Always a helmet by JimHi Jessica,
After several years of thinking about it, I decided to take up riding at the age of sixty. One of the things that I have learned as I got older is that no matter what activity one engages in, safety should always come first. That includes riding, skiing, driving a car, riding a bike, or any activity where one can get hurt.
Let me begin by saying that I always wear a seat belt when driving and always wear a helmet while skiing or bike riding. I understood from the beginning that riding a horse involves taking a risk, and it makes no more sense to me to ride without a helmet than it does to not wear a seatbelt while driving. I can tolerate a broken bone or two from a fall, but a concussion (or worse) is too serious to contemplate.
Fortunately I haven't taken a fall yet, although Oscar, my Quarterhorse, has spooked a few times on the trail. With my Australian saddle and helmet, I feel that I'm as well-prepared as I can be if misfortune occurs.
For those of your readers who may read this story, I encourage them to consider a helmet as essential to riding as a saddle and bridle. One should never think of riding without all THREE of them.