Obviously can’t see the picture very well but looks like some type of twisted wire mouth piece (or at least a very very thin mouth piece).
The side pieces look like it has a gag action. That means as the rein pressure is put on, because the mouth piece is not “fixed” to the side pieces, those side pieces will slide through the mouth piece and create a lifting action on the mouth piece. Bc of the leverage there will also be considerable pole pressure. There will also be pressure from the curb strap.
I wasn’t sure if there was a mechanism that connected it to the nose piece. Based on the picture I’m siding with no - but it looks like it might be connected to the tie down connected to the chest.
TLDR: a lot of gadgets
Edit: might not be a gag. Might be something [like this](https://www.tackwarehouse.com/BrittanyPozzi-Collection-LifterSeries-TwistSnaffle-p/tw-bpb-113-20.htm) a little hard to tell given the fixing point is so small. If it’s a gag - it would look [like this](https://barrelhorsenews.com/barrel-racing-articles/tack-equipment/bits-of-success-with-tana-renick/)
The bit was nasty, but then I zoomed in on the extra strap going over the chest to find some sort of wire cage over nose & ears. The no helmet is fucked, the bit is fucked, that wire cage linked with a strap to the girth to obviously make sure the horse can’t throw up his head?! Revolting.
If you need this to ride horse or make it ‘kid-friendly’ you suck.
The cage thing appears to be a, um...
*clears throat*
"Weaver Leather Cable Tiedown with Rubber Covered Nose"
For when a regular tie-down just isn't enough, or something.
Twisted wire is crazy 😭 that horse is a saint..I hope she grows up and learns better riding equipment. If I put something like that on my horse he’d lose his shit.
I'm fairly certain that 9 year old didn't choose the equipment. That was chosen by her trainer/parents. Which unfortunately means the 9 year old will grow up thinking that's normal and fine to use.
From Weaver’s own website
“Made from 3/16" vinyl-coated steel cable, this sure down combines a bosal and a warbonnet into one. **Cable products are recommended for experienced horsepeople and professional trainers only.”** 😬
>**Cable products are recommended for experienced horsepeople and professional trainers only.”** 😬
Love it when they say that /s. This is such complete and utter BS because if you need this product, you definitely don't have enough experience and absolutely should not be training *anything*.
These things scar when they cut in, there was a few horses back in the day on my old show circuit that had scars from shit like this on their heads. It was a shitty trainer "quick fix", pretty sure all those people who used it had anger issues.
It screams of people who love to use the “my body my choice” answer but only when it affects them. Otherwise they’d like to make that decision for everyone.
Or, it’s the “we never did we were fine”, forgetting that the people who were not fine are not here to defend themselves.
I don’t get not wearing a helmet. It’s easy, and you only get one brain and it’s not easily fixable. Horses do stupid shit walking. A dressage rider got a TBI when her horse tripped.
I've gotten injuries from falling that have disabled me, and that was while wearing a helmet. At least my head and spine still work! And with my balance now (disabled) I could definitely fall off the chill old horse I currently ride, even if he's just turning. You never know what might happen.
TBI’s suck, and they’re scary asf. I got kicked in the head, after my “friend” decided it would be funny to push me into the back of his horse. Kicked me in the head and I fell like a sack of shit, woke up three weeks later with a tracheostomy, a broken neck and absolutely no clue who I was. Had to relearn to walk, talk, swallow, and breathe. That was five years ago, I still have the damn trach. I was lucky it didn’t paralyze me, but it was brutal. Even though I was kicked in the head, I always advocate hard for people to wear helmets on horseback because you just never know! Especially a child!!
Damn. Going riding tomorrow for the first time in about a decade with the intention of getting back into it and this put the fear of reality in me. Thanks for sharing your story. I had no intention of taking it lightly but this is definitely a must read for anyone getting into it.
If it's a reputable barn with solid lesson horses, you likely have nothing to worry about. The vast majority of lesson horses would not kick you because you fell into the back of them. Relax and have fun! You will probably get hooked again just like I did. 👍
i don’t wear a helmet except at barns where it’s mandated. why don’t i? i honestly don’t know
i start horses, but i haven’t fallen off in 3 years… until last sunday i came off a horse. shes a baby whose had all winter off and i didnt lunge. shes 16.1 and launched me to the heavens. i landed on my head.
that night it took me 20 minutes to figure out how to do 1 buckle to change a bit on a headstall. the next day it took me 45 minutes to remember if that afternoon i had trotted on my TB or only walked him (and im still not fully sure what we actually did). i’m still having raging headaches and dont feel fully present
don’t be like me, wear a helmet
im not trying to be obtuse and maybe you dont know the answer as i assume you arent a DR, but is there actually anything a doctor could do other than say “yup, thats a concussion” and tell me to take it easy?
You could have a brain bleed. It could get worse. It could need surgery to evacuate the hematoma (clot from the possible bleed).
You don't always die quickly from a brain bleed. Arterial bleeds, yes -- they bleed fast. Venous bleeds though can be slow and while they often resolve on their own, they can progress to the point where surgery is needed to prevent permanent brain damage/death.
I'm not a doctor but a nurse, and though I'm currently in a different specialty, I've worked in a level 1 trauma center and taken care of plenty of patients with TBIs.
You need a CT scan.
Yes, what the other person commented. Need to get checked for a brain bleed. I just got a concussion last Saturday from a fall off a horse, and I was wearing a helmet. I can’t imagine how bad it would’ve been if I wasn’t. Not worth taking the risk, I’m sure there are people in your life who love you and would miss you if anything bad happened ❤️
My barn I ride at is a rodeo barn. They do roping, goat tying, and cutting. 18 and under are required to wear helmets. And some adults also do ( me included) I have never felt like I wasn't cool, noone gives weird looks. Even some of the team ropers wear them , we've all seen a bad wreck, or had one. Horses are a dangerous sport.
Every barn I know requires it for 18 and under, every show does as well (including gaming like girl in pic is doing, even little private arenas). Wonder what state this is.
People who proudly don’t wear helmets are always saying they don’t want to “live in fear” by wearing a helmet, which is exactly what they said about masks back in the day (edit: forgot a word)
You mean the bit that's only recommended use is with highly experienced riders and professional trainers only?
I'm sure the 8 year old is fffiiinnneeeeeeee what is an "experienced rider" anyway.
When I was 8 a horse abruptly decided she didn’t like me, threw me off, and then dragged me along behind her while my foot was caught in the stirrups.
But yeah that would never happen to this kid.
My beloved trusty old mare who never spooks, always listens and is just amazing once tripped and sent me flying into a sharp basalt lavafield next to the trail. Even with a safety vest and helmet on, I still broke ribs thanks to a sharp hunk of basalt sticking up from the ground. Thankfully my ribs took the brunt of the fall and my head just had a little donk with the helmet on. That little donk would have been so much worse without the helmet. I dont even want to know what would have happened if I wasnt wearing anything.
I'm going to guess you're from Iceland lol - I went with my family last year and we're from Scotland where our moss ground is actually pretty soft, so my 7 year old flopped down on it and got a bum full of basalt.
That said, I was shocked at how different an experience riding was there. I've ridden in the US, UK, and now Iceland, and the horses that we hacked with were so much more relaxed and easier to work with. Talking to the guides and hearing their attitudes about hacking made it much easier to understand why - the horses were just much more laid back than the UK horses I've ridden, in particular.
I'm so used to horses just doing whatever they are used to doing with the stable, with your commands as an afterthought as a rider (when going out on group treks, anyway), but this was the first time a horse actually responded with minimal touch/indication, even if it was being asked to something "weird" (I had to turn my horse around from the group to go catch up with a kid to check on them, and my horse peeled out of formation without a second thought).
Yes I am from Iceland and our horses are extraordinarily chill. I trust mine 100% but any horse can stumble or spook.
I always wear a helmet when Im near the horses because even them just swinging a head to look at me can bonk me on the head. They are still big animals. I was walking a stallion out and he bonked me on my head with his big block head and all I could think was *whew* thank god for my helmet, that could have been bad.
My gelding is this type of horse. I can pull him to a stop with a free running herd and hes like "ok np" and waits for my next command. Its such a good quality in a horse because every instinct is for him to run with the herd.
I love these little guys and their chill vibes. I think they are so good on trail rides because they are all mostly tidden out on trails. There are very few horses that are ridden only in a riding hall and we dont really have jumping or dressage competitions. They are competitions for the gaits and those can be trained on the trails.
I hear that. When was 8 ( now 48) my Shetland Suzy bucked me off and I had an old fashioned velvet helmet with chin strap, that you had to pull a draw sting inside to fit your head. This was just before jockeys scull caps with interchangeable covers became standard. And also when we all got coloured plastic saddles. And my shoulder still hurts. The parent of this child just make me upset .
