All I know is that without my Troxel Dakota riding helmet, I would not be here writing this. I am a 40 year old male, and live in Gillette Wyoming. I recently switched from western riding to english, and love it to death, almost literialy. The western show tean that I ride with is made up of mainly teenage 4H riders. There is not a standard safety practice for the western shows, and as such I am also the only rider to wear a helmet.
It was a beautiful sunday afternoon, and I was riding alone in our back pasture. I was on my 10 yr. old Thourbread mare "Babs". We were just out for a quick work out when my left stirup leather broke, and I was put off in a flash. I joke to the kids that it took them 5 minutes to find me laying in the pasture, but I realy do not know how long I was down.
When I finally came to "Babs" was standing 10' from me with her head down and looking at me. I had blood coming from my left eye, two broken ribs, a severe left shoulder tear, C3,C5 compression fracture, and snapped the titanium screw in my right wrist, a previous riding injury. After the ER and getting home we looked at my Troxel Dakota riding helmet and found it had cracked on the left side and was oblong.
To this day I do not remember losing my seat and hitting the ground, but I thank God for my helmet, and the fact that I am alive. It has been a few weeks now and am not supposed to ride yet, but I have already purchased another Troxel helmet and will be riding soon.
