It’s hard to imagine that in this day and age some horsepeople still make the decision to head onto the track without a helmet. One driver recently had a very close call with one of his horses, and he is surely thankful that he had taken protective measures by donning a lid beforehand.

This past Thursday night (February 22), Swedish reinsman Svend Dyhrberg was readying his charge, Somett Skot, for action when the horse showed that he had some sort of bee in his bonnet.

Somett Skott, who was clearly getting fractious, reared up. When the horse’s front hooves landed, he bucked his rear legs straight back.

The incident could’ve been life-changing. Thankfully, Dyhrberg had his helmet on – or at least he did for a while. The force of the kick sent the helmet flying off Dyhrberg’s head and across the track.

To view a quick, six-second clip of the incident, click here.

Medical care and stitches are never a welcomed prospect, although, when the alternative is much more severe, a little attention from a trained professional is always appreciated. Dyhrberg received ten stiches very close to one of his eyes, and is surely counting his blessings.

"(I'm) glad that it went as it went. It could have gone worse," Dyhrberg has been quoted as saying.

"It's a bit sore and right now I'm waiting for an X-ray, but it takes some time. I want to come home, I have horses to be taken care of."

(With files from punters.com and Sports Bladet)