Do you always always wear a hat?

Rebel without a Claus said:
and *hangs head in shame* when on foreign holidays when i didn't know the horse and the tack was unsafe and the whole hack was just a gallop *clearly I had nothing worth protecting in my head anyway - like a brain* Anyway, now older and wiser I will not get on anything without a hat.
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Me too, in Spain and Mexico ........... I blame it on the sun going to my head :o:o
 
Always. I've got a written off hat in my attic to remind me that wearing one is crucial.

I didn't wear one once - I went out on a hack on an old loan mare. It wasn't until I got back and went to take my hat off that I realised it wasn't there. I was mortified. Only a mistake but that mistake could have easily cost my life!
 
Always, my OH has a hat that went out with the Ark in the 1970's and has been wearing it since I met him. The kids at the yard laugh and are always nagging him to wear a proper hat. Amber has been very fresh recently and he's nearly come a cropper on a couple of occasions. I put my my foot down and told him he must wear a proper hat, he has been doing and its just as well as Amber binned him last Sunday! And the words "I told you so" never crossed my lips!
 
I was actually mortified recently at seeing a reputable riding school post a video of one of their instructors riding without a hat, and asking for 'likes' of it on facebook.
 
I should be able to say yes, always, 100%. But, for some unexplained reason a few weeks ago, I realised I'd gone 10 minutes down the track with my bump cap on instead of my riding hat. It felt so wrong once I realised my mistake, and I won't be making it again!
 
Yes. Always. And I would NEVER allow anyone to ride my horse without one. Last yard I was at - dressage yard - people did sometimes ride without one but about 10 years ago someone I know - an exceptional and very talented rider - ended up in a coma because a horse spooked and he wasn't wearing a hat. It's not big or clever not to wear one.
 
Almost always! There's been a handful of times in the last 8 years of having my mare that I haven't, all of them when I was under 18, because after bustling about grooming and tacking up I simply forgot! Only realised each time after getting off. I once purposefully hacked out without a hat, because it wasn't up the yard, but I know pony is good as gold hacking :)
 
Always, and when walking my share mare in hand up and down the yard today following box rest I was wearing my hat. And gloves. And always correct riding boots. I also had hi viz on but only because I had worn it on another horse whilst hacking in the morning! I'd like to think I wear my body protector but in honesty, I probably only wear it 50% of the time. My children have to wear their hats in the yard whether or not they are riding, at age 8 & 9 their heads are at double barrel height. I am obsessed with head gear and proper boots, slightly ambivalent about my body protector, always always wear hi viz off the yard. I don't believe any of it can guarantee to save my life but all of it can minimise the risk - and when dealing with a living breathing thinking animal, that's about as best I can do!
 
I am sorry if this is going to upset anyone and I honestly don't mean too but for those of you who say you trust your horse to not ride with a hat, please do not forget horses are able to think for themselves and can spook, bolt, whatever and the risk you falling off is there. A hat will not make you invincible but can help minimise the risk.
 
I would never consider getting onboard without a hat, no matter how quick the sit!

On the ground, I rarely wear one, my lot are so placid, and I know that is not a good reason not to wear one!
 
Yes & my body protector unless I am doing a dressage competition. Would never jump without it as mine is prone to stopping

Though I did hack out in shorts and trainers when it was so hot last summer and also ride in the school bareback in them

I did once get on without my hat as completely forgot, instructor came in and said haven't you forgotten something!

I don't wear one on the ground although would in certain situations e.g. first time turning out a new horse/ leading out after box rest etc.
 
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When I was younger I rode a couple of times without my hat. Now I would never get on without it (except maybe taking it off for a photoshoot) and I also wear it when lunging and when leading a fresh or young horse.
 
99.9% of the time! Once or twice I've ridden in a cap and not realised I forgot to put my hat on till after :o and about 3 times I've ridden without one on holiday. I also often wear one around the yard and even in the house too, saves on hat hair post riding :p
 
Always. Even when I'm side saddle and everyone else is in a bowler or topper.

Some of our yard now turn out and catch in a hat following a very nasty accident the (experienced, carefull) yo had bringing in one day. My personal rule when on the ground leading is hat on for young, strong, silly or unknown horses or when the weather or surroundings are likely to wind up any horse.

But I bet in 10 years we'll all be wearing hats to catch and hacking out in air jackets - cheaper safety gear, increased perceptions of danger and equally increased insurance premiums will see to that.
 
Yes, always, having nursed people with severe head injuries, ive no desire to find myself on a ventilator or having lost basic living skills through a head injry which couldve been avoided. And its ok to say its your choice, but the awful position it puts your family and friends in if it all goes wrong and the decisions they might have to make is imo selfish and unfair
 
I do now but in the past I did go hacking without one. Since having my kids it is the first thing I do. I couldn't bear to think what would happen should I have an accident. Those who chose not to must be prepared for family and friends to pick up the pieces which I would hate for them to have to do.
 
