Thanks you, everyone!

Ok, I will buy an equestrian helmet. The stable where I am thinking of taking lessons only requires them for people under 18 years old and does have them to rent.

I'd prefer to have my own, and it looks like I can get them fairly cheap all the way up to stupid expensive - just like bike helmets! Thanks for the testing standard number, Oak. I'll be sure I get one that has the sticker. Muirenn - I will look for a Troxel. Oblong heads FTW!

Spoke - Not buying a horse, no way! I'm planning to take lessons for a while.

The stable also leases horses. Can't take a horse out into the nearby horse park without a serious commitment, not just an hourly-fee jaunt, and only a limited number of people are allowed to lease each horse. I have a feeling their horses are probably better off than the hourly-fee ones. So if I decide I want to expand out from lessons at the stable to riding on the trails, I can get a lease-share of a horse.