This morning I was reading the "Letters to the Editor" page in the June 25th issue of The Chronicle of the Horse and two letters from readers dicussing Irish show jumper Denis Lynch's recent fall really resonated with me. (If you weren't aware, Lynch fell off while riding helmetless during his victory lap after a recent win and was knocked unconscious. While being knocked unconscious is not a visible injury like a broken arm or leg, the fact is it still means you've done some damage to your brain.)
I experienced my own really nast fall late last summer. Thnkfully, I was wearing a helmet, which no doubt saved my life, or at least my quality of life. Thing is, I gave myself quite the conusion even though I was wearing a helmet and was never unconscious, and I'm still feeling the effects of that concussion today, almost a year later.
I'm on a business trip, and I can tell you the effects of my concussion are still obvious in my client interactions. While speaking I often find it difficult to access the right words, or finish a sentence. My memory is not what it used to be. My ability to do math, never great to begin with, is now downright abysmal. In short, it takes me much longer to process things that I used to process in the blink of an eye, which, as you can imagine, is a bit frustrating and a challenge professionally.
The doctor says all of this is normal. Things have improved tremendously since the fall, but today's normal isn't the normal of 10 months ago. I can't even imagine what my life would be had I not been wearing a helmet.
Enough preaching. I recognize we all have a right to make decisions regarding our own personal health. However, reading those letters just prompted me to share some of the things I'm dealing with, just in case it resonates with someone and ultimately helps.
So my attempt to drill for oil using my cranium as has put a big old monkey wrench in my fitness plans. Previous to my prayer to the dirt gods I had embarked on a plan to get my ammy a$$ in shape. A couple trainers I respect told me my riding would improve more quickly if my fitness/strength level improved. I reasoned that since I spent what felt like a minor fortune on lessons, clinic, DVDs, and books devoted to improving my riding, it only made sense to take their advice. Time to get thighs that could crack walnuts, or at least motivate a lazy mare, and a core capable of holding my position better over fences.
Things were going well at first. On average, I ride 5 days a week when I am not traveling. I began riding my mare without spurs, spent 5 minutes warming up trotting in two point, and incorporated lots of work without stirrups. In addition I added interval/hill work on the treadmill or eliptical 5 days a week, and weights or Pilates 2-3 times a week.
That lasted all of 10 days, until I face planted at a horse show after jumping ahead of my mare (Literally. A word to the wise -- do NOT do this!) My little unintentional dismount resulted in a concussion, a sprained neck, and potentially some instability in the ligaments of the ondontoid process, which I'm told can be A VERY BAD THING if I fall off/get rear ended/do something else stupid involving trying to insert my melon into an unyielding surface.
So, no rigorous exercise for the time being. Not good, considering when I'm bored/sad/happy/confused or just breathing I eat. A lot. And I don't exactly go whole hog on the veggies, either? I'm more of an Oreos/Pillsbury vanilla icing/Ice Cream/Cheese and Butter kind of gal. Which ain't great if you're not moving much, you know what I mean?
So no running. I've been traveling a lot for work, so I haven't been riding much. When I have ridden, it's been more like really light hacking, which Sug is totally on board with.
So what's a creaky, achy, semi-breakable broad to do? Lots of treadmill intervals on an incline, only at the walk. I've also done what little light Yoga and Pilates I can without straining my neck. I've gone back to doing a little light belly dancing. Although I've pretty much lost what little improvement I'd made, one good thing is that the hill work has made my legs stronger. Or at least they felt that way when I rode tonight. Just stronger and more secure, if that makes sense.
So I guess I'll keep up with the kinder, gentler fitness regime until I'm cleared for more intense stuff. Backsliding is frustrating, but the fact that my legs felt a bit more secure tonight gives me some hope for eventual success. Fingers crossed!
If you, like me, subscribe to Practical Horseman magazine, odds are you might also be a devotee of George Morris' monthly column called Jumping Clinic. Each month, readers faithfully turn the pages to see which four riders he picks and what he has to say about their equitation, their horse's jumping ability, and their turnout.
