Posts Tagged ‘safety equipment’

Recently I went for a trail ride at a Stable in Blairsville Georgia and it brought back some fond memories but also got me thinking about safety and helmets.

Helmets and other riding safety equipment are now standard for anyone – man, woman, child – who rides horses. Rarely do I see the casual activity of someone riding bareback, without a helmet, and sometimes even barefoot, that I remember so clearly (and fondly) from the horseback riding days of my childhood. Throwing the bridle on my mutt horse, “Juniper,” sometimes using a saddle but more often not, and heading off to a friend’s or out for just a solitary evening or early morning ride. In the summer, especially, “cut-off” shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes were my normal riding attire. No saddle and I would have the dirt and horse hair and sweat on the inside of my legs to prove it. If I had a long ride planned, then I would sometimes saddle Juniper up with my Western saddle. If I had a short ride planned, or just felt like being “fancy,” then my English saddle was my choice.

I was in a horse 4-H club, as well as taking lessons in English pleasure and jumping from a local professional riding teacher. In those days, helmets weren’t even required for class participation and I remember many jumping classes with only my saddle, bridle, and crop in the way of equipment. Boots with heels were advised, but not required, to reduce the risk of a foot slipping through a stirrup. That was all. Helmets and boots were required, though, to participate in the jumping class at shows.

Now, in these more “enlightened” times, we’ve come a long way in safety awareness and most parents would be horrified at the thought of sending their child off on a half ton animal without the appropriate safety gear. As fondly as I remember the days of casual riding, I’m glad that safety is now a priority.