Marydoll said:
Yes, always, having nursed people with severe head injuries, ive no desire to find myself on a ventilator or having lost basic living skills through a head injry which couldve been avoided. And its ok to say its your choice, but the awful position it puts your family and friends in if it all goes wrong and the decisions they might have to make is imo selfish and unfair
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Exactly this. When I was younger I had quite a severe concussion after a fall. I was wearing a hat; what might have been if I wasn't? My boy is fairly steady and quiet but he has a silly, spooky streak; the other mare I ride is just plain silly. I could come off at any time (though normally don't!) so I prefer to reduce the risk of injury.

I really sincerely hope that none of you non-wearers ever encounter a fall that leaves you or your families wishing you had worn one, though. I respect the 'my choice' argument up until the point where someone has a nasty fall; at that point, the consequences do not just affect you, but a huge circle of people around you.
 
I've forgotten to put a hat on twice in 10 years.

Once I was wearing a baseball cap, and as i had "something" on my head I completely forgot to change it, and the second time wasjust a couple of weeks after Pinto was pts, and I was riding a school horse and my mind was really not where it should have been. I just forgot to pick it up as I walked the horse to the school.

It feels really strange to be on a horse and not have a hat on.

Having said that I'm very bad about not wearing a hat (or gloves) when doing ground work or lunging.
 
jemima*askin said:
For some of us it was the accepted thing to do though. I started riding 45 years ago. You borrowed an aging greying black velvet hat held on by a knackered piece of elastic that dangled under your chin from the RS, they were probably older than most of the riders and had been on the floor goodness knows how many times. Once one got one's own pony hats were kept for best - PC rallies, hunting, shows. Hacking and schooling at home you just didn't. If it was an occasion when you wore tweed you wore your hat, that was about it.

I had 25 years out and in that time hats became the done thing, rather than the exception. It still feels odd to wear a hat. What brought it home to me was my daughter coming off on our Fenland peaty soil and hitting her head on probably the only stone on the field. It put a hole in her hat. She always wears a hat, I make myself do it too.
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I started riding in the days of hats held on by knotted elastic too but was the first person at the riding school to have a skull cap with a chin strap (much to everyone's amusement). I had a friend who fractured her skull getting on hatless "just for a second" too.

My Mum always told me that if she ever found out that I had so much as sat on a horse without my hat she would never let me ride again. It was a powerful threat.

Even now I always wear a hat and I know that if I fell off with out one my mother would kill me!
 
I would always ride horses at work with a hat on, but used to hack and do flatwork on mine without one always jumped with a hat on though!
I now always were a hat not that anything specific happened to change the way I was I think I just realised that it's stupid not to have one on because anything could happen!
 
dogatemysalad said:
Yes, I do mainly so as to influence teenagers. As a child, I usually only wore one for lessons but quite honestly the hats then, were as much use as a chocolate teapot. Much like a Patey or top hat is today. People didn't wear hats at home so much 50 years ago.

However, of the two most recent accidents involving friends where they fell and had brain injuries, both riders were wearing hats. One of them has been in hospital for 9 months.
A hat does not prevent injury, it may lessen the damage but even then, not always. The best chance of staying safe is to ride competently on a well trained horse and use well fitted tack.
And if you really don't want to inflict your brain damaged self on family and the NHS, stay away from horses. Its a high risk sport.
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Sorry but completely disagree, your friend has been unfortunate, hats do prevent many severe head injuries, and as you say lessen some injuries and to say stay away from horses if you dont want a head injury is ludicrous, but your head your choice
 
I had the insurance assessor here to look at flood damage. We discussed my insurances generally. He told me a claim for a horse related injury would be disallowed if the rider was not wearing a hat (didn't have to be a head injury either). At that time, I had a very good girl helping me who would not wear a hat. She said it hurt her head, even though it had been made to measure. I told her she would need to wear a hat for insurance purposes. She left the next day without giving notice rather than wear a hat. Some people won't wear a hat but it is the employer's responsibility to see that participants are using the correct safety equipment and the insurance may not pay out if they are not.

That also applies to contractors working on your land, for example doing building work. Crazy, I know, but if one of the people erecting my new barn had fallen and got injured because they were not using the correct scaffolding I, as the landowner, would have been held responsible even though I know nothing about what scaffolding should have been used!

I only work my horses from the ground and at 74 have never broken a bone in my body in my life. I don't wear a hat either and sometimes it scares me handling youngstock! But that's my problem and maybe better to be killed by a horse than rot away in an old people's home! But if you are young and have your whole life before you, it is lunacy not to use what protection is available.
 
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