Just about every month one finds George bemoaning the prevalent habit today's riders have of jumping ahead of their horses. Come to think of it, the great eventer Denny Emerson recently did a column devoted to this topic in an issue of the Chronicle of the Horse. I've been told the thinking behind this trend is that throwing one's hands up by your mount's ears and flopping down on it's neck indicates to the judge that your horse has such a superlative jump you were jumped out of the tack, and that he's such a solid citizen you can throw the reins at him and still have a great round.
George (and others) tells us every month that this way of riding is a BAD HABIT, and UNSAFE, and A VERY BAD THING to boot. Not only does the weight of your body on the neck impede your horse's jumping effort, you potentially run the risk of serious injury as you can become a victim of momentum and are hurled, sans equine partner, over the fence. Basically, you become a human shot put. It ain't pretty, and can be downright painful. At it's worst, it can be catastrophic.
I am offering my recent experience as a Public Service Announcement to all who may have this habit. During a recent show, after two successful clean rounds and jump offs, I experience an unplanned dismount in my third class. Basically, I jumped the first fence OK, but lost momentum coming into the second fence, an oxer. We managed to scramble over that, and headed off to the next element with no discernible increase in pace. A long distance showed up, and I asked my mare to take off.
The horse knew she did not have enough pace and was too far away to navigate the jump successfully, so she wisely put down on me and added a stride before then attempting the jump. We might have gotten over it successfully, had I not been perched up by her ears. You see, I got out of the saddle when I thought we were jumping, instead of waiting for her effort to throw me out of the tack. She did her best to try and get us over the fence, but couldn't, as she had an extra 140+ lbs of excess baggage on her neck.
So, I did my best impersonation of a lawn dart. Flung head first into the dirt, I had a unique opportunity to test the footing at that venue first-hand. Personally, I prefer a sand/textile blend to stone dust. It just tastes better, and the finer grit leaves less road rash.
Maybe you should try to ride with your mouth closed.
Thanks, Sug. Adding to the indignity of dirt consumption was the fact that I was wearing my sunglasses, and had that instantaneous moment of panic, that reversion back to childhood where I thought, "Oh no, I broke my glasses!" Not, "I've broken my fool neck!" For a moment I felt like Ralphie in A Christmas Story. Luckily the glasses were okay. (Thank God I was wearing them or I'd have no doubt scraped up my corneas pretty well.)
About this time, approximately 2 seconds after impact, I noticed Sug's bridle hit the dust in front of us, and Sug decided to hop on over to my side of the fence to inquire as to my health. She clambered over very carefully as not to disturb me and stood next to me, waiting for my trainer to come and clear up the carnage.
You looked as though you might be meditating. I didn't wish to interrupt.
Thank you, Sug. Anyway, my trainer came over, and while she was getting Sug's bridle back on we did a quick status check and determined I had all my teeth (although they were black with grit) and that I knew what year it was and who the President was. Thankfully no one asked me to name a Cabinet member, as I don't think I've ever been able to do that. On our way out of the ring, I did a quick Ta-Da to acknowledge the support from the folks clapping at ringside, accepted an ice bag and a Popsicle from the medics, and got Sug back to the trailer.
I was lucky this time, but you can be darn sure we'll be going back to the drawing board and working on eradicating that bad habit of jumping ahead. Am guessing I've got lots more no stirrup work -- which is going to be good for that fitness challenge I gave myself.
Oh yeah, and darn good thing I had my helmet on. The brim and front part of the helmet absorbed some of the impact and prevented my face from hitting the ground harder than it did, and the back padding that covers the nape of the neck prevented my head from snapping back as far as it could have.
If you want a good giggle, my stellar dismount was caught on film. I think it deserves a 10!
Last year National Helmet Awareness Day was such a huge success that Riders4Helmets is sponsoring an International Helmet Awareness Day this year.
Stateside: To make sure we're all cover up every time we're mounting up, several manufacturers will be offering discounts through select retailers on June 11, 2011. If you've been thinking about getting a new helmet, had your helmet longer than 5 years, or have recently had a fall (decreasing the safety of your current helmet) check out helmets from the following participating retailers: Troxel, Charles Owen, Tipperary, Ovation, International Riding Helmets (IRH), GPA, Aegis (Devon-Aire), KEP Italia, Samshield, and Pegasus.