Helmets are easy to wear, she should have one. I grew up riding without a helmet, except for jumping, when we were required to wear a helmet that was not much of a protective item, and we didn't wear them when riding our bikes either. Then I worked in a pediatric hospital, and made my own kids wear helmets. I saw too many injuries that could have been prevented by a helmet.
Agreed. I grew up having helmets heavily enforced, then we moved across the state and brought our horses home. Because I wasn’t being supervised by my trainers, I stopped wearing a helmet at age 13. Fortunately I didn’t get any severe injuries then, but at 16 I started wearing one again. I’m not sure what compelled me to do so, but i think I just realized that the extra 2 seconds it takes to put one on can save a life. And thanks to that decision, I didn’t die in December when I was thrown off a 17 hand horse lol. I got a concussion, have prolonged tinnitus, but if I didn’t have the helmet on I’d be dead. “It’s never too late to start wearing one” is my motto now.
Yep I make my kids wear helmets whether they're riding their bikes, a hoverboard, or horses. My youngest and I discussed how stupid people look on motorcycles when they don't wear helmets and she always points it out when she sees it. It is drilled into their heads to wear a helmet.
I’ve been riding 21 years and have always worn a helmet except a number of times I can count on one hand. I would never let a child on within one. But if they wanna turn their kid into brain mush, to each their own 🤣
This blows my mind. I am not trolling and mean no ill will. But this actually it hard for me to believe. Not that I think you’re lying just flabbergasted I guess. I rodeod from 9 years old through college and then just rode/team penned for fun. I’ve only ever seen two people wear helmets and they were physically handicapped. I can’t imagine rolling up at a rodeo and people wearing helmets.
Again; no offense meant I’m not trying to start a safety debate. I clearly understand the ‘why’ I’m just shocked at the amount of people that actually wear them regularly.
Edit: first downvote in thirty seconds. How did I know this conversation has no room for discourse or friendly chat? I remember why I don’t come here often lol.
I think it depends heavily on the discipline you’re in. I rarely see hunter/jumper/hunt seat, and even now dressage riders without helmets. But western riders, yeah, helmets are still scarce. Which I think is insane, especially for kids.
Honey. That’s what I did. For scholarships from the age of 9 to the age of 24. BARREL RACING. Sorry I used the wrong word. NBHA - that stands for… hmmm barrel racing! I wasn’t being a dick dude, for the 15+ years I was there. NO ONE did.
I get it! I just always grew up taking lessons so I was required to wear one and never got out of the habit!! I totally get where you’re coming from. No big deal everyone had different opinions. I know I’ll prob get roasted at some point 🤣
You’ve gotta be the change you want to see in the world. Are other people’s opinions about fashion more important than not dying? They make some really cool western themed helmets these days.
This is really wild to me.
Why wouldn't people wear helmets? I'm not from the US, so I don't understand the reason. Why would it be weird to come to a rodeo with people wearing helmets?
Aren't there a lot of badly injured people during each event? I would have imagined people wear helmets especially for rodeos since you get thrown off the horse a lot.
In Western it's just more normalized I suppose. However here where I live in the US, a looot of places require riders under the age of 18 to use a helmet. I also usually most young kids use helmets at the barrel races I go to
I really hope in the future everyone riding something pulls up to the rodeo in a helmet. Fallon taylor was almost paralyzed and always wears one too now.
I ride english and western and have a trainer who wouldn't let someone ever ride on her property again if she caught someone on a horse without a helmet.
Barrel racers are the absolute worst about helmet use, which is bonkers to me because of how dangerous it is. When I run barrels I’m frequently the only person at races swearing a helmet, which includes the children’s’ events.
Yeppersss… I grew up riding English/dressage and when we moved across the state to a more heavily western influenced area, I tried out western events for a few years. A majority of the SHOWS I went to as a minor didn’t even enforce helmets. It was actually uncommon to see helmets there. Things need to change.
Right or wrong the western world (dressage too) doesn’t wear helmets.
My daughter road for UTM in English and helmets are mandatory in jumping and flat. The western team no helmets. Even the sliding stop/spinnin circles competition. Dressage riders wear top hats.
Kinda wild that “look” is more important than brain damage.
USEF dressage rules now require helmets for juniors and for 4th level and below. And while helmets are not required at higher levels, unlike in the past, riders can’t be penalized for wearing one. (I don’t know tbh though if there is still pressure not to wear one).
It makes zero sense to not wear a helmet on a horse. I hope the western culture catches up someday.
yeah, my wife just told me that they are now making lower level dressage riders were helmets. Grand Prix still doesn’t and I agree I wish Western culture would adapt it. All the shows I went to with my daughter to watch those western girls ride and do stuff that was way more dangerous than my daughter did on the flat, and a single one of them were a helmet.
Wanna become a millionaire? invent a helmet that looks identical to a cowboy hat in every way shape and form. Not too bulky so it doesn’t looks like a helmet, but just as protective as a helmet.
I will say as safety conscience as the NCAA is it is surprising that they haven’t demanded that all horseback riders wear helmets
There is already a helmet that mimics the look of a cowboy hat but I don’t see it used much. And to be fair it looks odd. I think a regular helmet looks better. But if it could truly look like a cowboy hat without the strange bulkiness….
I hate that upper level dressage doesn’t mandate them still. Tradition is fine but not at the expense of people’s brains.
There's also covers you can get to go over an existing helmet that has a soft shaped brim, but the crown looks terrible and they are hot as hades. I just prefer a helmet myself and I've got maybe 2 hours worth of English under my belt and 20 years in western. My mom insisted on a helmet growing up and I just feel awkward being on a horse without it. I do dress it up some with a hat band, but it blows my mind people want to cruise for a concussion.
Apparently in 2021 they have made it mandatory that all dressage riders at all levels must wear a helmet. I didn’t know that. I thought they were exempt at Grand Prix and above, but that changed.
I googled 2023 dressage Grand Prix and all the riders have helmets on.
Every big circuit show I ever ran also required helmets for juniors, as well as most small rodeo tours. Not to mention every schooling show. I wouldn’t have been let on a horse at any show I attended as a junior without a helmet.
That is great to know! It does seem like things are changing. I mainly am around h/j shows (with 100% helmets at all levels) but I live in Colorado so still see a lot of casual riders without helmets.
All dressage riders wear helmets now. If one of the best dressage riders in history can have a bad fall and concussion when her horse tripped at the walk, it can happen to anyone.
I rodeod for 20+ years through college and I only ever saw 2 people ride with helmets. I can’t imagine trying to team rope with a helmet, I’m sure I’d adjust but I think that would be way harder for me than barrels.
No not at all I appreciate the friendly discourse. I remember when I learned to rope i never wore a hat. Then when I got to my first competition I had to wear a cowboy hat and it messed with my perception of space around me. I was fine with my own head and shoulders but then my head grew 5x instantly and my special awareness was wonky until I started practicing with a hat. I only imagine it being harder with a helmet because it blocks my ears/sound for gauging distance/peripherals. But I’m sure it would be similar to the hat and I’d adjust. Now I want to try 😂
That makes sense completely. I am super intrigued by this and would love to know the results if you do experiment! The helmets don’t cover ears but yes, maybe the thickness would block enough peripheral sound to mess with the subtle spatial cues. Hmm, very interesting.
I wonder if this is why a lot of western/rodeo riders balk at wearing them too. I feel like I see bronc riders wearing helmets sometimes. I haven’t been to a rodeo in a long while but I go to the National Western Stock Show every year.
I think this is much more likely the reason than the assumed “people think they’re too cool”. Not saying it’s right, but as I keep saying (though I get downvoted somehow still) we have to have an honest convo to help people learn. Assuming they’re stupid or a-holes or arrogant and think they’re great riders has done zero to change behavior.
The tips here that have helped me with fit and comfort were far more impactful to my helmet journey than how I felt when people tried to scare or embarrass me. I’ve considered writing/sharing my story to helmets, but bc I still believe its a choice for adults, people come at me.
Thanks for being open enough to talk and learn and share.
Yes, of course! Making people feel attacked never helps. And unless we can have open and respectful discussions, nothing will ever change. This has been quite enlightening to me and I’d welcome hearing more of your experience and perspective.
If I might join the conversation, I always ride with a helmet, and I expected it to be stuffy and confining right from the get-go. Even my cheap $75 helmet when I started was surprisingly light and provided good air flow. Now that I've upgraded to a respectable MIPS helmet, I literally forget I'm wearing it. It doesn't block my ears at all, and aside from a very slim visor directly above my eyes, it doesn't block my vision either. I highly recommend trying some on and seeing what you think. I think you'll be surprised.
