The Horse World
Awareness of the outside world. Speaking of sports. ESPN: Cleveland changing name from Indians to Guardians after 2021 season. In addition to doing what’s right, such matters are of mild personal interest. My college dropped their Indian symbol six years before I showed up on campus. Decades later, we still don’t have a mascot. Go, Big Green!
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Helmets!
Olympics
Helmet for the jog in dressage. Screenshot of British Dressage Instagram.
For those of you not on constant helmet watch. Back when folks were squeaking about helmets in upper level dressage, Dujardin showed up at the Olympics in a helmet. Won gold. Boom. [Olympic Legacy].
“Team reserves, Naima Moreira Laliberté of Outremont, QC, and Statesman were accepted at the horse inspection for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo Credit – MacMillan Photography & Media Services. Photographs may be published with articles relating to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and must include photo credit.” Equestrian Canada: Canadian Dressage Team Set to Compete at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
I have not seen an explanation for helmets in the jog. It could be for safety when one’s Olympic-fit horse starts flying around like a kite? It might be part of British formal presentation? A vet working cross-country at the London Olympics wore a helmet. I believe foxhound handlers present with a hunt cap. Will post an update if I find out more. [New Occasion For Helmet]
Speaking of Olympics, does anyone else get choked up by the cheesy commercials? “You don’t need to be amazing to start, but you need to start to be amazing.” Toyota ad, probably based on a quote by Zig Ziglar (goodreads). Blinks furiously.
Saddle Seat
23 Walk/Trot Saddleseat Equitation 12 & Under
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Central States Benefit Horse Show
July 21-24, 2021
Hale Arena – American Royal Complex
Kansas City, MO
Screenshot of livestream by Seehorse Video. Seahorse heads for privacy. Number blurred. Assist for pointing me toward the Seehorse livestream goes to Jenny Wright, my guide to all things Midwestern saddle seat. [Jenny’s Jodhpurs, Instagram July 2017]
Three helmets out of eight riders in the class.
They stood together in the line up. All from the same barn?
One rider placed 5th. The rest did not place. Which means the helmets were three of the bottom four.
I thought the rider who placed 5th could have placed higher. A policy statement by the judge or riding merit? We’ll never know. I smell a whiff of judicial prejudice, but I would, wouldn’t I? When helmets are so unusual, the bias may not even be conscious. It doesn’t “look” right and that causes the observer to be a shade harsher without realizing it. My $0.02.
Show was not in my area. I have no further details other than what I saw on screen. Had tuned in to see Jenny’s horse in an earlier class.
Update. The three riders were from three different barns.
Reports From Elsewhere
What is the progress of helmets where you are?
Helmets in suit are not happening near me. The only helmet in non-Academy driving was on one of ours. [Safety Doesn’t Have to Be Ugly]
The last time I looked in at Western around here, there were a few on young kids, none on older kids nor adults. This could have changed since then. It could be different in other western disciplines around here. I doubt it. [Not From Around These Parts, Schooling Report, Southern Sunday Barrel Association]
Links
The top hat was designed specifically as a crash helmet for the hunting field. Tall and stiffened by impregnating laminated twill and calico with shellac, the topper provided a degree of shock absorption in the event of a fall.
Norm Fine, Foxhunting Life quoted Equine Ink: The Historic Top Hat
I may have brought up this topic a time or two before. [Archives]
Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 
Most change comes slowly. Sad to say, seeing helmets anywhere is progress. While we may wish there were more, when we look back, it’s gratifying to see how far we’ve come, particularly with the younger riders.
In our state, helmets are mandatory for motorcyclists and I shudder when we travel through states where riding without a helmet is permitted.
Thank you for advocacy. Live to play another day.
Nice to see helmets on upper level dressage. I trusted Priney enough to ride her bareback, with a halter, all over the place, but I still wore a helmet. What if she stepped in a hole, or got stung by a wasp? She never did, but why take a chance?
Helmets for the jog?
After seeing pix of the show jumpers acting up at the Olympic jog, helmets start to make more sense!