I wear a helmet when I longline. I do so because:
- I’m new to this.
- I’m usually alone (I also carry a charged cell phone).
- Most importantly, I’m near the kicky bits.
As compulsive as I am about safety, I have not heretofore used a helmet for groundwork. The mists of time do not reveal whether I had to lunge for my USPC B-test. If so, I wore a boots, helmet, & gloves, as per formal protocol. Otherwise, no. It would not have been a bad idea. Previous Horse was known to aim a flyer at one’s head during lunging.
On the TV coverage of the London Olympics cross-country day, one of the veterinary staff was wearing a helmet. I hadn’t seen this before. I will admit, it looked odd. Then I realized that her position might have required diving in where angels fear to tread. A stuck horse becomes free with the hooves the moment he or she starts to become unstuck. Made sense.
What say you? Helmet for groundwork, yea or nay?
Virtual Brush Box 
Sometimes… but more often not.
I put it on if I’m doing something I expect to be problematic (e.g. first time pessoa lungeing in canter) but for the most part go without because D doesn’t kick or rear more than 2 inches under any circumstance I’ve found so far and has a good understanding that any bucking will not be done near humans.
If there was any circumstance in which I was doing anything more than leading anyone else’s horse in hand, it would go on, unless I really trusted that horse (no current candidates on the yard).
I do always wear a helmet when I walk D on the roads. It has more to do with me not trusting drivers than anything else, I think. Plus it would feel weird to put his knee boots on without adding some protection of my own.
Helmets for everything. Even grooming if your horse gets antsy. Luckily, neither of mine did.
I use a helmet for lunging, long lining, and ground driving. I think I have done that for ages, BUT, I only lunge, long line or ground drive young or green horses. So, makes sense to me to have my head in a bucket.
Head in a bucket. Love it! I’ve had too many concussions – only 2 horse-related – to take any chances. Not that i have a horse at the moment, or could ride it if i did….
From Haynet (archived for posterity): “i always wear a hat too for groundwork, also for loading/unloading and sometimes for tacking up depending n what order i do things in :)” GH
I, too, will remember “head in a bucket” for future theft … um … usage.