July 10 is National Helmet Awareness Day.
I highly recommend wearing a helmet when riding a horse. Safety is really important and I have several friends who have had horse accidents and were only saved because they were wearing a helmet. Everyone under the age of 18 should absolutely be required to wear one.
Medical Examiner reports show that 60% or more of horse-related deaths are caused by head injuries. Helmets can reduce this possibility by 70-80%.
To measure the rider’s head use a measuring tape placed around the circumference of the head, across the forehead and above the ears. Make sure that your measurement is taken with the tape neither too loose or too tight of you will not get a correct fit.
Helmets can have different sizing methods used on the label and packaging so make sure you note down both the measurement you took and the hat size from the chart, you may need either or both. And try the helmet on in the store!!!!
Also make sure the helmet is ASTM/SEI certified. These are industry safety standards created by the American Society for Testing and Materials and helmets are tested by the Safety Equipment Institute. Many competitions will require that you wear a helmet that is certified. There may be cheaper ones that aren’t certified but they offer very little actual protection. And don’t wear a bike helmet – it doesn’t offer the right kind of protection for horseback riding.
There are many good brands but my personal favorite is the Trexol brand. You can see their western performance helmet by clicking HERE.
And you can get more information about safety helmets by clicking HERE.