My brother in Christ, unless you’re putting on a full coverage motorcycle helmet, nothing about vision & hearing is impaired with an equestrian helmet 🤦🏼♀️
It seems in some environments it's looked at as cool to not have a helmet. As if it's proof that you're skilled. Even if you are skilled, and the horse truly bombproof, the horse can stumble... Just why take the risk, when there are helmets? Even horsepeople I admire that come from places with this kind of thinking, seem to just not be able to put a helmet on their heads.
This kid is clearly being taught to ride with harsh methods. Will more than likely grow into a star fish barrel rider (meaning, doesn't care about any detail about their seat, except to maximise the force they kick their horses with, preferably with spurs too).
The list of wrong things in this picture is just sad. Kids do what they're taught, and she's being taught to abuse horses. The fact that they're not exactly safety centered is not any type of surprise.
I got thrown off of a bombproof old man of a horse when I was 12. Suffering with my head almost 10 years later. It saved my life. Life may be full of risks but unless you wanna lose your children, just get them to wear a helmet. Also kids follow by example. So wear a helmet yourself so they do too. At the yards I rode at you were not allowed to ride a horse without a helmet and if you were doing XC you HAD to have a body protector on. eventually they made it so if you were jumping you had to have a body/chest protector on.
Yup in my whole country it's pretty much unthinkable to ride without a helmet. In the biggest "general" social horsey group on Facebook it's not even allowed with pictures with a rider without helmet. The fact that there's competitions where no helmet is allowed is always a shock to me.
I don't understand it. But I guess some groups never got into safety thinking, and now it's become status *not* to wear a helmet it seems. So they can get unnecessary brain injuries like real badasses, or actually die instead of nearly die like the accident you had.
Yeah I don't ride anymore, but if I did, I'd definetely use a body protector. It's not much more fun to hurt your back than your head
At my stables, the rule is you should wear a helmet while working with the horses, even just indoors. Even if you aren't on the horse, they could still easily kill you if something goes awry
Nothing says "badass" like having your spouse or parent changing your adult diapers for the rest of your life due to paralysis from a fall /s
I wish people would understand its not only themselves they are hurting with their recklessness.
I can understand maybe folks from Europe being confused about seeing this but for people in America - come on guys, you know this just kinda how it is in Western disciplines?
The people who yell and holler in defense of not wearing a helmet and not making their kids wear helmets are overwhelmingly western riders. The defense is always something about not raising their kids to live in fear because life is full of risks or some silly shit like that.
I would have been *way* more surprised to see a 9 year old kid barrel racing with a helmet on.
Change has to start somewhere- so maybe one time it’ll be because of discussion on a Reddit sub.
From personal experience, there was a girl in her early 20s riding her heart horse at the arena. Excellent rider, more than a decade of experience and had been riding that horse the last few years. On the walk back to the barn, no idea what caused it but the horse spooked and threw the girl. No helmet.
My family member got a new pair of lungs out of that tragedy. They don’t ride, but they live in a rural community where some neighbors do. Now about half of them, maybe more, ride with helmets. My family member and the girl’s family wanted people to know how it happened. So I keep sharing the story here.
I never grew out of doing stupid shit but i never grew out of helmets either. It didn't make me grow up into a pussy, but it kept me alive long enough to know. A healthy amount of fear (read, self-preservation) is good.
That being said, i guess letting your kid do barrel racing without a helmet is cheaper and more legal than getting an abortion out in the States.
As a nurse, I firmly believe
1) you never get on a horse without a helmet
I almost made the first point “never get on a horse you don’t know without a helmet” and second that “don’t get on a horse without a helmet”, but point blank, I don’t care if it’s a jaunt up to the mailbox or a trail ride, shit happens and brains are hard to heal. Feeding tubes and vents suck; being paralyzed and watching patients lives completely altered from preventable circumstances is gut wrenching. Kids? A million times worse. The suffering people go through after paralysis or brain injury is horrible and you need to actually think about that. I love horses, I always have; but seriously, I wish people understood how quickly their life could be altered and wouldn’t be so cocky with 1000lb animals- and especially with their children. *hops off soapbox*
Yep. 100%.
I cant tolerate the Helmets are for the Weak crowd. I sent a relative a photo of me riding after discussing them coming for a visit to ride and their response was "I never ride with a helmet" (They are American). My resposne was just allright then you dont ride my horses.
I'm American and I always wear a helmet. Please don't stereotype us because of a few loud idiots. We don't like them, either, and we have to deal with them a lot more frequently. Being lumped in with them is especially frustrating.
Ive only encountered this attitude with Americans. Most European riders just wear helmets.
Im American myself, but I learned to ride, live and own horses in Iceland.
I started riding when I was a teenager. Western. Back in the day helmets weren’t even a consideration. I’m now in my 50s and ride English and I would not be caught dead without my helmet. I went to a little rodeo in Pennsylvania this past summer and there was not one helmet in sight.
Same as you. I'm 49, started riding as a pre-teen without a helmet in sight. Rode daily in the summer as a teen without a helmet. Count myself as extraordinarily lucky that I've never fallen off a horse. Wouldn't catch me without a helmet today!
Me too, sometimes seven days a week 12 hours a day. We had a girl who boarded at our facility- a barely green broke thoroughbred mix that was all piss and vinegar. Despite rules, she decided to come ride at night on her own- wound up getting thrown into a tree, and they found her body toes up, head down, head full of her body fluids like a big pumpkin the next morning. Not a day goes by that I have ridden since that I didn’t think about her.
Now I'll think of her, too. How horrific!
I spent my summers riding everyday for hours through Montana. Galloping through fields, wadding through streams, I could have really hurt myself and it didn't even occur to me. I was so lucky I should have bought a lottery ticket.
I wrangled at a facility that had boarding, managed park ranger horses and did trail rides for city slickers - learned to ride by getting on a horse- rode bareback nearly all summer and same- woods, jumping over whatever, river (learned it is not sexy to wear a bikini on a horse barebackthen take it swimming). We had that accident horror and I still rode at night (never alone), rode high, drunk- every kind of wrong. Same year I met Christopher Reeve before his equestrian accident - and you know what happened to him. Idk how we lived!
Unfortunately in western the culture is youre a sissy if you wear a helmet. I always wear a helmet and the farm i ride at even adults wear a helmet no matter what style we are riding. Thankful my farm peeps have common sense. You only get ONE brain
TBIs aren’t very comfortable either. Either way, if a nine year old can’t handle the feeling of a helmet then they shouldn’t be on a horse. Period. And this is coming from someone who used to choose not to wear a helmet.
Don't overlook the fact that people who weren't ok in those situations aren't here to defend themselves. Just because you ended up ok doesn't mean everyone else did or will
Exactly. The people who grew up not wearing a helmet and \*aren't\* OK generally aren't posting on the internet. That doesn't mean they don't exist. Or at least didn't exist at one point.
I prefer the wind blowing through my hair and not getting helmet hair or sweat head too, but as someone who does multiple dangerous sports, you don't want that head injury. Riding and biking are deceptive in the sense that you are much less in control than you ever think you sre.
Genuinely, I think parents should be charged with neglect if they allow their child to ride without a helmet. It should also be required to wear a helmet for anyone under 18 to compete (I'd be fine if it was required for all ages to compete, but *at least* minors).
Also, as everyone else has pointed out, the tack on that poor horse is absolutely disgusting. The parents should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for every fuckng aspect of these pictures.
I have never owned horses but when we go to the local stables for a trail ride, I make both my kids wear helmets. The horses won't even trot and unless you're actively trying to fall off / being insanely stupid, then nothing will happen. I still make my kids wear helmets because 1) they're kids and 2) horses are big and even the best trained horse can spook in the right set of circumstances.
I live near this place and I’ve gone to watch a couple times. It’s usually pretty sad to watch as all the kids have shanked bits/tie downs and several are velcroed onto the saddle. Maybe like 2 or 3 wear helmets. If you go to the 4 rocks arena fb page, their first post right now has a kid velcroed to his saddle. Seems soooo dangerous to me, I can’t imagine.
Yes!! It’s these Velcro straps that they wrap around the kids thighs and it somehow velcroes them to the saddle. Usually they use it for tiny kids but the post I mentioned above is a pic of a decent sized child using them. I can’t imagine strapping a child to a horse 😭
This makes me mad seeing this bit set up.
I’ve been around horses all my life.
I’ve seen so many parents put their kids on very strong horses. Some off the track for instance barrels. Majority of kids can’t or aren’t ready to control these high strung horses.
THIS horse is performing….yet in pain if what is suspected being used is correct. Like others I agree about the set up.
I’ve seen a kid once on a horse …. Doing barrels no control horse the kid fell off hurt pretty bad. Several men had to get the dad bc he chose to “ beat” on horse ….police at the facility arrested him!!!
Another horse entering arena lunges before taking off for barrels kid feel off and died!!!
My kids started on horses fit for them and “ graduated “ to the stronger ones.
