Helmet Awareness

Today is National Helmet Awareness Day

It began a few years ago in response to Courtney King-Dye's fall and subsequent TBI.

But that is not the point of my post today.

Rather my point is the discussion on why hunt caps are so prevalent in the hunter pleasure ring.  Why is this?

For anyone new to the blog, I have Arabians and primarily show in the Arabian breed circuit, as well as dabbling in open shows, dressage shows, and other random things that catch my attention.  But I am quite familiar with Arabian rules.


One thing that I cannot wrap my head around is the prevalent use and acceptance of hunt caps like above in the breed rings, whether it is Arabian, Paint, or Morgan. 

If someone is going through the effort of putting a cap on their head, why not just add the chin strap? 

I have talked to friends who said that despite knowing it is ridiculous, they feel they can't fall out of line and wear an actual ASTM certified helmet.



Does it really look so different? 

I am scarred for life after seeing a person fall at a show.  She went over the shoulder from a well broke horse that was slowly heading back towards the barn.  I am not sure if she had prior health issues that precipitated the fall, but after seeing her hit the gravel parking lot, the TBI, the Flight for Life, and being involved in way more family drama that I care to imagine, I'll order up one ASTM helmet to go please. 

I don't want to dig through anyone's personal belongings again to find ID, so it can go with emergency medical personnel. 

So if you wear a hunt cap without the chin strap, why?  It takes a group of people to buck the trend and to change.

Dressage has changed favorably. 

There are plenty of cute helmets.

But this also leads me to my next point.  In the land of hunter pleasure where conservative attire isn't even remotely close, where we can wear grey breeches and kelly green coats, why is it that we cannot wear a sparkly helmet?




My current helmet is quite boring and still within rules, but I think that if we encourage more cute helmets, perhaps we can continue a positive trend.

I am not the helmet police, but if you are on the fence about whether to start your own trend of not, come and join me on the dark side!

It's OK to judge me on my turnout.  I really don't need a pink shirt with a red horse.  But I just got a purple shirt, so life should be better.  And maybe I will figure out that the stock pin should probably go in the middle of the collar.  But the emphasize is on the helmet.  And the fact that I look like a dork most of the time.  But my brain is in the bucket, so that's what counts, right?  ;) :)