Riding Helmets
Misty Meadows Junior Equestrians [MM.JR.EQ.] requires all riders to wear a safety-approved equestrian riding helmet EVERY TIME and ANY TIME they are on the back of a horse. Additionally, riders should purchase a new helmet after 2-3 years of use, or if the helmet has been banged around or is showing any cracks. Encourage your riders to take great care of their helmets! Often, I see them dropped on the barn floor, left in the horse stalls, or colliding with other things when riders are moving through the barn. Each time your rider’s helmet comes into contact with another object in an impactful way, the integrity of that helmet’s safety standard is compromised.
Because rider safety is a top priority for us, we ask all riders (and/or their families) to take our Helmet Pledge:
“I, _________________, a member of the Misty Meadows community, pledge to wear a helmet every time I am on the back of a horse. I understand that the Misty Meadows staff and instructors value my body and my brain, and want to do everything in their power to keep me safe. I understand that, even though I trust my horse and know he/she is well-trained, a helmet with give me extra protection while riding. I promise to take care of my body and my brain by wearing a helmet every time I am on the back of a horse.”
The Misty Meadows Junior Equestrian Program is a proud supporter of the Riders4Helmets campaign. Check out their web site www.riders4helmets.com for a library of information on why helmets are important, current news across the equine industry regarding helmet use, and a list of professional riders who never go without one! MM.JR.EQ. is a supporter of Riders4Helmets.
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Why Helmets Matter
An article excerpt from www.riders4helmets.com
The Brain Injury Resource Center states that “an estimated 300,000 sports related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), of mild to moderate severity, most of which can be classified as concussions (i.e., conditions of temporary altered mental status as a result of head trauma), occur in the United States each year.” A TBI results from a bump, blow or jolt to the head, or from a penetrating head injury, that disrupts the normal function of the brain.
“Of all types of injury, those to the brain are among the most likely to result in death or permanent disability” notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The International Brain Injury Association states that “Brain Injury can cause many kinds of physical, cognitive, and behavioral/emotional impairments that may be either temporary or permanent. Impairments may range from subtle to severe. Brain injury may result in seizure disorders.”
Whether you participate in Equestrian Sports, Cycling, Skiing/Snowboarding, Football, Hockey, Baseball or Skateboarding, wearing a helmet can reduce your chances of sustaining serious injury. One of the most important pieces of safety equipment athletes in any of the above sports can own is a properly fitting helmet in order to absorb the impact to the head, provide cushioning to the skull and reduce jarring of the brain against the skull. It should be noted that helmets must be appropriate for the sport in which the athlete is participating and must also be correctly fitted to be of benefit.
Warning: Under North Carolina Law, an equine activity sponsor or equine professional is not liable for an injury to or the death of a participant in equine activities resulting exclusively from the inherent risks of equine activities. Chapter 99E of the North Carolina General Statutes.