Tuesday, March 24, 2009

It's Time For A New One!

I asked Paint Girl this week if she wanted to do some horsey shopping next weekend. Wait, wait- not shopping for a horse! I mean horsey stuff. You see, I want a new riding helmet.

I didn't put two and two together until last night. Since actress Natasha Richardson's death from a head injury during a skiing accident last week, I think head injuries were subconsciously fresh on my mind.

Around 13 years ago, I used to snowboard.

I should clarify. I was learning to snowboard. This is how I spent most of my time on the mountain:

Usually I was in this position because my legs became limp strands of fettuccine noodles after shredding about twenty feet and I had to sit down and rest. Or, I just lost my edge and fell back on my bum. I did not wear a helmet back then. In fact, not many people did. It just wasn't the thing to do. Although I haven't been on my snowboard in years, I know that if I were to head to the mountain this weekend, I would see more people wearing helmets now. I should point out that one of the biggest dangers in snowboarding is not just falling and hitting your own head, but having others collide into you. While sitting so restfully on that mountainside, I can't begin to tell you how many times other rookies came careening towards me, completely out of control.

I almost always wear a helmet when riding My Boy. That becomes always when I trail ride. I just feel more vulnerable on the trail, there is so much more that is unpredictable and that can go wrong.

The helmet I have been using is around 14 years old. I purchased it when I took hunter/jumper lessons. I even bought a nice velvet cover for it, so that it looked fancier, but I never used it. It is a nice helmet, but big, and English style. I call it my "bowling ball helmet", as you can see why.

The helmet I am going to get is the Troxel Sierra. I think it attempts to be somewhat stylish and "western" in it's appeal.

Many of my family members have this helmet and I've tried theirs on. It feels comfortable. I am so proud that all of my beginner family riders have made it a habit to properly protect their noggins, like my auntie Cowgirl's Grace below.

I do struggle with how a helmet feels on my head, and yes, how it looks. I always want to pull off my helmet for photos. I'm going to admit it, baseball caps and cowboy hats just look cooler. But I have also reached a point in my life where I know that safety comes first. It doesn't take much to cause a concussion or a life-threatening head injury.

After all, there are too many things I have yet to do, like learn to rope, publish a novel, or marry my cowboy.

And maybe, just maybe, try snowboarding again.


43 comments:

  1. I think it looks very western. I think you will look fantastic in it and feel safe also.

    Thank you for the comments about my sister! She was really blessed!

    P.

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  2. Oh wasn't that awful! So sad. I loved her in the parent trap. One of my favorite movies. I like your helmet, very nice. How fun to go shopping with your sis. Thank you for your wonderful words. I will be back soon. I miss everyone here too.

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  3. {TW}~ It just dawned on me she was in that movie (with Lindsay Lohan playing the twins.) I had forgotten that. I absolutely adored that movie, too!

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  4. I am in the market for a new helmet too! I know I've dropped mine one too many times... it's not good to do that, you know.

    I have never seen the helmet you're after, but it does look very comfortable. I usually just go for the cheapest troxel I can find, but maybe I should invest in a nicer one this time around...

    Have fun shopping!

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  5. i have this helmet and it is very comfortable, especially wearing it for long periods of time. it is kinda like wearing a seatbelt. it is a security thing.

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  6. I must admit I am one of those riders that doesnt wear a helmet very often.... and i now I should. I wonder what it is that makes some of us think "Nah I don't need it today, I'll be fine" I really should become more accustomed to wearing it. I always wear it when I'm jumping, but seldom other times. I ride drill, one of the more dangerous forms of riding out there, but we were cowboy hats during performances, so we often don't think twice at practices. Mind you our team has been lucky and hasn't had any major incidents.... Have fun shopping! Troxel makes a nice helmet! They even make some of them specifically for western riders, complete with some western style stitching and design on the front!

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  7. Thanks for visiting again, PG. As you know, I recently blogged on this subject, too. It always gets to be a debate on some of the list servs I am on. I wanted to say WHY I wear a helmet and the stats to justify it.

    I just recently got a Tippeary which I love, but the Troxel you mentioned that I wore at Expo was very nice.

    Click on My Opinion on Helmets in the Links section of my blog
    www.horsetrailriders.blogspot.com . There are some interesting statistics in my post with regards to helmet use.

    Stay safe!

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  8. Helmets are a requirement when we ride. I have even trailered out to a distant riding spot, discovered that my dear daughter has forgotten her helmet and consequently reloaded and driven back home. No helmet, no ride. It' that simple.

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  9. yes helmets are a great idea and it was unheard of when I was riding years ago. I even know a family that the mother was killed from a horse riding accident head injury. It dosen't matter if it is stylish, safe is always better than hurt. The Natasha Richardson thing is so sad and I loved her in the Parent Trap myself, one of my favorite Saturday morning movies!