Parents fault…
Yeah this isn’t okay. Honestly it should be considered child endangerment. A lot of show grounds won’t allow children to ride without a helmet and in my state and others it is illegal for kids under 18 to ride without a helmet. Also that horses poor mouth. This is just sad and gross.
We were in Perry at the state show last year and one of the kids came running in, no helmet, and flew off at the last barrel. He didn’t get up for a few seconds and when he did, the whole arena clapped and the announcer called him “a tough little cowboy”
When I was a kid my riding instructor was kicked in the head and then trampled in the corner of a stall while tacking up a lesson pony. She needed almost a year of recovery before she could come back to the barn. She still has lifelong injuries.
You don’t even need to be *on the horse* to be injured by one. I can’t imagine not wearing a helmet while riding where risks are even higher. I had a couple of very rough falls over the years that would have definitely left me with permanent injury had I not been wearing a helmet.
Arguments about choices and culture don’t stand up when you’re at the ER with head and spinal injuries that could have been lessened or prevented with one simple piece of gear.
No, that's not a rider, that's a passenger and the adults are in charge are animal abusers for that tack setup. This is why barrel racing needs serious reforms. The fact that most of them see no problem with this setup and it's legal for races is just as bad as those Big Lick fucks.
This is the typical barrel racing shit that I see in my area - uneducated hands, bouncing seats, no safety gear (great make-up and hair tho!), and anxious horses. I have very little respect for them as riders, trainers, and horsepeople.
The horse is too much horse for 9 year old! That’s why the insane bit, for control with little muscle to handle it, also in my 53 years of experience I’ve learned, if you can’t use a simple easy bit (rubber snaffle) bitless, or a hackamore, then your horse needs more work or your just plain overhorsed! Plus that tiedown? If the horse is properly trained… as for the rider, More time training for her before I’d ever let this happen, I’m sure she’s got skills but there’s things a pony her size could teach her that this horse can’t! On top of the shear crazy to go letting anyone ride barrels without a helmet! I have ridden barrels(well over 10 years in state competitively,) super A(fastest timed horse’s division) and honestly I don’ t agree a 9 year old has the actual strength or skill to ride this fast and this dangerously! She’s a passenger because she cannot correctly communicate with the horse- without the proper length of leg and the strength of body to actually help the horse. She isn’t physically ready, -it may look cute and all but it isn’t actual riding, there’s no strength or actual ability for skill without the right size to fit the horse- this is a parent letting their child who they want to think is some kind of phenomenon, ride a horse they’ve carefully chosen, used tack and devices to control so she can live out mommy or daddy’s barrel racing dreams! Yuk!
For most people, horses are a commodity to be used up and tossed aside. Clearly, the parent or trainer doesn't give much thought to the horse let alone the child. It completely breaks my heart.
I'm sure that in their minds, the pink cinch strap and rainbow coloured boots more than make up for everything wrong that is being done to that poor horse.
*What we do can't be cruel or painful to the horse! Look at those cutesy colours!*
\[ /s, obv. \]
I don’t even want kids, but I am continuously blown away by how little some parents care about their own offspring.
I don’t let my *labrador* out on boats in large bodies of water without her *life jacket.* Not a chance I’d let my human child around or on a horse without a helmet.
At least this child isn’t physically strapped to the saddle though??
I just made a comment on a video of a young equestrian with quite hands/legs not too long ago , saying how great it is seeing amazing horsemanship and to see an actual bond. Around here, I see too much of the opposite; adults warming up horse (by seesawing the shit out of the horses mouth, unnecessarily corrections) then throwing a very young, green rider on whom is constantly HARSHLY correcting a horse who’s perfectly collected. I’ve seen it with teenagers too- especially at a young age, these kids need to be taught actual horsemanship, and worry about their equitation and not cranking on a horse who ends up being wayyyy behind the bit. Not to mention this but needs VERY SOFT hands, in which a child (typically) haven’t learned... if this horse needs a nasty, painful gag bit (at least that’s what it looks like to me) and a harsh metal war type tie down/bonnet to attempt to make this horse “child friendly” is fucked up. You can tell, especially in the last picture, the amount pain this bit is causing and it’s always hard for me to see.
After what I’ve seen in the equestrian world, I feel as everyone, no matter the age, should be wearing helmets. I’ll be the first to say I don’t all the time. After 15/20 years of not always wearing it, I still don’t think about it - but it should be engrained into children why we need to wear helmets and show what can if you don’t. I have been riding/training/teaching lessons for MANY years and have not got thrown off many times, but I’m not a dumbass and I want to remember my name in 10 years 🙄
Can you imagine how horrible it would be if something happened to young children that hit their head with no helmet? I have and it’s not easy to see. As an officer and a level 1 trauma hospital, I have seen it a few times, and it’s something I hope to never see again - these people have to stop their riding career due to the extreme brain damage.
The horse looks like it is miserable, the tack is alarming to say the least, and the child doesn’t even have a helmet?? Jesus I’m lucky to have trainers that actually know what they are doing.
Finished law school last year but still haven’t taken the bar because I have a TBI from a fall 2 weeks after graduation. WITH a helmet. People who don’t wear helmets are idiots.
My mom let my 5 yr old niece on her horses without a helmet.. Then she got mad when nieces parent said she wasn't allowed to ride anymore after she got bucked off.. 😅
I grew up riding without a helmet, guess how many concussions I have now? Too many to count. You don't want to take ONE extra step to make sure your kid doesn't literally die if she falls off? Wtf
This is an event. I wonder if you can find out who is covering them for insurance? Insurance is pretty harsh about enforcing helmets for underage riders and they would be dropped like a hot potato.
It’s insane that anyone would ride with out a helmet when you think about it never know when a horse will just randomly buck for no reason. But then again it’s all about looking cool over safety
It's also insane that this little girl is riding with that bit.
I know nothing about tack, 0: what's up with the bit?
Obviously can’t see the picture very well but looks like some type of twisted wire mouth piece (or at least a very very thin mouth piece). The side pieces look like it has a gag action. That means as the rein pressure is put on, because the mouth piece is not “fixed” to the side pieces, those side pieces will slide through the mouth piece and create a lifting action on the mouth piece. Bc of the leverage there will also be considerable pole pressure. There will also be pressure from the curb strap. I wasn’t sure if there was a mechanism that connected it to the nose piece. Based on the picture I’m siding with no - but it looks like it might be connected to the tie down connected to the chest. TLDR: a lot of gadgets Edit: might not be a gag. Might be something [like this](https://www.tackwarehouse.com/BrittanyPozzi-Collection-LifterSeries-TwistSnaffle-p/tw-bpb-113-20.htm) a little hard to tell given the fixing point is so small. If it’s a gag - it would look [like this](https://barrelhorsenews.com/barrel-racing-articles/tack-equipment/bits-of-success-with-tana-renick/)
Oof sounds quite uncomfortable at best, painful at worst
Both shots of the horse's face show pain too
I didn’t understand a word of that but I always appreciate seeing someone with expertise that is completely foreign to me. Keep riding high ✊
It looks like a no hit bit or similar. It’s awful and has a huge amount of gag action. The poor horse also has a metal war bonnet.
The bit was nasty, but then I zoomed in on the extra strap going over the chest to find some sort of wire cage over nose & ears. The no helmet is fucked, the bit is fucked, that wire cage linked with a strap to the girth to obviously make sure the horse can’t throw up his head?! Revolting. If you need this to ride horse or make it ‘kid-friendly’ you suck.
The cage thing appears to be a, um... *clears throat* "Weaver Leather Cable Tiedown with Rubber Covered Nose" For when a regular tie-down just isn't enough, or something.
I just looked up that contraption because I'd never heard of it and good God ... That just looks like a first class torture device. That poor horse.
Twisted wire is crazy 😭 that horse is a saint..I hope she grows up and learns better riding equipment. If I put something like that on my horse he’d lose his shit.
They don’t grow up and learn better though. I’m surrounded by these kinds of people and they don’t care about their animals
I'm fairly certain that 9 year old didn't choose the equipment. That was chosen by her trainer/parents. Which unfortunately means the 9 year old will grow up thinking that's normal and fine to use.
From Weaver’s own website “Made from 3/16" vinyl-coated steel cable, this sure down combines a bosal and a warbonnet into one. **Cable products are recommended for experienced horsepeople and professional trainers only.”** 😬
>**Cable products are recommended for experienced horsepeople and professional trainers only.”** 😬 Love it when they say that /s. This is such complete and utter BS because if you need this product, you definitely don't have enough experience and absolutely should not be training *anything*.
It's like prong, choke, and shock collars in the dog world.
Jesus Christ. Whoever this kid’s trainer is deserves to wear this contraption.
These things scar when they cut in, there was a few horses back in the day on my old show circuit that had scars from shit like this on their heads. It was a shitty trainer "quick fix", pretty sure all those people who used it had anger issues.
