Yes. Helmet. Always.
Honestly there isn’t a whole lot more for me to say on this topic. I wear my helmet every single time. No helmet? I don’t ride.
Endurance is pretty far behind the times when it comes to rider safety. Most rides in the SE and the ones I did in the Midwest only require a helmet for juniors (under 16 at start of ride season) and “recommend them” for all others. I’ve been to rides where people don’t wear a helmet and I have no clue what they are thinking. If I was a ride manager I’d require it. In fact, I recall an entire Facebook thread on the endurance group a couple years back where people were complaining that managers were starting to require a helmet for all riders. It shocked me the excuses people came up with.
Personally I’d love to see endurance make safety vests a requirement as well. The risk level is nowhere near that of eventing or really even of stadium jumping, but there is a level of risk higher than the other arena based disciplines and I believe the safety requirements are pretty non existent currently. Endurance is still rooted in the days of minimal governing body involvement and a strong “don’t tell me what to do” attitude which is fine except when safety is concerned. I mean this is the sport that recently put k tape on the banned substance list. For a sport that is dedicated to horse welfare a little bit of rider welfare wouldn’t be amiss.
But I suppose that is a bit off topic.
Helmet. Yes. Always.
The Roaming Rider 
i can understand some (just some) of the arguments against regulating safety gear….. sorta. in like, a philosophical kinda way, i guess. for me tho? i’ll hedge my bets and wear my damn helmet. tho i’m a little more lax about the xc vest (despite having fallen a number of times now on xc while not wearing one…. oops)
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I’m with you on the philosophical side of the debate, but in reality just wear the helmet and save your loved ones from a life of wiping your butt.
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I grew up being forced to watch Every Time Every Ride as a small impressionable child and the scene where she sticks her hand in the jelly brain to show you how easy it is to damage your brain was enough for me to always wear a helmet!!!!
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Oh yuck!
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It never even occurs to me to not wear it. I really don’t understand what the issue is!
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I don’t either!
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The endurance crowd is interesting because so many of them come over from western riding and trying to get them to wear helmets is like trying to take their guns away. It becomes some sort of rights issue. I really just hate seeing kids without helmets.
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That’s a good point with a lot crossing over from disciplines that don’t wear them.
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