Helmets on my kids, A MUST! by TinaYesterday, I learned a valuable lesson. Since last summer, I started insisting that my kids wear their helmets every time they were on their ponies. Mainly because they are so small and I know that every bit of precaution is worthwhile.
I got a little lax about it last fall. We rented the boarding stable over the winter and one of my barn rules was that everyone under 18 must wear a helmet, and then we moved back home to our 20 acre farm on March 1.
My kids had learned that they weren't going to even be allowed on their ponies without their helmets, so they got into the habit.
That habit probably saved my daughter's life April 28. Our whole family went down the road. I was walking, my husband, my younger daughter, and my son were on bikes (which Angel the pony is used to), and Christine was riding Angel.
When we got to the end of the road, we all turned around and headed home. Jacob was in the lead on his bike with training wheels, Christine was after him, I was walking after Christine giving her pointers as Angel was wanting to go home quickly, and Rick and Katie were bringing up the rear.
The road from our house to the corner is about 1/3 mile. We had gone maybe 200 feet from the corner when Katie came skidding up behind me. Angel just freaked and headed for home as fast as she could. Christine was pulling on the reins and trying to stop her the whole way and Angel just said no way, I am running now and your not stopping me.
Rick went flying by on his bike and tried as hard as he could to catch the pony and Christine. He saw Angel turn into the driveway and Christine fall off onto the grass. Katie rode ahead and I ran and tried to get Jacob to ride his little bike as fast as he could.
When I got there, Rick was already on the phone with 911. He had me hold Christine's Helmet still and lay across her enough to immobilize her so she couldn't move as she was trying to move her body a lot and wanted to get up and get her helmet off.
When the ambulance got there and they were ready to put the c-collar on, we took the helmet off. That is when I learned the value of the helmet.
Christine has a good concussion, and a few vertebrate in her back that need to be realigned by our chiropractor, but from looking at the helmet, if she hadn't had it on, I would not be writing this tonight, but writing about a daughter in a coma, with a broken neck, or worse. The back of her helmet had a crack about 3 inches long in it. It is a troxel schooling helmet, and has the foam type stuff.
I am thankful and praise the Lord that I started making them wear their helmets all the time. I am also thankful to the members of the training-horses list that I am on on yahoo that are constantly talking about making their kids wear helmets. If I had not made Christine, she would not be sleeping on my couch tonight with just a concussion.
As for the pony, she will be getting the daylights worked out of her for the next few weeks and then she will only be ridden on the property for a while before I trust her with my kids. Last night, all I could think of was selling her. She is actually a really good pony, she just used the bike coming up behind as an excuse to get her way.
Thank you all for listening to me.
Tina C