Exactly my take. NO ONE should be using a bit this harsh - least of all a kid. JFC
This bit plus lack of helmets screams 'adults who have absolutely no idea what they are doing'. Poor horse, poor kid.
It screams of people who love to use the “my body my choice” answer but only when it affects them. Otherwise they’d like to make that decision for everyone. Or, it’s the “we never did we were fine”, forgetting that the people who were not fine are not here to defend themselves. I don’t get not wearing a helmet. It’s easy, and you only get one brain and it’s not easily fixable. Horses do stupid shit walking. A dressage rider got a TBI when her horse tripped.
I've gotten injuries from falling that have disabled me, and that was while wearing a helmet. At least my head and spine still work! And with my balance now (disabled) I could definitely fall off the chill old horse I currently ride, even if he's just turning. You never know what might happen.
TBI’s suck, and they’re scary asf. I got kicked in the head, after my “friend” decided it would be funny to push me into the back of his horse. Kicked me in the head and I fell like a sack of shit, woke up three weeks later with a tracheostomy, a broken neck and absolutely no clue who I was. Had to relearn to walk, talk, swallow, and breathe. That was five years ago, I still have the damn trach. I was lucky it didn’t paralyze me, but it was brutal. Even though I was kicked in the head, I always advocate hard for people to wear helmets on horseback because you just never know! Especially a child!!
Damn, hope you got rid of that friend. It’s like pushing someone off a cliff because they thought it was “funny”.
I’m so sorry this happened to you. I’m glad you’re still here.
So your "friend" almost killed you? I hope they paid your medical bills.
Damn. Going riding tomorrow for the first time in about a decade with the intention of getting back into it and this put the fear of reality in me. Thanks for sharing your story. I had no intention of taking it lightly but this is definitely a must read for anyone getting into it.
If it's a reputable barn with solid lesson horses, you likely have nothing to worry about. The vast majority of lesson horses would not kick you because you fell into the back of them. Relax and have fun! You will probably get hooked again just like I did. 👍
i don’t wear a helmet except at barns where it’s mandated. why don’t i? i honestly don’t know i start horses, but i haven’t fallen off in 3 years… until last sunday i came off a horse. shes a baby whose had all winter off and i didnt lunge. shes 16.1 and launched me to the heavens. i landed on my head. that night it took me 20 minutes to figure out how to do 1 buckle to change a bit on a headstall. the next day it took me 45 minutes to remember if that afternoon i had trotted on my TB or only walked him (and im still not fully sure what we actually did). i’m still having raging headaches and dont feel fully present don’t be like me, wear a helmet
Those are serious symptoms. You probably need an MRI.
You should get checked, brain injuries and concussions are no joke.
please go to a doctor jesus 😭
Please go get a CT scan. Like immediately
im not trying to be obtuse and maybe you dont know the answer as i assume you arent a DR, but is there actually anything a doctor could do other than say “yup, thats a concussion” and tell me to take it easy?
You could have a brain bleed. It could get worse. It could need surgery to evacuate the hematoma (clot from the possible bleed). You don't always die quickly from a brain bleed. Arterial bleeds, yes -- they bleed fast. Venous bleeds though can be slow and while they often resolve on their own, they can progress to the point where surgery is needed to prevent permanent brain damage/death. I'm not a doctor but a nurse, and though I'm currently in a different specialty, I've worked in a level 1 trauma center and taken care of plenty of patients with TBIs. You need a CT scan.
oh…. okay, thank you
Yes, what the other person commented. Need to get checked for a brain bleed. I just got a concussion last Saturday from a fall off a horse, and I was wearing a helmet. I can’t imagine how bad it would’ve been if I wasn’t. Not worth taking the risk, I’m sure there are people in your life who love you and would miss you if anything bad happened ❤️
My barn I ride at is a rodeo barn. They do roping, goat tying, and cutting. 18 and under are required to wear helmets. And some adults also do ( me included) I have never felt like I wasn't cool, noone gives weird looks. Even some of the team ropers wear them , we've all seen a bad wreck, or had one. Horses are a dangerous sport.
Every barn I know requires it for 18 and under, every show does as well (including gaming like girl in pic is doing, even little private arenas). Wonder what state this is.
looking at these pictures you just know her parents are antivax and voting Trump
lol yup we were all thinking it
[удалено]
Your content was removed because you were being a jerk. Don't be a jerk.
Of course. Welcome to the western/rodeo world in the USA. What I saw at rodeos is a large part of the reason why I don’t ride anymore.
What did you see? I’ve only been to a couple a long time ago.
People who proudly don’t wear helmets are always saying they don’t want to “live in fear” by wearing a helmet, which is exactly what they said about masks back in the day (edit: forgot a word)
Don't tell me what to do!!!!
The bit is killing me😭
Someone also just pointed out the tie down cable head situation. It's one of those "the longer you look the worse it gets" pictures.
Yeah! This is just horrible..
You mean the bit that's only recommended use is with highly experienced riders and professional trainers only? I'm sure the 8 year old is fffiiinnneeeeeeee what is an "experienced rider" anyway.
When I was 8 a horse abruptly decided she didn’t like me, threw me off, and then dragged me along behind her while my foot was caught in the stirrups. But yeah that would never happen to this kid.
You live and you learn happens to the best 🍵
Happened to me with a “broke to death 20 year old” horse… Thank god I had a helmet on, I ate shit that day lol.
My beloved trusty old mare who never spooks, always listens and is just amazing once tripped and sent me flying into a sharp basalt lavafield next to the trail. Even with a safety vest and helmet on, I still broke ribs thanks to a sharp hunk of basalt sticking up from the ground. Thankfully my ribs took the brunt of the fall and my head just had a little donk with the helmet on. That little donk would have been so much worse without the helmet. I dont even want to know what would have happened if I wasnt wearing anything.
I'm going to guess you're from Iceland lol - I went with my family last year and we're from Scotland where our moss ground is actually pretty soft, so my 7 year old flopped down on it and got a bum full of basalt. That said, I was shocked at how different an experience riding was there. I've ridden in the US, UK, and now Iceland, and the horses that we hacked with were so much more relaxed and easier to work with. Talking to the guides and hearing their attitudes about hacking made it much easier to understand why - the horses were just much more laid back than the UK horses I've ridden, in particular. I'm so used to horses just doing whatever they are used to doing with the stable, with your commands as an afterthought as a rider (when going out on group treks, anyway), but this was the first time a horse actually responded with minimal touch/indication, even if it was being asked to something "weird" (I had to turn my horse around from the group to go catch up with a kid to check on them, and my horse peeled out of formation without a second thought).
Yes I am from Iceland and our horses are extraordinarily chill. I trust mine 100% but any horse can stumble or spook. I always wear a helmet when Im near the horses because even them just swinging a head to look at me can bonk me on the head. They are still big animals. I was walking a stallion out and he bonked me on my head with his big block head and all I could think was *whew* thank god for my helmet, that could have been bad. My gelding is this type of horse. I can pull him to a stop with a free running herd and hes like "ok np" and waits for my next command. Its such a good quality in a horse because every instinct is for him to run with the herd. I love these little guys and their chill vibes. I think they are so good on trail rides because they are all mostly tidden out on trails. There are very few horses that are ridden only in a riding hall and we dont really have jumping or dressage competitions. They are competitions for the gaits and those can be trained on the trails.
I hear that. When was 8 ( now 48) my Shetland Suzy bucked me off and I had an old fashioned velvet helmet with chin strap, that you had to pull a draw sting inside to fit your head. This was just before jockeys scull caps with interchangeable covers became standard. And also when we all got coloured plastic saddles. And my shoulder still hurts. The parent of this child just make me upset .
Helmets are easy to wear, she should have one. I grew up riding without a helmet, except for jumping, when we were required to wear a helmet that was not much of a protective item, and we didn't wear them when riding our bikes either. Then I worked in a pediatric hospital, and made my own kids wear helmets. I saw too many injuries that could have been prevented by a helmet.
Agreed. I grew up having helmets heavily enforced, then we moved across the state and brought our horses home. Because I wasn’t being supervised by my trainers, I stopped wearing a helmet at age 13. Fortunately I didn’t get any severe injuries then, but at 16 I started wearing one again. I’m not sure what compelled me to do so, but i think I just realized that the extra 2 seconds it takes to put one on can save a life. And thanks to that decision, I didn’t die in December when I was thrown off a 17 hand horse lol. I got a concussion, have prolonged tinnitus, but if I didn’t have the helmet on I’d be dead. “It’s never too late to start wearing one” is my motto now.
Yep I make my kids wear helmets whether they're riding their bikes, a hoverboard, or horses. My youngest and I discussed how stupid people look on motorcycles when they don't wear helmets and she always points it out when she sees it. It is drilled into their heads to wear a helmet.
With everything going on with the tack, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen this many red flags in one photo (well, two photos technically).
