Brain Power

I never liked wearing a helmet. I had all the lame excuses: too hot, too heavy, can’t see. Yet, I was an instructor and my insurance company required that my students wear helmets. All the while, like most of my colleagues, I was still riding in a baseball cap. After a while, that nagging little voice in my head, the one that whispered “hypocrite,” really started to bother me. On went the helmet, but grudgingly, because of my pride.

But then I started meeting people like Pinnie Sears. Now I wear my helmet for the right reason—to protect my head, not my ego.

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Olivia “Pinnie” Sears is like most of us—horse crazy, good rider and doesn’t take stupid chances. But on April 11, 2007, Sears, a lab technician, took her new horse, Julio, a Mustang gelding, on a trail ride in the Montague Plains, a wildlife sanctuary in Massachusetts. But the Pinnie Sears who went out isn’t the same one who came back.

**For the full article, pick up the October 2007 issue of HORSE ILLUSTRATED.**

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11 years ago

Sharon Biggs

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View Comments

Michele says:
October 9, 2007 at 2:14 am
I enjoyed the October "Brain Power" article regarding the benifits of wearing a riding helmet. However, I noticed that on one of the pages of the article there is an advertisement for the Arabian Horse Association. In the advertisement photo one of the riders is not wearing a helmet! (she is however wearing a baseball cap). Perhaps all of your photos should be closely inspected to ensure that all riders are wearing a helmet!
chelsey says:
October 9, 2007 at 5:04 pm
that is a verry good article it proves that you should wear a helmet nomatter what people think of you
Sheryl says:
October 1, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Interesting article