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


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Accidents can happen just walking around the yard by Kerri

My daughter has an Arab gelding, 7 years old, quite responsive. She was just walking him around the yard the other day and for some unknown reason he decided to act like an idiot. He dropped his nose and started bucking. The bucking continued until she got thrown (we've had him 3 years and never a problem), and in the second following her hitting the ground he kicked her in the head, a direct blow to the left side of the head. She was knocked out cold for around 10-15 min, aroused briefly when the paramedics arrived, then completely unconscious for about 10 hours afterwards. She was admitted to the hospital for observation, received IV fluids, CT scan, x-rays, etc. No broken bones (it's a miracle) but she did receive a good concussion. I'm a fanatic about helmets, I won't even let my kids groom the horses unless they have their helmets on. Thank God I'm as stringent about it as I am. She had the helmet on when she was "just walking" around our yard, the place this horse has lived for 3 years. The left side of her helmet is crushed in, I wouldn't have a daughter if we didn't have our helmet rule. She's never argued about it, not one time. What's funny is that my niece was visiting here from New Mexico and had just finished telling me, "I look like a dork with this thing on." She doesn't think they're so dorky now. I just had to respond to the lady who has a kid who wants to go to the horse camp. You're doing a great job, thanks so much. Kerri

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