Alberta 4H Council adopts mandatory helmet rule for young and beginning horse riders

Alberta 4H Council has approved a change that requires mandatory helmets for all beginning horse riders and any horse riders born in 2000 or later (11 years and younger).
The main goal of the new rule is rider safety, including an effort to reduce concussions suffered when riders are thrown from a horse.
A residual affect of the new rule is that it may reduce insurance premiums for the organization, which is geared towards youth in rural areas, the Globe and Mail reported on Sept. 21, citing Alberta 4H president Stacey Price.
Alberta 4H’s Provincial Equine Advisory Committee conducted a survey of 456 respondents between mid-December 2010 and late February 2011 on the issue of helmet use.
When asked about mandatory helmet use, 73% of survey respondents said helmets should be mandatory for riders with basic experience (Riding Levels 1-3). Also, 73% said helmets should be mandatory for Junior members 9-11 years old.