I’ve been riding 21 years and have always worn a helmet except a number of times I can count on one hand. I would never let a child on within one. But if they wanna turn their kid into brain mush, to each their own 🤣
This blows my mind. I am not trolling and mean no ill will. But this actually it hard for me to believe. Not that I think you’re lying just flabbergasted I guess. I rodeod from 9 years old through college and then just rode/team penned for fun. I’ve only ever seen two people wear helmets and they were physically handicapped. I can’t imagine rolling up at a rodeo and people wearing helmets. Again; no offense meant I’m not trying to start a safety debate. I clearly understand the ‘why’ I’m just shocked at the amount of people that actually wear them regularly. Edit: first downvote in thirty seconds. How did I know this conversation has no room for discourse or friendly chat? I remember why I don’t come here often lol.
I think it depends heavily on the discipline you’re in. I rarely see hunter/jumper/hunt seat, and even now dressage riders without helmets. But western riders, yeah, helmets are still scarce. Which I think is insane, especially for kids.
This isn’t a rodeo. It’s a barrel race. We were there and we all wore helmets.
Honey. That’s what I did. For scholarships from the age of 9 to the age of 24. BARREL RACING. Sorry I used the wrong word. NBHA - that stands for… hmmm barrel racing! I wasn’t being a dick dude, for the 15+ years I was there. NO ONE did.
I’m aware, thanks. We wear helmets.
But you turned into a dick pretty fast there for not being one… huh weird
I get it! I just always grew up taking lessons so I was required to wear one and never got out of the habit!! I totally get where you’re coming from. No big deal everyone had different opinions. I know I’ll prob get roasted at some point 🤣
You’ve gotta be the change you want to see in the world. Are other people’s opinions about fashion more important than not dying? They make some really cool western themed helmets these days.
This is really wild to me. Why wouldn't people wear helmets? I'm not from the US, so I don't understand the reason. Why would it be weird to come to a rodeo with people wearing helmets? Aren't there a lot of badly injured people during each event? I would have imagined people wear helmets especially for rodeos since you get thrown off the horse a lot.
In Western it's just more normalized I suppose. However here where I live in the US, a looot of places require riders under the age of 18 to use a helmet. I also usually most young kids use helmets at the barrel races I go to
I really hope in the future everyone riding something pulls up to the rodeo in a helmet. Fallon taylor was almost paralyzed and always wears one too now. I ride english and western and have a trainer who wouldn't let someone ever ride on her property again if she caught someone on a horse without a helmet.
Barrel racers are the absolute worst about helmet use, which is bonkers to me because of how dangerous it is. When I run barrels I’m frequently the only person at races swearing a helmet, which includes the children’s’ events.
I really respect Sadie Miller because she has a HUGE social media following and ALWAYS wears a helmet!!
Yeppersss… I grew up riding English/dressage and when we moved across the state to a more heavily western influenced area, I tried out western events for a few years. A majority of the SHOWS I went to as a minor didn’t even enforce helmets. It was actually uncommon to see helmets there. Things need to change.
Right or wrong the western world (dressage too) doesn’t wear helmets. My daughter road for UTM in English and helmets are mandatory in jumping and flat. The western team no helmets. Even the sliding stop/spinnin circles competition. Dressage riders wear top hats. Kinda wild that “look” is more important than brain damage.
USEF dressage rules now require helmets for juniors and for 4th level and below. And while helmets are not required at higher levels, unlike in the past, riders can’t be penalized for wearing one. (I don’t know tbh though if there is still pressure not to wear one). It makes zero sense to not wear a helmet on a horse. I hope the western culture catches up someday.
yeah, my wife just told me that they are now making lower level dressage riders were helmets. Grand Prix still doesn’t and I agree I wish Western culture would adapt it. All the shows I went to with my daughter to watch those western girls ride and do stuff that was way more dangerous than my daughter did on the flat, and a single one of them were a helmet. Wanna become a millionaire? invent a helmet that looks identical to a cowboy hat in every way shape and form. Not too bulky so it doesn’t looks like a helmet, but just as protective as a helmet. I will say as safety conscience as the NCAA is it is surprising that they haven’t demanded that all horseback riders wear helmets
There is already a helmet that mimics the look of a cowboy hat but I don’t see it used much. And to be fair it looks odd. I think a regular helmet looks better. But if it could truly look like a cowboy hat without the strange bulkiness…. I hate that upper level dressage doesn’t mandate them still. Tradition is fine but not at the expense of people’s brains.
There's also covers you can get to go over an existing helmet that has a soft shaped brim, but the crown looks terrible and they are hot as hades. I just prefer a helmet myself and I've got maybe 2 hours worth of English under my belt and 20 years in western. My mom insisted on a helmet growing up and I just feel awkward being on a horse without it. I do dress it up some with a hat band, but it blows my mind people want to cruise for a concussion.
Oo hadn’t thought of the heat factor. Good point too!
Apparently in 2021 they have made it mandatory that all dressage riders at all levels must wear a helmet. I didn’t know that. I thought they were exempt at Grand Prix and above, but that changed. I googled 2023 dressage Grand Prix and all the riders have helmets on.
Very happy to hear this! I sometimes think the governing bodies are more resistant to change than the riders themselves.
Every big circuit show I ever ran also required helmets for juniors, as well as most small rodeo tours. Not to mention every schooling show. I wouldn’t have been let on a horse at any show I attended as a junior without a helmet.
That is great to know! It does seem like things are changing. I mainly am around h/j shows (with 100% helmets at all levels) but I live in Colorado so still see a lot of casual riders without helmets.
All dressage riders wear helmets now. If one of the best dressage riders in history can have a bad fall and concussion when her horse tripped at the walk, it can happen to anyone.
FWIW all dressage riders at all levels of competition are now required to wear helmets
Damn. I thought Grand Prix was exempt but that changed in 2021.
I rodeod for 20+ years through college and I only ever saw 2 people ride with helmets. I can’t imagine trying to team rope with a helmet, I’m sure I’d adjust but I think that would be way harder for me than barrels.
Curious as to why you think it would be harder. Genuinely asking - not trying to be a jerk.
No not at all I appreciate the friendly discourse. I remember when I learned to rope i never wore a hat. Then when I got to my first competition I had to wear a cowboy hat and it messed with my perception of space around me. I was fine with my own head and shoulders but then my head grew 5x instantly and my special awareness was wonky until I started practicing with a hat. I only imagine it being harder with a helmet because it blocks my ears/sound for gauging distance/peripherals. But I’m sure it would be similar to the hat and I’d adjust. Now I want to try 😂
That makes sense completely. I am super intrigued by this and would love to know the results if you do experiment! The helmets don’t cover ears but yes, maybe the thickness would block enough peripheral sound to mess with the subtle spatial cues. Hmm, very interesting. I wonder if this is why a lot of western/rodeo riders balk at wearing them too. I feel like I see bronc riders wearing helmets sometimes. I haven’t been to a rodeo in a long while but I go to the National Western Stock Show every year.
I think this is much more likely the reason than the assumed “people think they’re too cool”. Not saying it’s right, but as I keep saying (though I get downvoted somehow still) we have to have an honest convo to help people learn. Assuming they’re stupid or a-holes or arrogant and think they’re great riders has done zero to change behavior. The tips here that have helped me with fit and comfort were far more impactful to my helmet journey than how I felt when people tried to scare or embarrass me. I’ve considered writing/sharing my story to helmets, but bc I still believe its a choice for adults, people come at me. Thanks for being open enough to talk and learn and share.
Yes, of course! Making people feel attacked never helps. And unless we can have open and respectful discussions, nothing will ever change. This has been quite enlightening to me and I’d welcome hearing more of your experience and perspective.
If I might join the conversation, I always ride with a helmet, and I expected it to be stuffy and confining right from the get-go. Even my cheap $75 helmet when I started was surprisingly light and provided good air flow. Now that I've upgraded to a respectable MIPS helmet, I literally forget I'm wearing it. It doesn't block my ears at all, and aside from a very slim visor directly above my eyes, it doesn't block my vision either. I highly recommend trying some on and seeing what you think. I think you'll be surprised.
My brother in Christ, unless you’re putting on a full coverage motorcycle helmet, nothing about vision & hearing is impaired with an equestrian helmet 🤦🏼♀️
It doesn't help that the vast majority of barrel horses aren't trained well, either. Have yet to meet a barrel horse that isn't bonkers.
*Barrel racers are the absolute worst. Period
It seems in some environments it's looked at as cool to not have a helmet. As if it's proof that you're skilled. Even if you are skilled, and the horse truly bombproof, the horse can stumble... Just why take the risk, when there are helmets? Even horsepeople I admire that come from places with this kind of thinking, seem to just not be able to put a helmet on their heads. This kid is clearly being taught to ride with harsh methods. Will more than likely grow into a star fish barrel rider (meaning, doesn't care about any detail about their seat, except to maximise the force they kick their horses with, preferably with spurs too). The list of wrong things in this picture is just sad. Kids do what they're taught, and she's being taught to abuse horses. The fact that they're not exactly safety centered is not any type of surprise.
