Comments on: United States Equestrian Federation Clarifies Helmet Regulations for Dressage Riders

By: B

Sat, 15 May 2010 17:21:47 +0000

Connie, my heart goes out to you and your family; I’m so sorry for your daughter. I sincerely hope that others will learn from it to wear their helmets, while riding ANY horse; accidents happen, no matter what your riding skill, horse’s temperament, etc.
One thing I don’t get about those USEF rules…
if you aren’t wearing an approved helmet, you can wear “…jackets in other colors within the international HSV color
scale… Contrast coloring and piping is
allowed.” But if you DO wear a helmet, you MUST wear “a short, dark jacket, dark
tail coat (only permitted for tests above Fourth Level), or Armed Services or police uniform (if
eligible)…” (the latter as stated in the above article).
Is it some vain fashion thing or is it discrimination, or am I missing something?

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:31:31 +0000

First of all to Connie in San Antonio, Please accept my deepest sympathies on the passin’ of your daughter Chandra. I am a dressage rider and I wear my helmet when I show and anytime I ride. I believe that it should be required at dressage shows.

By: Galadriel

Galadriel — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:14:14 +0000

They should not just “allow” riders to wear helmets. They should require it. That is so sad about Chandra. I had a friend die last year from a riding accident too. Also a spooked horse.

By: Gracie

Gracie — Mon, 10 May 2010 12:01:21 +0000

So sad about your daughter.
I hope other parents learn from your experience and require their children to wear helmets. No horse is 100 percent bombproof.
And–instructors should require their students to wear helmets and set a good example by wearing helmets themselves.

By: Connie

Connie — Mon, 10 May 2010 07:35:25 +0000

Two years ago in Feb. my daughter Chandra Burkhardt was riding her dressage horse in a lesson given by Rene Lopez at Retama, here in San Antonio. A child who had been allowed to play near the arena started up a motorized toy car and spooked her horse. She was not wearing a helmet. She fell and struck her head on the rail, she was transported to Brook Army Medical Ct. and the surgery to remove two blood clots was successful but she died from MRSA bacteria 28 days later.