I see far too many people [...]]]>

This helmet safety poster from the Equestrian Medical Safety Association provides a handy check list to post at your barn.

Head protection is a critical element of rider safety. According to the Equestrian Medical Safety Association, 60% of equestrian fatalities are caused by head injuries! While equestrian helmets are far safer than they used to be, if your helmet doesn’t fit, it can compromise your safety.

I see far too many people riding with helmets that are obviously too large — they move around too much on the rider’s head. I’ve also heard people complain that their helmets leave indents on their foreheads or give them headaches — indicating the helmets are either too small or the wrong shape for their heads.

Helmet fit is very individual. I know that I can try on multiple helmets that are technically the same size only to find that I don’t like how most of them fit — even when they are just different models from the same company. That’s why it’s better to try a helmet on at a tack store, rather than order one from a catalog or website before you’ve assessed fit.

To determine whether a helmet fits, you should start with a helmet that is ASTM/SEI certified (if you’re in the U.S.) and then go through the following checklist.

• Is you hair the way you intend to have it when you ride. Helmet fit is profoundly influenced by your hair — to the point that if you change your hair style significantly you might need to re-evaluate how your helmet fits!
• Place your helmet on your head. The hat should sit level and the brim should be 3/4″ to 1″ above your eyebrows.
•  Before fastening the harness, gently rock the helmet back and forth. The helmet should be snug enough that the skin on your forehead and your eyebrows should move along with the helmet.
• Fasten the straps. The side straps should come to a point right in front of your ear lobes.
• When the harness is fastened, it should be snug enough to keep the helmet from tilting forward.
• The harness should snap under your chin and should be snug, but not tight.
• If possible, wear the helmet for about 10 minutes to assess whether any pressure points start to appear, especially across your forehead.
• Don’t forget to replace your helmet if you have a fall where you hit your head. While the helmet might look fine, the internal padding may have been compromised.

Video Demonstration

On rare occasions, you may need more stopping power. It could be that your horse has bolted or started bucking, or [...]]]>

Most of the time your horse (hopefully) stops on cue. You increase the contact on your reins and simultaneously ask your horse to slow by stopping his forward motion with resistance from your seat.

On rare occasions, you may need more stopping power. It could be that your horse has bolted or started bucking, or you could be out galloping with a group of friends and find you need just a bit more than normal to get your horse under control.

Teaching the runway stop. Photo from http://www.horseproblems.com.au

The one rein stop is a tool that you should (and your horse) should know for those “just in case” times. But it’s not something to try for the first time when you need it; it’s something you need to teach your horse in advance.

• Start training the one rein stop at the halt. Using one rein ask your horse to bring his head around to the side so that his muzzle is either touching, or close to touching, your leg. You should not have any contact on the other rein. (That’s why it’s called a “one rein” stop).
• Hold until your horse relaxes into this position. You should see his eye soften and he should not be fighting.
• Release and bring his head to the opposite side.
• Rinse and repeat until there is no resistance. You may need to do this dozens of times. Don’t overdo each individual session and remember that your horse will learn what you want him to do.
• Next, try this same procedure at the walk. Bring your horse’s head around to your knee and hold the position until he is completely still and has relaxed into the position.
• Remember to keep your core strong so that you stay in the center of your horse. Don’t lean into the bend because you will unbalance your horse.
• Once you’ve mastered the one-rein stop at the walk, step up the challenge and try it first at the trot and at the canter. Make sure you’ve completely mastered each gait before you move on and make sure you always get to a complete stop.

Why do you need to practice this? First, you need to know the technique before you need it and second, horses learn to relax into it the stop once they’ve been trained with it. If you have a horse that’s panicking, putting them in the one-rein stop can help them calm down.