The serious injuries suffered by dressage Olympian Courtney King-Dye have prompted a US saddlery store to start a helmet pledge for horse riders.
Monique Steinhoff, from The Equine Source, a family owned and operated online tack shop in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, came up with the idea of the Ride On Helmet Pledge after hearing about King-Dye's accident, on March 3.
King-Dye, 32, remains in a coma in St Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, with a fractured skull, sustained when the horse she was riding fell. She was not wearing a helmet at the time.
"Being a dressage rider myself, who has been bucked off a time or two, I wondered how I could encourage people to wear their helmets and be safer," Steinhoff said.
 Monique Steinhoff |
"I thought why not post a helmet pledge and see if people will sign it. We knew that we had to have choices - some people would still wear a top hat in the show ring, but I thought at least I can get them to wear it every day while schooling and that would still be an improvement," she said.
The Equine Source is standing behind the initiative, offering 10% off a new helmet to those who take the pledge.
"So many riders do not replace helmets after a length of time or don't wear a helmet because they do not like their helmet. This was just an extra incentive for them to sign the pledge," Steinhoff said.
Steinhoff's goal is to build a safer riding environment overall. "I hope that riders who take the pledge become role models to other riders. Sort of like, 'I took the pledge, why don't you take it?', or perhaps trainers taking the pledge would inspire their students to take it."
The Equine Source isn't stopping at just an internet pledge. The store is also a mobile operation, and Steinhoff will be promoting the pledge at horse shows throughout the Midwest.
"I will ask riders to take the Ride On helmet pledge, signing it right there and then! Hopefully this pledge will become the beginning of awareness to the importance of helmet safety," Steinhoff said.
» Are you promoting helmet wearing? Have your say on the topic.
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