. Parker
On July 18, 2001 my husband and I went out for a leisurely jaunt along the Rillito River bike path. We hadn't gone a mile from our home when I took a dive headfirst off my bike. My helmet cracked completely through in three different places. It was a freak accident that wasn't caused by any outside factors. We weren't going fast, nor were we in a group of riders. It was "just one of those things." The doctor in the ER was very clear about the fact that without the helmet I would now be an organ donor. Fortunately, I only had a severe concussion and some minor road rash.
It made me stop and question, though, "Why don't I wear a helmet when I ride my horse?" I have no good excuse--there aren't any. I don't pretend to complain about the heat, the hat head, or how ugly they look. I just don't wear one. Yet, I wouldn't even get on the bike without one--and it saved my life.
I know that under most "normal" circumstances, my horse would never try to hurt me. I always think, instead, that it will be the unpredictable horse in training that I should be more concerned about. However, the few times that I have been hurt coming off a horse, it was always the "bombproof" horse that had a freak accident. Never was it intentional. What we need to realize is that for the most part, the horses don't mean to hurt us. However, bad things do happen--even to good riders (and trainers!).
So, I would like to challenge all the riders in our community, trainers in particular, to begin wearing their ASTM/SEI-approved safety helmets. As the professionals in this business, what kind of an example are we setting to those riders around us if we don't wear one? Most of my students already wear one and I commend them for that. I, for one, will now be wearing my helmet whenever I ride. Will you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