For a list of participating US retailers, click here.
Old Blighty (UK): Participating manufacturers that will be offering discounts through selected equestrian retailers in the UK on International Helmet Awareness Day 2011 include: Charles Owen and Champion.
I've worn a helmet all my life, and feel naked without one. To me, it's simply like wearing a helmet when playing football or hockey, and wearing a seat belt. I do wish we could add a little more fun to them, though, as I've said in an older post. I'd like a fan, or spikes, or flames -- something to give me more confidence and potentially intimidate the little pony urchins that ride against me in the Level 0's, going Mach 1 with their little pigtails on fire whilst I gently cruise around the course, trying to hold off dementia long enough to remember where I'm going...
As someone who has worn a helmet on horseback my entire life, I've never quite understood why people don't. Just seemed to me that horses being what they are, something is bound to happen and any precaution one can take would be sensible. Wearing a helmet was no different to me than, say, wearing boots with a heel, gloves, or not standing directly behind a horse's hind end.
That being said, I will admit that I never wore a helmet while riding a bicycle until I was an adult. Given the hills where I grew up and the speeds we hit descending them, this seems foolhardy at best. I can only surmise that it never occured to me or my parents because no one other than Tour de France riders wore helmets back before the Flood. But I digress...
Our friends at Riders4Helmets passed this news along to me and I wanted to help spread the word:
The popular helmet awareness campaign Riders4Helmets.com has partnered with generous sponsors to offer the largest ever giveaway of riding helmets with a combined value of over $6,500, in addition to a highly sought after iPad2. Visitors to the Rolex Kentucky 3DE (April 28-May 1) may visit the Riders4Helmets area in the “old” indoor arena to register for the giveaway, receive helmet safety literature, and, have the opportunity to participate in helmet fitting demonstrations (times available online). Equestrians who are unable to attend Rolex may register for the giveaway by visiting www.riders4helmets.com (see giveaway tab on website). The giveaway closes midnight on May 1st, 2011.
Riders4Helmets would like to offer sincere appreciation to all of the sponsors who have made this giveaway possible. The iPad2 giveaway is kindly sponsored by: Riders4Helmets.com, EquestrianCollections.com, Horseshoes by Design, Triple Try Farm, Rise Systems LLC, Equestrian Aid Foundation, Broadstone Equine Insurance, New York State Horse Council, Rancho Los Ecuestres, Evadi Farm. The helmet giveaway is kindly sponsored by: GPA, Samshield, Troxel, Charles Owen, International Riding Supply (IRH), Tipperary, Ovation, Devon-Aire, Pegasus and KEP Italia.
Riders4Helmets horse and rider logo wear will also be available for purchase at Rolex, the proceeds of which will be used to fund educational events such as helmet safety symposiums. The logo wear collection is sold exclusively online by EquestrianCollections.com who are donating 100% of all proceeds from sales of logo wear to the Riders4Helmets campaign, in support of their efforts to increase the use of helmets by the world-wide community of equestrians.
The Riders4Helmets campaign has rapidly gained the support of equestrians around the globe. In the United States it was the organizer of National Helmet Awareness Day in 2010 and hosted the Riders4Helmets Helmet Safety Symposium in January 2011. Plans are already in the works for International Helmet Awareness Day 2011, and the 2nd Riders4Helmets Helmet Safety Symposium, both to be held summer 2011. “We are delighted at the support the equestrian world has shown Riders4Helmets,” said White.
Riders4Helmets was founded in early 2010 after Olympic dressage rider Courtney King Dye was seriously injured in a riding accident. King Dye, who remained in a coma for a month following her accident, was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and is currently undergoing rehabilitation. Jeri Bryant donated her helmet campaign t-shirts (featuring the slogan “Strap One On–Everyone’s Doing it”) to an eBay store set up to raise funds for King Dye, and a partnership was formed, resulting in the Riders4Helmets campaign.
