Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE
True Helmet Stories from HORSE-SENSE Readers


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by Carrie

I am a 30-year-old mother of a 6-year-old son. Our family had just started our breeding farm last year with some very nice but very green horses. It was a very nice day in October and I pulled up our 3-year-old gelding out of the pasture and decided to ride in the round pen that day. The gelding had been going pretty well on the trails so I decided that we would work on some bending skills. I saddled him up and put on my helmet. We warmed up for about 5 min at the walk then I asked for the trot. I am still not sure what made him buck but I knew I needed to get off before I was thrown. So, I picked a good spot and bailed off. I vaguely remember getting up off the ground and thinking to myself, "Gosh, I hate to eat dirt." The next 20 minutes of my life I have yet to remember. I unsaddled the gelding and put him up in the pasture then started walking up the steps to our house. I looked out into the pasture and wondered how the gelding got out there? I realized then that I had a fall and that I needed to go to the hospital. When the doctor saw my helmet and my head, he said that he was certain it saved my life. I had to stay in the hospital for 24 hours with a concussion but at least I am here with my family, whole and healthy.

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