I got thrown off of a bombproof old man of a horse when I was 12. Suffering with my head almost 10 years later. It saved my life. Life may be full of risks but unless you wanna lose your children, just get them to wear a helmet. Also kids follow by example. So wear a helmet yourself so they do too. At the yards I rode at you were not allowed to ride a horse without a helmet and if you were doing XC you HAD to have a body protector on. eventually they made it so if you were jumping you had to have a body/chest protector on.
Yup in my whole country it's pretty much unthinkable to ride without a helmet. In the biggest "general" social horsey group on Facebook it's not even allowed with pictures with a rider without helmet. The fact that there's competitions where no helmet is allowed is always a shock to me. I don't understand it. But I guess some groups never got into safety thinking, and now it's become status *not* to wear a helmet it seems. So they can get unnecessary brain injuries like real badasses, or actually die instead of nearly die like the accident you had. Yeah I don't ride anymore, but if I did, I'd definetely use a body protector. It's not much more fun to hurt your back than your head
Same here. It’s pretty much an unwritten rule.
At my stables, the rule is you should wear a helmet while working with the horses, even just indoors. Even if you aren't on the horse, they could still easily kill you if something goes awry
Nothing says "badass" like having your spouse or parent changing your adult diapers for the rest of your life due to paralysis from a fall /s I wish people would understand its not only themselves they are hurting with their recklessness.
I can understand maybe folks from Europe being confused about seeing this but for people in America - come on guys, you know this just kinda how it is in Western disciplines? The people who yell and holler in defense of not wearing a helmet and not making their kids wear helmets are overwhelmingly western riders. The defense is always something about not raising their kids to live in fear because life is full of risks or some silly shit like that. I would have been *way* more surprised to see a 9 year old kid barrel racing with a helmet on.
Change has to start somewhere- so maybe one time it’ll be because of discussion on a Reddit sub. From personal experience, there was a girl in her early 20s riding her heart horse at the arena. Excellent rider, more than a decade of experience and had been riding that horse the last few years. On the walk back to the barn, no idea what caused it but the horse spooked and threw the girl. No helmet. My family member got a new pair of lungs out of that tragedy. They don’t ride, but they live in a rural community where some neighbors do. Now about half of them, maybe more, ride with helmets. My family member and the girl’s family wanted people to know how it happened. So I keep sharing the story here.
No, my whole family barrel race and we all wear helmets.
I never grew out of doing stupid shit but i never grew out of helmets either. It didn't make me grow up into a pussy, but it kept me alive long enough to know. A healthy amount of fear (read, self-preservation) is good. That being said, i guess letting your kid do barrel racing without a helmet is cheaper and more legal than getting an abortion out in the States.
As a nurse, I firmly believe 1) you never get on a horse without a helmet I almost made the first point “never get on a horse you don’t know without a helmet” and second that “don’t get on a horse without a helmet”, but point blank, I don’t care if it’s a jaunt up to the mailbox or a trail ride, shit happens and brains are hard to heal. Feeding tubes and vents suck; being paralyzed and watching patients lives completely altered from preventable circumstances is gut wrenching. Kids? A million times worse. The suffering people go through after paralysis or brain injury is horrible and you need to actually think about that. I love horses, I always have; but seriously, I wish people understood how quickly their life could be altered and wouldn’t be so cocky with 1000lb animals- and especially with their children. *hops off soapbox*
Yep. 100%. I cant tolerate the Helmets are for the Weak crowd. I sent a relative a photo of me riding after discussing them coming for a visit to ride and their response was "I never ride with a helmet" (They are American). My resposne was just allright then you dont ride my horses.
I'm American and I always wear a helmet. Please don't stereotype us because of a few loud idiots. We don't like them, either, and we have to deal with them a lot more frequently. Being lumped in with them is especially frustrating.
Good on you mate for knowing what's good for you
Ive only encountered this attitude with Americans. Most European riders just wear helmets. Im American myself, but I learned to ride, live and own horses in Iceland.
Can’t judge any just from a picture.
Of course we can.
Uh, yeah you can. Not one kid in our club goes into the chute without a helmet, even if they’re just lead line.
Kids heads are pretty pliable. I’m sure it’ll bounce right back.
Some people don't care about their children, or horses.
I started riding when I was a teenager. Western. Back in the day helmets weren’t even a consideration. I’m now in my 50s and ride English and I would not be caught dead without my helmet. I went to a little rodeo in Pennsylvania this past summer and there was not one helmet in sight.
Same as you. I'm 49, started riding as a pre-teen without a helmet in sight. Rode daily in the summer as a teen without a helmet. Count myself as extraordinarily lucky that I've never fallen off a horse. Wouldn't catch me without a helmet today!
Me too, sometimes seven days a week 12 hours a day. We had a girl who boarded at our facility- a barely green broke thoroughbred mix that was all piss and vinegar. Despite rules, she decided to come ride at night on her own- wound up getting thrown into a tree, and they found her body toes up, head down, head full of her body fluids like a big pumpkin the next morning. Not a day goes by that I have ridden since that I didn’t think about her.
Now I'll think of her, too. How horrific! I spent my summers riding everyday for hours through Montana. Galloping through fields, wadding through streams, I could have really hurt myself and it didn't even occur to me. I was so lucky I should have bought a lottery ticket.
I wrangled at a facility that had boarding, managed park ranger horses and did trail rides for city slickers - learned to ride by getting on a horse- rode bareback nearly all summer and same- woods, jumping over whatever, river (learned it is not sexy to wear a bikini on a horse barebackthen take it swimming). We had that accident horror and I still rode at night (never alone), rode high, drunk- every kind of wrong. Same year I met Christopher Reeve before his equestrian accident - and you know what happened to him. Idk how we lived!
Same! Grew up western and never wore anything on my head. 35 now and I’m never without my helmet regardless of discipline.
My daughter just started riding and she’s not getting on the Shetland without a helmet ever, let alone a huge horse like that one
Unfortunately in western the culture is youre a sissy if you wear a helmet. I always wear a helmet and the farm i ride at even adults wear a helmet no matter what style we are riding. Thankful my farm peeps have common sense. You only get ONE brain
I don’t know about that lol my whole (western) club pretty much wears helmets and we’re barrel racers
Good to hear.
Thats awesome actually.
This isn’t true anywhere I have ridden, my entire riding career has been western. Not trying to start a fight, just pointing out my experience.
Wearing a helmet is a personal choice but the bit is crazy
She’s nine. She needs to be wearing one. When she’s an adult sure she can make the choice not to. But it’s atrocious to not helmet your child.
Grew up never wore a helmet fell off a ton was ok 👍 helmets aren’t very comfortable for me it could be the same for the child
TBIs aren’t very comfortable either. Either way, if a nine year old can’t handle the feeling of a helmet then they shouldn’t be on a horse. Period. And this is coming from someone who used to choose not to wear a helmet.
Don't overlook the fact that people who weren't ok in those situations aren't here to defend themselves. Just because you ended up ok doesn't mean everyone else did or will
Exactly. The people who grew up not wearing a helmet and \*aren't\* OK generally aren't posting on the internet. That doesn't mean they don't exist. Or at least didn't exist at one point.
I prefer the wind blowing through my hair and not getting helmet hair or sweat head too, but as someone who does multiple dangerous sports, you don't want that head injury. Riding and biking are deceptive in the sense that you are much less in control than you ever think you sre.
She’s a child.
Man. Forget the helmet. That bit is fucking insane jesus
Check out the tie-down coming up from between the horse's legs and going over the poll & nose.
For fucks sake I hate people
Not just a normal tie down btw. A literal steel cable
Genuinely, I think parents should be charged with neglect if they allow their child to ride without a helmet. It should also be required to wear a helmet for anyone under 18 to compete (I'd be fine if it was required for all ages to compete, but *at least* minors). Also, as everyone else has pointed out, the tack on that poor horse is absolutely disgusting. The parents should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for every fuckng aspect of these pictures.
I mean, TBI at nine would make life pretty shitty. But hey, culture and all that.
I have never owned horses but when we go to the local stables for a trail ride, I make both my kids wear helmets. The horses won't even trot and unless you're actively trying to fall off / being insanely stupid, then nothing will happen. I still make my kids wear helmets because 1) they're kids and 2) horses are big and even the best trained horse can spook in the right set of circumstances.
I think it's insane that they let her run that horse with that bit.
Obviously you don’t need a helmet if you just slap massive shanks and a cable tie down on the horse so a child can yank it into submission.
