Investigators have found that the more safety measures built in to an activity, the more risks people tend to take. That said, I still think helmets are a no-brainer. Of course we should do everything possible to be sure riders and horses are well prepared for their level of activity.  However, even a well trained rider and horse can have an unpredictable "incident". There is always a measure of risk, why not reduce it by using a helmet? Just because rodeo cowboys have a history of taking their lumps, doesn't mean that recreational riders should do so. The increasing age of many riders could also be a factor in risk, as reflexes and muscle strenght is not the same as a young person's.

As for myself, in my younger years I rode (like many did) bareback, in sandals, no helmet for years and never "fell" off. I did occasionally dismount early in the season when my muscles weren't quite conditioned. I think my only injury was a sprained toe. Getting back in to riding as an older rider has been a whole different challenge. And maybe I should have picked a quieter horse. However I wear the gear, and my helmet has paid for itself. We definitely both should have had more training before we hit the trail. But it's all good now and both myself and my horse are still in one piece. I think we all know at least one person who has had a serious incident, I know an endurance rider who has gone through seven helmets, and another woman who managed to come back from a broken back, another broke her leg. None of these were crazy people or rode crazy horses, stuff just happens with horses. I just can't see why someone wouldn't want to avoid a head injury if all it takes is a moment to put on a helmet.