Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>]

Santa Fe County Sheriff's Posse, in New Mexico, periodically
discusses this but to date does not require helmets.  Several
of us routinely wear a helmet during SAR missions and whenever
we ride with newbies (riders or horses), some always wear one,
some never wear one and don't even own one.  None of us rides
bare-headed;  at a minimum, we wear a hat.

My personal opinion is that, in our terrain, lightweight and
well vented riding helmets are not appropriate.  In heavy
brush and fields of pointy sharp rocks (both abundant here),
those vents look to me like a safety risk.

By far the most compelling reason to at least have a helmet
in your rig, accepted by everyone in my unit, is that we may
someday be told at incident base to wear a helmet or go home.

Hope this helps,

        Una Smith