From: Geoff
Dear Jessica, thanks for answering our questions! I know that you and all of the other authorities always say that riders should wear equestrian helmets because bicycle helmets don't give the same protection, but nobody ever says exactly what the difference is! I've looked at both pretty closely (my daughter rides horses and she and my son both ride bicycles) and they seem to be made of similar material (hard foam), have similar harnesses, etc. The shape is a little different but isn't that just because bicycle riders are more concerned with aerodynamics? I'm not questioning your authority, just hoping that you can explain this so that I (dumb old Dad) will understand the difference!
Thanks, Geoff
Your question is very reasonable, and if I haven't made this clear in previous answers to helmet-related questions, I'm sorry - that's MY problem, not yours!
You're quite right, the materials and the harnesses are very similar - but the helmets ARE different. ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials) and SEI (Safety Equipment Institute) make a clear distinction between equestrian helmets and helmets designed for bicycle riders, for several reasons.
The first big difference is in helmet configuration. It's not just a matter of aerodynamics, although that IS the reason for the teardrop-shape of the bicycle helmets worn by bicycle racers. The important difference for equestrians is that equestrian helmets are deeper at the BACK of the head, providing more coverage to the back of the rider's skull. The idea behind this design is the fact that equestrians come off horses in all directions - forwards, sideways, and backwards - whereas bicyclists tend to come off forward. Equestrians need a bit more protection for the backs of their heads.
The second big difference is the impact protection. Bicyclists don't fall from very high up. Their heads are generally lower than they would be if they were walking, and when they come off their bicycles, their heads are most likely to hit the road (smooth and flat, or, in the case of gravel, NOT-so-smooth and flat) or the curb. Equestrians are falling from a much greater height - their heads are usually at least 9' or 10' from the ground - and although they may land on sawdust, sand, turf, or dirt, they may also land in a way that involves their heads hitting or being hit by something hard and SHARP, such as a jump cup or jump standard, a fence rail or post, or the edge of a horse's hoof (shod or unshod - there's a lot of weight behind that hard edge).
When bicycle helmets are tested in the lab, they're dropped onto a rounded anvil so that the result will simulate the effect of hitting a curb. When equestrian helmets are tested in the lab, they are dropped onto a SHARP anvil, so that the result will simulate the effect of the helmet hitting a fencepost, or of the helmet being struck by a horse's hoof.
THAT is why we recommend that equestrians wear helmets designed for equestrians, no matter how inexpensive, appealing, and protective (TO BICYCLISTS) those bicycle helmets may be.
I hope this helps - and please feel free to question me at any time, on anything. For one thing, if I haven't made myself clear, that's MY bad. For another, I'm still learning, too. It would take more than one lifetime to learn everything there is to know about horses and horsemanship, and I don't pretend to be the foremost authority of the universe. ;-)
Jessica
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