What Makes a Good Horse Riding Helmet?
There’s a lot that goes into choosing a horse riding helmet. According to Tack and Bridle, to ensure a good choice, you would want to consider a helmet that fits your particular riding style.
On that note, we’ll go over the different types of riding and the styles and features of horse riding helmets. In this way, you will know which headgear is safest and most suitable for your needs.
Helmet Types for the Different Riding Styles
When buying a horse riding helmet, consider the type of riding you will engage in. A helmet should be designed around your particular horse riding discipline to be considered good. It also makes it safer, as it’s suited to the specific risks, activities, and culture surrounding the discipline.
For instance, if you are racing cross-country, your risk for injury could be higher than a showjumper. If you’re looking to compete, you would have to abide by the rules of your riding style, which addresses the appropriate helmets to be worn. This could include the style and color, and more importantly, the safety standards.
Then again, you could be a rider who enjoys the various disciplines and would therefore require different kinds of helmets. Either way, the guide below should help you out a great deal.
1. Premium Helmets
If you’re into dressage, showjumping, hacking, and riding, in general, premium helmets are the types of helmets to go for. However, it’s important to note that they can’t protect you enough when racing or riding cross-country due to their fixed peaks. In most cases, these parts don’t meet the safety standards required by the more adventurous kinds of horse riding.
Premium helmets can help you win the aesthetic game with their customizable quality. What’s more, you can easily coordinate them with your chosen outfits.
2. Jockey Skulls
Adventurous horse riders who are into racing, hunting, hacking, and schooling will benefit from a high-quality jockey skull. This piece of headgear lacks the fixed peak that prevents a rider from riding cross-country or participating in a race safely.
Where this helmet is concerned, it is less about looks and more about safety and function. Paired with jockey silks, a jockey skull can make you look like a true professional on the track.
3. Velvet Riding Hats
Here’s another ideal helmet for show-inclined riders who are all about presentation. You can wear a velvet riding hat for a show jump and some light hacking. It doesn’t just look good, but it also offers enough protection for light to semi-intense riding.
A velvet riding hat might be on a league of its own in looks, but it also doesn’t disappoint in meeting the safety standards of horse riding. You can wear this headgear can on a light race any day.
4. Polo Helmets
As its name suggests, you wear polo helmets exactly for the sport after which they are named. Polo can get quite intense and dangerous, with many potentially head-injuring scenarios for players throughout the game.
Aside from being a sport, though, polo is also a show of sophistication and elegance. That’s why each piece of gear worn during the activity should cater to such objectives. And the helmet is no exception.
With its traditional styling and superior protection, a polo helmet meets both the aesthetic and safety requirements of the activity. It also comes with a wide brim to enhance vision.
5. Kids Helmets
Horse riding activities are so often taught at a young age that one should also consider what makes a great child’s helmet. These helmet types don’t really focus too much on riding than they do with appealing to a child’s preferences.
Since they are not designed for intense riding sessions, they are not the most protective helmets out there. That said, they do provide enough protection for a leisurely stroll with mommy and daddy.
Checklist for Helmet Safety
A good horse riding helmet should be a safe helmet. In this regard, here are some tips to ensure your horse riding headgear is safe:
- Always wear your helmet when around your horses.
- When buying a helmet, consider safety above all else.
- Have a professional fit your helmet as much as possible.
- Avoid purchasing second-hand helmets or accepting hand-me-downs.
- Be aware of the shape and size of your head.
- A helmet beyond five years old is past the safety threshold.
- Replace any helmet that’s received any kind of impact.
- Do not use motorcycle helmets and cycling helmets for horse riding.
After securing a helmet that meets your riding specifications, check if it meets all of these safety standards before taking it for a ride.
Always Buy From a Reputable Seller
Buying from a reliable seller helps ensure the most suitable horse riding helmet for your needs. Also, a specialist can get you fitted professionally so that it will feel like your headgear was made for you. Not only does this make your helmet safer, but it also allows it to take on a decorative quality that’s great to witness on the track or in the field.
