About a week ago I came off my 4 year old gelding while teaching him to canter. I lost my balance when he tripped going down on his front legs in order to catch his balance. My feet were not in the stirrups and I fell off my horse, landing on my hip and forehead; nose and mouth in the dirt! I have a swollen, bruised nose, and a black eye.
Without my helmet, I don’t know what kind of damage I would have suffered. I know I hit hard. My nose bled for 8 hours on and off. As for my forehead, I have a bruise indicating where the helmet had protected me. I am so thankful that I didn’t back down for buying a helmet, when my friends were laughing at me for riding with one. I never gave them a thought, and I hope others don’t care what their “friends” think either.