What’s the best choice to control risk in working with horses? Researchers surveyed 1,700 horse people (owners, riders, and enthusiasts). The #1 choice? Helmets. Training was low on the survey list.

“People working with horses seem to simply accept the tradition that equestrianism is high-risk”, said a speaker at August’s U of Guelph Equitation Science conference—a mindset that continues to reinforce the industry’s high accident rate.
“Horse people often just assume that horses can be dangerous and that that danger is an inherent part of being around horses, which is in and of itself dangerous,” she said.

Hmmm… I’d vote for training as “the best choice to control risk in working with horses”.
Seems to me that having power steering and power breaks in place, along with regular tune-ups is just as (even more!) important than having your helmet in place…

Risky behavior. At every horse show I see impetuous riders – climbing aboard fresh, distracted or green horses – prey animals in a busy, unfamiliar environment…but these riders are wearing their helmets. Yikes!
No doubt about it – in the event of a fall, the helmet WILL minimize damage. But wouldn’t it be better not to fall in the first place?

I guess the best overall solution would be to ride it as if you had no helmet… and then wear one.