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  10. I recently bought that helmet in the dark brown color. It's nicely made and feels comfortable on. It looks big on my head though, just like they all do.

    If you buy it from Valley Vet online they have a promotion where you can get a free fleece jacket. It's pretty nice for a freebie and it's a pretty shade of brown too!

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  11. Troxel makes a wonderful comfortable helmet. we have four of them. My sales person is coming out LOL, dont forget to save a copy of your reciept with your paperwork for your helmet and register it online. Troxel has a wonderful replacement policy, but you neen the reciept to prove when you bought it. They will replace it if it is damaged for around $30 We have had to replace one when my daughter fell with hers on and it broke 4inchs up the back, she was fine, a slight headache is all. I used to work in feed stores for 8 years and it always irks me when sales people dont let customers know about all this stuff.

    That is the helmet I would buy too, if I needed a new one. I like the look of them. Happy shopping!!

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  12. {Appygal}~ I think the darker brown color you mentioned is specifically the one I am looking for. I want to check out a local tack shop and see what their prices are. But I love Valley Vet, I will check out their promotion too, thanks for mentioning it! ;)

    {Red Dun Appy}~ Thanks for the tip on saving the receipt and getting a replacement!

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  13. I can't wait to go "horse shopping" on Sunday!
    As Reddunappy says, register your helmet! I didn't do that with my first one and could have gotten a replacement after my fall off my Paint.
    I don't always wear a helmet, actually hardly ever. But the one time I am glad I did was when I was dumped by my Paint! If I didn't have that helmet on I probably would have had a severe head injury. I still got a severe neck injury which I will live with for the rest of my life. My helmet was severely damaged. That is what I think my skull would have looked like if I didn't have the helmet on.

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  14. Troxel makes a cowboy hat helmet!! That is what I am going to order for my boys. I have been saving my money to get them one!! And I had an old helmet that I wore for the longest time. I called my the huge mushroom. When I bought my new helmet, I couldn't believe how much lighter the new one was and how much more air my head got!!

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  15. Helmets are a bit of a pain - they can get a bit hot and don't always look as cool as a cowboy hat, but I don't ride without one any more - I also ski and bike and always wear a helmet then as well.

    I have a regular Troxel and love it - the Sierra is really nice looking.

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  16. Hi There,
    To answer your question about the Manatee, yes, they love the water out of the hose and it is actually good for them, they do not drink the salt water or so the owners of the rental told us? I had mixed emotions about seeing them in the channel every morning....the scars on their backs are from the boats...and maybe they would not come in the channel if the owners had not started the watering? Who really knows? Love the helmet, and I think it's a great idea!

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  17. Yup, those were barnacles and all kinds of stuff, the one was sloughing off it's skin!

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  18. Good for you! A good helmet is very important. I wear an aegis as it has the lowest profile I could find, for showing it Charles Owen!!! Check out Dover they are more enlish but they have some great choices and some pretty cool skull caps too!

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  19. I have that Troxel helmet and love it though I'll often pop on my daughter's when we are just doing a quick swap ride.

    For those who hate how their hair looks after taking off your helmet...always keep a baseball cap or at least a head band handy to pop on after! That takes away the excuse of helmet hair.

    My son was in the hospital to get pins in a broken arm. In the bed next to him was a 9 year old boy who had almost the exact same ski accident as Natasha Richardson but his was over a month ago and he didn't die. But he is paralyzed on one side, uses a feeding tube, and can't talk yet. I made sure my kids spent plenty of time talking to his parents and seeing his condition because I bet if that little boy could talk, he would tell them to ALWAYS wear a helmet. Poor kid.

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  20. Helemts rock! My friend showed one to me that actually looks like a western hat.
    Like your new header photo

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  21. Hooray for a helmet! It's good that you are getting one that you like how it looks. Then you will wear it more :-) Love the new header!

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  22. http://troxelhelmets.com/products/features.php?ProductID=36

    Western helmet

    Personally I am not a fan of troxel helmets. I have had them and I find they aren't as comfortable as the international helmets.

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  23. I'll start by saying that you are correct to be safe. But, with that said, I have never ever ridden with a helment. It's not that I don't think it is cool or anything, I just had never even come close to considering it. I honestly have never seen anyone in person ride with one and believe me, I have been on some trails at Kentucky Lake where there were tons of folks riding the trails and around the campgroungs. Maybe folks in this neck of the woods just don't do that. I don't know. I don't see myself changing after 45 years of riding. I might regret it someday. I just don't know.

