Helmets, yes by GillianI'm 10 years old. I've been riding since I was 7. My first fall was in 2004, when I was 9. I was about to do a turn that was made difficult on purpose by my Instructor. When I had executed the turn, Janie tripped over the cavaletti, fell on her two front knees, and I was sent flying. I had turned a summersault in mid-air, not on purpose, and landed straight on the top of my head,then rolled forward onto my face. I had my helmet replaced, too. Then a few months later my instructor was training a young gelding without a helmet, and she was doing some manuvers in the arena when the horse suddenly reared up. She tried to bring him down, but she lost her balence and ended up on the ground. The impact of the ground damaged her shoulder. My second fall was the worst.I was riding my leased TB and I suddenly decided that it would be a good idea to canter on him. Of course I didn't know how to canter on him. And no one else was in the arena. I started to canter. I panicked. It was REALLY fast. Then I had a flashback to when his owner told me about how he was when young. He was a terror when he was young. He would run away with her and turn so hard, that you could put an arm out and get a handful of dirt. Then after I had gotten to the point that I had lost both stirrups and my reins as he cantered along the rail so that my left leg was in between him and the rail I finally lost all balence and fell in between him and the rail. Luckily, he turned away from the rail as I fell. This time I landed on back. I couldn't move or talk for at least a minute.After that I somehow got on to my knees and almost shouted "Help". Then I repeated two more times louder.My mom heard me on the last shout and came running to me. I couldn't really stand at the time though. Now I know that I was right all these years to wear a helmet. I'm so glad that I did wear a helmet.