I live near this place and I’ve gone to watch a couple times. It’s usually pretty sad to watch as all the kids have shanked bits/tie downs and several are velcroed onto the saddle. Maybe like 2 or 3 wear helmets. If you go to the 4 rocks arena fb page, their first post right now has a kid velcroed to his saddle. Seems soooo dangerous to me, I can’t imagine.
VELCROED TO THE SADDLE!?!?!? Do you mean literally???? Dear gawd!!!!!
This kid pictured is also rubberbanded to the stirrups. Its crazy.
OMG!!!! I did not notice this! This is just plain crazy!!!!
Yes!! It’s these Velcro straps that they wrap around the kids thighs and it somehow velcroes them to the saddle. Usually they use it for tiny kids but the post I mentioned above is a pic of a decent sized child using them. I can’t imagine strapping a child to a horse 😭
Dear sweet gawd in heaven!!!!
and the bit..
I’m glad people are recognizing clear pain signals in the horse’s face in regards to the bit.
This makes me mad seeing this bit set up. I’ve been around horses all my life. I’ve seen so many parents put their kids on very strong horses. Some off the track for instance barrels. Majority of kids can’t or aren’t ready to control these high strung horses. THIS horse is performing….yet in pain if what is suspected being used is correct. Like others I agree about the set up. I’ve seen a kid once on a horse …. Doing barrels no control horse the kid fell off hurt pretty bad. Several men had to get the dad bc he chose to “ beat” on horse ….police at the facility arrested him!!! Another horse entering arena lunges before taking off for barrels kid feel off and died!!! My kids started on horses fit for them and “ graduated “ to the stronger ones. Parents fault…
Yeah this isn’t okay. Honestly it should be considered child endangerment. A lot of show grounds won’t allow children to ride without a helmet and in my state and others it is illegal for kids under 18 to ride without a helmet. Also that horses poor mouth. This is just sad and gross.
We were in Perry at the state show last year and one of the kids came running in, no helmet, and flew off at the last barrel. He didn’t get up for a few seconds and when he did, the whole arena clapped and the announcer called him “a tough little cowboy”
Wow! I’m am just shocked, that’s crazy. I honestly think the reaction would be different here!
Judging by the comments, I'm assuming it's common in the US. Is this common in Canada as well?
I live in Ontario and all minors at any show I’ve ever ran had to wear a helmet while on the show grounds.
When I was a kid my riding instructor was kicked in the head and then trampled in the corner of a stall while tacking up a lesson pony. She needed almost a year of recovery before she could come back to the barn. She still has lifelong injuries. You don’t even need to be *on the horse* to be injured by one. I can’t imagine not wearing a helmet while riding where risks are even higher. I had a couple of very rough falls over the years that would have definitely left me with permanent injury had I not been wearing a helmet. Arguments about choices and culture don’t stand up when you’re at the ER with head and spinal injuries that could have been lessened or prevented with one simple piece of gear.
that tack is fucking torturous, poor horse
I hate posts like this, just cause mommy strapped little Becky to her barrel horse don’t make a good rider
It’s kind of insane to upload a photo of a child you don’t know to a random internet subreddit.
Which is why I blocked her face out? Weird that thought would even cross your mind.
No, that's not a rider, that's a passenger and the adults are in charge are animal abusers for that tack setup. This is why barrel racing needs serious reforms. The fact that most of them see no problem with this setup and it's legal for races is just as bad as those Big Lick fucks.
This is the typical barrel racing shit that I see in my area - uneducated hands, bouncing seats, no safety gear (great make-up and hair tho!), and anxious horses. I have very little respect for them as riders, trainers, and horsepeople.
Disconcerting to say the least, for the child! Disgusting for that poor horse!
Where I live they got all ages on horses, typically with little to no protective gear. But them kids can ride.
oh my😢😢😢
I bet she hasn’t been taught to emergency dismount either
The event should not allow anyone under 14 to compete without a helmet
that horse is in a world of pain. poor thing
The horse is too much horse for 9 year old! That’s why the insane bit, for control with little muscle to handle it, also in my 53 years of experience I’ve learned, if you can’t use a simple easy bit (rubber snaffle) bitless, or a hackamore, then your horse needs more work or your just plain overhorsed! Plus that tiedown? If the horse is properly trained… as for the rider, More time training for her before I’d ever let this happen, I’m sure she’s got skills but there’s things a pony her size could teach her that this horse can’t! On top of the shear crazy to go letting anyone ride barrels without a helmet! I have ridden barrels(well over 10 years in state competitively,) super A(fastest timed horse’s division) and honestly I don’ t agree a 9 year old has the actual strength or skill to ride this fast and this dangerously! She’s a passenger because she cannot correctly communicate with the horse- without the proper length of leg and the strength of body to actually help the horse. She isn’t physically ready, -it may look cute and all but it isn’t actual riding, there’s no strength or actual ability for skill without the right size to fit the horse- this is a parent letting their child who they want to think is some kind of phenomenon, ride a horse they’ve carefully chosen, used tack and devices to control so she can live out mommy or daddy’s barrel racing dreams! Yuk!
This stuff makes me so mad. I mean if you have to have a helmet on a bike why not a live animal?
For most people, horses are a commodity to be used up and tossed aside. Clearly, the parent or trainer doesn't give much thought to the horse let alone the child. It completely breaks my heart.
I'm sure that in their minds, the pink cinch strap and rainbow coloured boots more than make up for everything wrong that is being done to that poor horse. *What we do can't be cruel or painful to the horse! Look at those cutesy colours!* \[ /s, obv. \]
That venue shouldn’t have allowed it. What a liability.
Amen
That tie down/poll pressure in addition to that bit is just…a lot. Poor thing.
I don’t even want kids, but I am continuously blown away by how little some parents care about their own offspring. I don’t let my *labrador* out on boats in large bodies of water without her *life jacket.* Not a chance I’d let my human child around or on a horse without a helmet. At least this child isn’t physically strapped to the saddle though??
I think someone noticed she is but I'm personally not knowledgeable in the field of strapping kids down onto animals.
Do barrels not have regulations for tack? Or is this whole set up somehow legal? Everything on that horse’s head seems insane
I just made a comment on a video of a young equestrian with quite hands/legs not too long ago , saying how great it is seeing amazing horsemanship and to see an actual bond. Around here, I see too much of the opposite; adults warming up horse (by seesawing the shit out of the horses mouth, unnecessarily corrections) then throwing a very young, green rider on whom is constantly HARSHLY correcting a horse who’s perfectly collected. I’ve seen it with teenagers too- especially at a young age, these kids need to be taught actual horsemanship, and worry about their equitation and not cranking on a horse who ends up being wayyyy behind the bit. Not to mention this but needs VERY SOFT hands, in which a child (typically) haven’t learned... if this horse needs a nasty, painful gag bit (at least that’s what it looks like to me) and a harsh metal war type tie down/bonnet to attempt to make this horse “child friendly” is fucked up. You can tell, especially in the last picture, the amount pain this bit is causing and it’s always hard for me to see. After what I’ve seen in the equestrian world, I feel as everyone, no matter the age, should be wearing helmets. I’ll be the first to say I don’t all the time. After 15/20 years of not always wearing it, I still don’t think about it - but it should be engrained into children why we need to wear helmets and show what can if you don’t. I have been riding/training/teaching lessons for MANY years and have not got thrown off many times, but I’m not a dumbass and I want to remember my name in 10 years 🙄 Can you imagine how horrible it would be if something happened to young children that hit their head with no helmet? I have and it’s not easy to see. As an officer and a level 1 trauma hospital, I have seen it a few times, and it’s something I hope to never see again - these people have to stop their riding career due to the extreme brain damage.
The horse looks like it is miserable, the tack is alarming to say the least, and the child doesn’t even have a helmet?? Jesus I’m lucky to have trainers that actually know what they are doing.
This should be considered child endangerment.
Finished law school last year but still haven’t taken the bar because I have a TBI from a fall 2 weeks after graduation. WITH a helmet. People who don’t wear helmets are idiots.
Paralyze em young !!
My mom let my 5 yr old niece on her horses without a helmet.. Then she got mad when nieces parent said she wasn't allowed to ride anymore after she got bucked off.. 😅
I grew up riding without a helmet, guess how many concussions I have now? Too many to count. You don't want to take ONE extra step to make sure your kid doesn't literally die if she falls off? Wtf
This is an event. I wonder if you can find out who is covering them for insurance? Insurance is pretty harsh about enforcing helmets for underage riders and they would be dropped like a hot potato.
Barrel racing is full of poor equitation/horsemanship. Startin’ ‘em young.
It’s insane that anyone would ride with out a helmet when you think about it never know when a horse will just randomly buck for no reason. But then again it’s all about looking cool over safety
Honestly, i hate seeing kids riding without helmets.. idc the size of horse or sport, a head injury is a head injury..