Happy Birthday Matra!

[Matra et Alpine]

Thanks again guys.
Daughter's fine, now left with a stiff neck and bruised ribs ... but milks it so she can be "lazy" It's a parental "caring" thing... actually most of you guys probably are doing it to your parents right now in some way

Not so sure that that works csl, as in my head it sounds with a slow southern drawl ... disnaewurk

[Fleet 500]

Thanks guys, f6 wins the "put a smile on Pete's face" award
Though he HAS taken it to an extreme, my typing's not usually THAT bad !

Spending my birthday caring for daughter who fell off her horse yesterday, spend 3 hours in A&E and thankfully now only nursing soft tissue damage !!
AND worse, Mazda dealership is now into the THIRD week of having my car for "small warranty work on the body".
Still holding out in hope that an Evora will be delivered tied up in a bow. 6 hours left ......

Thanks everyone for the wishes.

Speaking of horses, about 20 years ago I considered learning how to ride a horse. I stopped by a ranch in nearby Granada Hills which gave riding lessons and saw a girl standing there with a cast on her left arm. It kind of changed my mind about riding horses!

Maybe I'll still try it someday.

[Matra et Alpine]

Good point Fleet.
But in balance, go to a race track and you'll find someone with injuries too, wom't stop you driving
Worst is going to bike shows ( Scottish one was 2 weeks ago ) all the guys going around with walking sticks, crutches, umputations, wheelchairs
Get out there on a horse, you might you love it and it IS a great hobby/sport/money-burner

[Cotterik]

happy birthday UCP's resident wise owl.

[wwgkd]

Good point Fleet.
But in balance, go to a race track and you'll find someone with injuries too, wom't stop you driving
Worst is going to bike shows ( Scottish one was 2 weeks ago ) all the guys going around with walking sticks, crutches, umputations, wheelchairs
Get out there on a horse, you might you love it and it IS a great hobby/sport/money-burner

Is true. I grew up with a couple horses, literally riding them before I could walk, so they don't bother me much. Bike racing on the other hand...

Out of curiosity what kind of horse?

[Matra et Alpine]

Out of curiosity what kind of horse?

an expensive one

No wait, that doesn't help they are ALL expensive

That's Rhema with Sara in the yard and the other one is the closest we can get to an image of her accident
( and NO I do not know WHAT that guy is up to )

Rhema is a 14 year old british warmblood, 15.1 hands high used in dressage and show jumping with the occasional cross country to make me panic.
This will be the first year she will not be competing in the Scottish Royal Highland Show as my daughter is heading to the colonies to teach American children at summer camp how to ride "English style" I'm not sure who will get the most culture shock

[Fleet 500]

Good point Fleet.
But in balance, go to a race track and you'll find someone with injuries too, wom't stop you driving
Worst is going to bike shows ( Scottish one was 2 weeks ago ) all the guys going around with walking sticks, crutches, umputations, wheelchairs
Get out there on a horse, you might you love it and it IS a great hobby/sport/money-burner

It would be a fun hobby. I've always liked western movies & T.V. shows, too.

Even with about 1.7 million people here in the valley, there are still a lot of open spaces for horseback riding. An example:

[Matra et Alpine]

^^^ for sure, when I travelled would try to hook up with someone, somewhere
typical Scottish cross-country riding involves rain !
Why Scottish owners typically own Mountain & Moorland breeds.
One of my personal favourites are Icelandics for their funky pacing !

[Fleet 500]

I was out biking and happened to see those two riders. One thing I can't figure out is why they were wearing baseball caps... why not wear cowboy hats? They looked kind of silly wearing caps!

[Matra et Alpine]

Baseball caps ? Sure it wasn't a riding hat ?
Liek bike riding, we're pretty much 100% on wearing head protection.
Without it my daughter would have ended up with a little more than concussonm double vision and nausea after her last "off".
When she jumps above 3 ft and in competition she wear full body protection. THAT has saved a few bruises and ribs too.

[Fleet 500]

I will look at the original photo and zoom in to see if it is that type of riding hat.

[Matra et Alpine]

It's also quite possible it IS baseball cap, in the same way motorbike riders in the US seem to think a stars'n'stripes bandana tied round the head will protect them

[wwgkd]

It's also quite possible it IS baseball cap, in the same way motorbike riders in the US seem to think a stars'n'stripes bandana tied round the head will protect them

Other than the one time I tried jumping, I've never worn a helmet on a horse. Unless you're doing something similar to jumping, or the horse is an arabian, I wouldn't wear the helmet cause there's not much need to. Most riders in the US are trail riders, it would be like wearing a helmet while walking.

[Fleet 500]

It's also quite possible it IS baseball cap, in the same way motorbike riders in the US seem to think a stars'n'stripes bandana tied round the head will protect them

I zoomed in on one of the riders. I can't tell what kind of cap it is. What do you think?

[Matra et Alpine]

Other than the one time I tried jumping, I've never worn a helmet on a horse. Unless you're doing something similar to jumping, or the horse is an arabian, I wouldn't wear the helmet cause there's not much need to. Most riders in the US are trail riders, it would be like wearing a helmet while walking.

Yeah like US attitude on bike helmets.
A horse is abeast which we only have partial control of.

Yes, American quarter horses are more controlled and generally a little smaller, but it's not jsut "arab" breeds which spook.

If spooked, you risk falling from 12 feet up head first.
On hard ground, rocky terrain or trees then the head injury is a real possibility.
As I'd said, culture, we used to, but now the only riders who would go out without a standards-compliant hat would be the very old riders stuck in their ways.
The other factor might be that all riders in UK usually at some point compete. There are few who only ride trails -- mainly as we're a small island and so trails whilst good tend to be shortish and very much the "same". So competition is a more challenging environment and we have a strong competitive scene. You CANNOT compete unless wearing the approved protective equipment - in jumping/cross-country this includes a body protector. SO we're jsut more used to wearing them and accept it. Just as over here we dont' complain about wearing crash helmet on a motorbike.

GLenn Beck will claim this as COMMUNISM and proof of the failings of a Nationalised (SOCIALIST) Health Service as it's about preventing/limiting injury. How dare ANYONE limit the right of the individual to wear what they want. You guys have insurance and it's your own premiums you pay that determine what you'll get if you do suffer severe injury/paralysis. So again, there might be a bit of social-values at play. Wouldn't ahve thought of that angle on this if I'd not been enjoying Beck's shows recently

Biggest input I would suggest is the "macho" cowboy image of America for the last 200 years ??
I certainly ahve never worn a riding helmet in the US and personally always want a stetson