# Why don't they wear head protection in the Rodeo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2001, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617 "2001-08-28T22:51:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/1 "2001-08-28T22:51:20Z")
Yeah, they should, but there must be a reason why they don’t? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/2 "2001-08-28T23:02:18Z")
Just a WAG: Real men don’t worry about fractured skulls. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/3 "2001-08-28T23:02:23Z")
Um, 'cause it’s big in Texas? (sorry, I didn’t really mean that) ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/4 "2001-08-28T23:15:42Z")
> [@](#): > > but there must be a reason why they don’t? There must also be a reason why someone would put visegrips on a bulls testicles, then hop on and try & ride it… ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/5 "2001-08-28T23:22:50Z")
It’s not The Cowboy Way. Or, more seriously, the dirt on rodeo floors is pretty soft, and won’t cause concussions as seriously as a basketball floor, for instance. Most rodeo injuries seem to be broken arms or dislocated shoulders and such, not head impacts. If a bull kicks you there, a helmet won’t help all that much anyway. Or so it seemed from my visit to the Calgary Stampede this year. ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/6 "2001-08-28T23:26:34Z")
I think the reason they don’t is the history of the sport. Cowboys didn’t wear helmets, they wore hats. It is one of the few sports that originated from daily life. There is a company that manufactures [helmets](http://bulltough.com/), so there definately is a need for them. I think they are pushing for kids involved in rodeo be required to use helmets as well as other protective equiptment. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/7 "2001-08-28T23:30:22Z")
Every junior rodeo I have seen (maybe 5 of them) had the participants wearing helmets. I don’t know if it is a requirement, though. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/8 "2001-08-28T23:44:41Z")
They DO wear head protection. It’s a 4X beaver helmet. What more do you want? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/9 "2001-08-29T00:00:36Z")
Maybe they like the risk. I mean, their not running around a padded ring, on a padded ground, and on a padded bull either. ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/10 "2001-08-29T00:01:32Z")
I saw a bullrider in a rodeo on tv wearing a white hockey helmet and full face mask, once. I’ll bet all the other bullriders laughed at him. They do wear some pretty substantial-looking body armor, though. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/11 "2001-08-29T00:16:56Z")
Yes, there are one or two cowboys in the PBR and PRCA Pro tours\* who wear full face and head protection, several more who’ll wear just a “cage” thing like a goalie mask. I can’t think of the names of the specific cowboys I’m thinking of here, but I know the ones who bother with such things are usually ones who’ve knocked skulls with the bulls one time too many. One of the cowboys in particular smashed his face on the back of a bull’s skull once and broke a lot of the bones in his head, and ever since he’s worn a mask every time I’ve seen him. That’s a rare occurence, which is why very few cowboys bother preparing for it, but it seems to be more of a problem than the risk of getting tossed off and concussed, which is why even fewer - almost none - of the adult pros bother preparing for that. [sup]\* That’d be Professional Bull Riders and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, respectively.[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/12 "2001-08-29T00:18:32Z")
Oh, and they wear flak jackets to protect their ribcages. (NASCAR drivers started picking that up from rodeo cowboys a couple-few years ago after a spate of cracked ribs resulting from poorly designed seats and high-velocity impacts, incidentally.) ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/13 "2001-08-29T00:30:38Z")
These people willingly climb on the back of a bull and try to ride it. There is not much to protect. Did it once. 4.6 seconds. One real wild ride. You know, dirt looks very interesting when your face is flying at it. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/14 "2001-08-29T00:35:10Z")
Yeah, Booker’s right. A friend of mine once summed it up: “150 pounds of man. 1500 pounds of bull. If the bull wins, a helmet is going to do sh\*\*-all.” ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/15 "2001-08-29T01:29:52Z")
I just love that they cram their cowboy hat way down on their head so it won’t fly off. That just looks uncomfortable, but I guess a chin strap would be out of the question… ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/16 "2001-08-29T01:34:11Z")
Me too, Kamandi. 🙂 But then, if they had a chin strap, they’d have to undo it before they could whip the hat off their head and toss it up in triumph after a good ride, and we couldn’t have that. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/17 "2001-08-29T14:54:43Z")
On World Records a week ago a woman, the oldest rodeo woman, said she broke every bone in her body but she doesn’t wear any protection still, other than a cowboy hat. As for dirt being soft, BMX riders wear a lot of protection. ---
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/18 "2001-08-29T15:24:32Z")
Could it be for the same reasons that professional boxers don’t wear helmets? …now standing on soap box… Now that I’ve mentioned boxing, I cannot fathom why a sport that has a goal of physically damaging one’s opponent is still sanctioned by the Olympic movement. I can’t think of any other sport in the Olypmpics where one scores most by repeatedly punching one’s opponent in the head. Despite the headset, there is going to be an inevitable accumulation of concussive force that will probably manifest itself in later life in the form of a stroke or similar. …soap box rant finished… ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/19 "2001-08-29T17:39:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DVous Means \* > \*\*Now that I’ve mentioned boxing, I cannot fathom why a sport that has a goal of physically damaging one’s opponent is still sanctioned by the Olympic movement. I can’t think of any other sport in the Olypmpics where one scores most by repeatedly punching one’s opponent in the head. \*\* Karate and Tae Kwon Do are both Olympic sports, and both involve whomping your opponent. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617/20 "2001-08-29T19:43:16Z")
The reason is: because they’re dumb, and because its not traditional. The dirt is not that soft, let me tell you. Many states are moving towards having ALL juniors in ALL horse sports be required to wear a ASTM-certified helmet. (A self-desctructing design similar to bike helmets but taking sharp objects – hooves, horns, etc. – into consideration.) I’m actually not sure if juniors do bull-riding. Calf roping yes, team penning, yes, but I’m not sure about bull-riding. \ The reality is, the majority of mounted accidents happen AT THE WALK or HALT on familiar horses which is why you should wear a helmets whenever you ride, even for a quick trail ride. \ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-wear-head-protection-in-the-rodeo/78617.md?page=2)