Do you wear a hat whilst leading?

[carys220]

I've just spent a week working at a trekking centre(wasn't for me so I'm home now). When I was leading the little ones from the ground I wore my hat and the other workers asked me why. I explained that I wanted to be safe etc etc and they just thought I was weird....

Out on one of the treks the horse I was leading was getting bothered by flies and managed to whack me on the head with his fulmer bit, I was pretty glad I had my hat on!!

So the question is, do/would you wear a hat whilst leading in hand, whether the pony is ridden or not?

And if not, why not?

 

[oinkmoooink]

I dont, unless the pony is in a kicking mood, in which case i wear full body armour.
I just dont cause its annoying and makes you hot, it would be sensible to wear one though.
If i have children, and horses, i would ake them wear hats all the time round horses though.
I tend to wear one for lunging, longreining, driving and obviously riding though

 

[sade1986]

I have found that the policy on a lot of yards (my old college yard, rescue centres) is that you have to wear a hat when handling the horses, some even say you have to wear steel toe cap boots. I think it has something to do with insurance.

I tend not to wear a hat when leading i.e. to and from field unless it's a horse i know is going to misbehave or if the horse was of an unknown history, if that makes sense. I would probably wear one if lead reining at a riding school or trekking centre though. I know it is better to be safe that sorry but it's just the extra fuss and it makes your head all hot. Definatly would for riding and lungeing though.

 

[Ezme]

I'm awful. The only time i wear one is while riding.... oh saying that i've been forced to on the marathon carraige a couple of times but due to our lovely sponsors, who i will probs get told off for mentioning on here, gave us great ventilated hats.

I should when leading the baby Percherons but admitedly if i heavy horse arses about it TENDS to be forward/ bolshy rather that up and kicky.

 

[carys220]

But what if they were bolshy knocked you over and stood on you/kicked your head?

 

[rotters13]

I don't. I only tend to handle my horse though who I know very well!

 

[Ezme]

[ QUOTE ]
But what if they were bolshy knocked you over and stood on you/kicked your head?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well theres the rub and I freely admit i'm a hipocrit as exactly the same thing happened to other groom last week. Luckilly he wasn't wearing a body pro and managed to tuck and roll into some nettles

 

[scotsmare]

I never ever wear a hat for anything but riding.....

 

[minesadouble]

Agree - never wear a hat other than riding. In fact 'back in the day' I worked at a trail riding centre and nobody EVER wore a hat, even when breaking youngsters - to do so was a blatant admission that you were a wimp!! A not saying this was a good thing - just the way things were.

 

[Booosh]

Not whilst leading from field etc but lungeing yes and handwalking naything that is or has been on box rest definitely yes!

 

[Boxers]

Well I mostly only wear one for riding, but have often thought that I really should be wearing one all the time around horses. There is one horse on the yard who I don't like leading to and from the field and I do wear a hat when I'm leading him. I have put a hat on when loading a tricky loader, but generally I just wear one for riding.

 

[littlemisslauren]

at uni we have to wear them to bring horses in or to turnout.

when im at home i only ever wear one for riding, its probably more sensible to wear one all the time around horses.

last week i took my dad's friend's little girl out on a hack on the lead rein on her little pony, i wore a hat then, to set a good example to an impressionable little girl.

 

[carys220]

[ QUOTE ]


last week i took my dad's friend's little girl out on a hack on the lead rein on her little pony, i wore a hat then, to set a good example to an impressionable little girl.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very good point!

 

[Shilasdair]

I do when I'm leading my youngsters anywhere...not for my old TB mare.
I would also wear a hat for leading if I were teaching students/children to set the correct example to them.
I'd rather wear my hat and look a little over-cautious, than not and look like a vegetable on a life support machine (no offence intended).
S

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Never, unless known to be naughty. In fact I only wear one when hacking out and hardly ever when schooling (unless I think she's going to be a madam).................................just call me CABBAGE!!!!

 

[Nari]

Not unless I know there is a problem with a horse, in which case if it's someone else's I try to avoid handling it anyway!

My ID can have his moments but I'm of the opinion that if he ever caught me on the head a hat would be of very little use as he'd probably snap my neck & if he knocked me down & trod on my head no hat would withstand the pressure. So on the very rare occassion that he has a hissy fit I rely on the ultimate safety measure & walk away

. When he was younger & seemed to think he was a circus pony I always wore one (also gloves & steel toe caps & led with a lunge line & bridle) but once he realised he could walk on four feet rather than two I stopped bothering.

 

[jellyshake]

depends on who I am leading and what i'm doing lol, for short fat pony no i never wear a hat, he's far too lazy to bother to rear

for doing long reining or road work with the dweeb then i do, but i wear my old velvet hat rather than my ventair

playing with the yearling i do tend to wear the old velvet as he's still a bit flighty.
i never used to wear my hat for leading when i worked at the trekking place, spent far too many hours a day in the saddle with it on so it was always a relief to get a walk out without it!!

 

[nikkiportia]

When I worked at Redwings we had to, it was policy. But I don't do it anymore.
The only time I wear a hat other than for riding is when teasing and in the covering barn.
Although I did have a naughty colt one year for yearling prep, and wore a hat for his in hand work on frisky days, mainly because he'd already wrapped his legs around my shoulders a few times!

 

[burtondog]

Generally yes. Occasionally forget but have remembered most of the time over the last few months especially when turning out. I have newish horse who seems calm enough but is early days so can't be too careful.

I particularly agree with the comments above re setting a good example especially around young children at riding/treking centres etc.

 

[Murphy3]

I once worked at a trekking centre leading out clients and my main concern was my feet as mine seem to attract big clomping hoofs. For me wearing a hat around horses depends on the individual - I was helping with RDA last year and the ponies and horses being used with complete saints so never felt any need to wear a hat.

I wear a hat loading as I've cracked my head once too often on the jockey door! I wear those light ventilated endurance-type hats so don't get sweaty.

 

[Chunkie]

Never at home, but always do for in-hand showing. Loads of people don't, but I think it looks smarter.

 

[tabithakat64]

Yes at shows (even if I'm doing in-hand classes only), yes when riding (even if only riding bareback to the field), No when leading either of my two in-hand or turning out, unless the horse is known to be naughty.

 

[kellyeaton]

i wear mime when riding only!

 

[carys220]

Lots of people have mentioned that they don't around 'quiet' horses, but as I said in my OP, the pony I was leading was normally quiet but was bothered by flies and gave me a nasty crack on the head with his bit, which would've really hurt had I not been wearing the hat.....