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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] 80-20- rule

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: "IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] 80-20- rule
  • Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 06:38:00 -0500

In politics they say there are 40% of the people would vote for you
regardless, 40% would vote against you regardless, it is the 20% undecided
who you have to win over.

I met a very experienced hunter jumper trainer/instructor who didn't wear a
helmet while on a very competitive mount. He has a plate in his head and
will never ride competitively again after going off in a soft sand ring
during a solo training session over low to medium fences. Old style hunt
caps were no protection at all and did tend to whiplash the neck, new
designs have neck protection built in the form of a rear flap. As Tomi will
testify I treated a rider who not only went off but was dragged on a stone
chip arena, the helmet was destroyed, she escaped without injury but a
suspected concussion.

As to other safety devices, most will kill you if improperly used. Early
ejection seats caused back injuries so now there are pretensioners that pull
the arms and legs into position and reduced G forces. The same applies to
car seat belts and air bags. I have been doing vehicle rescue for over 20
years and I can easily tell from the injuries whether a seat belt was worn
or not. Broken legs, especially upper legs, knees, ankles-- the hardest
areas to regain full function usually mean no belt, as does submarining
(going under the air bag and hitting the dash). People don't get killed by
seatbelts trapping them, they get killed because they are too injured to
save themselves during the wait for the fire company to get there. No
vehicle should explode or even catch fire after a collision under 60 MPH
today. The days of the Pinto are long gone, thank federal regulators.

Lastly, one of the reasons horseback riding is so dangerous according to the
insurance companies is because people who think they know what they are
doing do stupid things around smart horses.

Irv Lichtenstein





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