"Protective Helmets Prevent Brain Injury".
Each year, traumatic brain injury is associated with 52,000 deaths in the United States. It accounts for one third of all injury deaths in the United states. Approximately 80,000 people who survive traumatic brain injury will be dealing with some loss of function during their healing process. In the 1990's, horseback riding was the leading cause of brain injury in the state of Oklahoma. There were 109 traumatic brain injuries due to riding, three resulted in death (Alexander). .
The studies showed that the brain injuries were disbursed evenly across the gender and age barriers. There were fifty-five females and fifty-four males injured, and the ages were from three years old to seventy-one years, the median age was around thirty years old. The most common times for brain injury were the spring and summer months, not fall and winter, with nearly half the accidents occurring on either Saturday or Sunday. In the study of the injuries, ninety-five percent of the people that were injured struck their head on the ground, or a near by object after falling from the horse. There were four people who were kicked or rolled on by the horse, and one person fell to the ground after his head struck a pole while riding. .
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Horseback riding associated traumatic brain injuries can be prevented by wearing protective helmets that are certified by the American Society of Testing and Materials (Lantis). Had these people been wearing a helmet, they would have more than likely walked away with a minor concussion. Some of the situations could not have been prevented, but many of the injuries could have been. After reading this study. I personally, am more inclined to wear a helmet now when I ride. I also will require my riding students to wear helmets as well. .
As an instructor it is important for me to be abreast of all legal standpoints in the area of horsemanship. A question that is presented by Jan Dawson, president of the American Medical Equestrian Association, will be the first question that is presented to s defendant in a lawsuit where the defendant did not encourage the rider to wear a helmet.