Helmets urged for horse rider

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

September 25, 2003 -- The recent deaths of two East Texans from horse-related accidents is spotlighted this week - Farm Safety and Health Week.

On Sept. 14, 11-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo barrel racer Deb Mohon, of Gladewater, died following an accident, and on Sept. 17, Danny Hoffman, a Hopkins County man, died from injuries sustained in an Aug. 28 accident.

Both Mohon and Hoffman suffered head injuries, but in different ways. Mohon was thrown from her horse, and Hoffman's horse fell over on Hoffman, causing their two heads to collide.

The tragic accidents made the Executive Director of the American Medical Equestrian Association/Safe Riders Foundation Rusty Lowe point out the need for riders to wear helmts.

Lowe, whose association educates medical professionals, organizational representatives and individuals on the injury potential of equestrian accidents, said the wearing of helmets by horse riders would cut the number of deaths in half.

"A big thing to remember is head injuries only account for 20 percent of horse-related accidents, but they account for 60 percent of horse-related fatalities," Lowe stated.

Statistics from the National Electronic Surveillance System show in 2001, 79,745 people went to the emergency room with a horse-related accident.

"This number doesn't take into consideration the number of people who are treated at the scene, who go to their doctor, or those who receive no treatment. This is only the number for those who have gone to the emergency room," he added.

It was also noted riders, and anyone around horses, should always practice caution because a horse's instinct is "flight" when it comes around anything out of the ordinary.

So, what do you do when one in three Americans want to have something to do with a horse?

According to Lowe, you make sure the individual has good training with proper instruction, wears safety equipment which includes a properly-fitting helmet with the harness secured, and lastly "use common sense."

"After all, you wouldn't put your kid in a car without proper instructions and a seat belt," Lowe concluded.

(The staff at Country World express their sympathy to the families of Deb Mohon and Danny Hoffman for their losses.)