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  24. {Hi Trailboss}~ There are probably thousands of riders who ride their whole lives, never wearing a helmet, and will never fall off or have an injury. And then there are those of us who wear them regularly or religiously and will never fall off, either. It is all really up to chance. I think that with my "worrywart" personality, it just makes me feel safer. However, that being said, I think helmets can also give you a false sense of security, as well. Wearing a helmet will not prevent a horse from bucking, galloping down a trail, or, from us falling off. So really, that is why it is a choice, I suppose.

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  25. Hey there Pony Girl!!! Thanks for continuing to stop by my blog, even though I haven't done much over there lately! :)

    I love your new helmet! A lot of my friends have that exact same one because it is slighty "westerny."

    ....And isn't what happened to Natasha Richardson just terrible???
    Oh, and I like your new header as well! :)

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  26. I am a safety freak. I will never ever fit into the cowboy world, too geeky since they don't believe in safety helmets. It may be because I started in the dressage world and all of them wear safety helmets. I hear it's required now in the world of 4H with the kids. They aren't allowed to compete with out helmets anymore. Maybe that will start a new western trend, who knows. I like the new one you are getting, much more western.

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  27. I adore my Troxel!

    It's plain hunter green, nothing too fancy but it is soooo much lighter than the helmet I wore when I first started taking lessons.

    I love the Troxel Sierra, it has a great look to it.

    Happy shopping!

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  28. I've got that Troxel helmet and I've gotta tell ya, it is seriously the most comfortable helmet I've ever tried on let alone ridden in for hours. I actually forget it's on my head. Definitely get that one... I my mind, it's the only way to go... And it's not dorky! :D

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  29. I'm like Trailboss. I've never worn a helmet nor been around anyone that does. Not that I don't believe in safety. A helmet is just not something we even thought about when riding. But of course, I'm not the smartest person in the world!

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  30. {MichelleSG}~ The 4-H reference is interesting, because when I was in 4-H as a teen, helmets were not required in western classes, either! I rode in a cowboy hat! In fact, I didn't even own a helmet as a teen/youth! It wasn't until I started taking hunter/jumper lessons in my mid-twenties that I purchased a helmet, because it was required.

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  31. I think horseback riding may be safer than snowboarding!

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  32. That Troxel DOES look nice. I too have the black bowling ball style. It's most difficult to put it on when it gets hot and mine doesn't even have a bill to it so it doesn't help shade your eyes. I may have to follow in your footsteps.

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  33. Michelle, I like the look of the helmet you are going to get. I thought about one like that but didn't get it, guess I am going more with English style. I fell off Gilly several years ago and really cracked my head, I know I had a concussion because I didn't know where I was for quite awhile. I didn't wear one for a spell after that but now I think I will.....I do want to ride and be around my horse for a long time!

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  34. I have that helmet...love it. I tried on ooodles of them and that one felt the best.

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  35. I like my helmet, it is comfortable! The picture that you posted of me was the day that the desert Rose and I went with another pony cousin and one of her friends and ended up riding for six hours! I wore it the whole time!

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  36. I am another one of those...no brains to protect... girls who has just never considered a helmet even though family and husband suggest it from time to time. Then again Jesse is rock solid. Then again... we are expecting a BIG earthquake here in the desert and a rock could fall on my head. Now Little Lady...I may just go off of her one day!!!

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  37. I agree...after Natasha's accident we all can think back on times we were lucky. I used to ski and remember tons of crashes, horrendous headaches from landing on icy slopes...
    not to mention just falling down a small flight of stairs in a hurry. We are not invinsible.
    Heck, even bull riders wear protective gear and they are considered tough hombres!
    So you are one of the smart, tough senoritas!
    Go Girl!

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  38. Always a helmet here. I had one guy buy a horse without riding it because I told him he HAD to wear a helmet when mounted and he wouldn't! How crazy is that - he'd rather buy without trying than put a helmet on?!? I would much rather wear the helmet than become a burden to my family after an accident.

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  39. this month's issue of Equus magazine has an article about how a helmet saved a girl's life. Definitely, readworthy!

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  40. {Fantastyk Voyager}~ Thanks, I will check it out, I think my sister gets that publication!

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  41. I have that exact helmet and I love it. I'm a bit of a paradox myself, I ride in an English saddle but wear jeans, brown suede half chaps and that helmet. It works for us.

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  42. {Donna}~ That is so great, I think if I started riding huntseat, I'd take fashion advice and dress like you. I'd probably even try to wear my chinks, LOL! ;)

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I love hearing from my readers!! I truly enjoy all of your feedback, advice, helpful tips, and stories. You all make me laugh and I learn so much from you, too. I will try to post replies to your comments as often as I can.

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