The value of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment)

There was an article in the American Field Magazine a year or so ago that portrayed a bad horse fall where the rider was hospitalized in ICU for weeks with a brain injury.  In that article, they discussed at length the use of good tack, a saddle one can hang on to, training the horse, what shoes to wear.  The glaring omission in that article was they NEVER mentioned wearing a riding helmet.  As most will attest, it's a rare occurence to catch either Janet or I riding a trial without a "brain bucket".  I recall one trial where I judged and my co-judge fell backwards off his horse, hitting his head on a rock not a half an hour after teasing me about wearing said "bucket".  After he staggered around holding his head in pain for minutes, he got back on and I asked him if he'd like a helmet, as I have extras in our trailer - he declined...  I always answer that it's my brain that pays the bills, not my looks!

This one's stylish too!

A few weeks ago we posted about how much fun we have roading our dogs off the bicycles.
http://willowyndranch.blogspot.com/2010/05/exercising-vizslas-can-be-fun.html Though we are quite concientious about wearing our PPE while riding horseback, we've been a bit more lax about doing so with the dogs.  I tend to wear hiking boots, gloves and a face shield (for spraying rocks). 

Yesterday Janet decided to run Hank and Scarlet (who I usually road) on the bike.  She wore the boots and eye protection, but neglected to wear gloves... 

     

Now I ride a mountain bike with knobby tires, a suspension, dual brakes and weigh somewhere around 100 lbs. more than Janet.  She rides a "cruiser" with big fat road tires and a rear coaster brake.  When she gave the dogs the release, they shot like from a cannon with the reduced load.  It took about 40 yards and they were at full speed - at about 50 yards the bike started sliding and at about 52 yards Janet augered into the gravel road at probably over 30 mph.  The result - two dogs dragging a (surprisingly durable) bike a mile into a field, a trip to the Tijuana Free Clinic - oops  Emergency Room and a few weeks of recuperation.

Auntie Lynn & Loki

Saturday was a beautiful Day in Northern California.  Finally some nice blue skies, though a bit breezy it was a fabulous day!  What better to do with it than have a friend come over and play with dogs!

Loki is a great looking dog.  He easily finished his show Championship and our friend Lynn Martin is thinking about getting a field title on Loki.  The question was - does Loki have the instinct?  He most certainly does!

Lynn has been a friend for several years.  She was "Auntie Lynn" for our Nellie/ET litter and was at the vet with us for the puppy evaluations.  She's also been wonderful at the shows, encouraging and upbeat.  Lynn is a real force behind Janet showing the dogs.  In that vain, while she was over, she evaluated  Hank and Scarlet conformationally speaking.  When she gaited them around outside her years of experience in the show ring were self evident - she got them to move beautifully!  All in all, in was a great morning!

Thanks Auntie Lynn for everything you've done for us - hopefully we can return the favor soon and get that HT title on Mr. Handsome aka Loki!  And Thank you for being our Friend!