First riding hat for child!!

atlantis

atlantis

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 March 2006
Messages
1,809
Location
Leics
equinetouchjo.wordpress.com
So my daughter turns 4 soon and she has been riding friends ponies and wearing her bike helmet. However she is going to start proper lessons after her birthday.

Where did you get little hats from? I'm happy with a dial adjustable hat for her.

Thanks
 
Thanks all. I think I need to so will pop up to tack shop tomorrow. I bought her cycle helmet online which has the adjustable dial and fits her well. I'm not so confident with the horsey riding hats though, they don't look so deep and like they'd perch on her head a bit. Thanks for the advice.
 
I have poly one for mine kids, doesn't look 100% robust but they are on the lead rein at the moment and growing so fast I struggle with spending £80 every 3 months !
 
I would get one professionally fitted. My daughter has fallen off onto her head so many times I've lost count, £60 is a small price to pay for an undamaged head!
Although I might add that every time she has bumped her head I have binned the hat and bought another. Not worth taking the chance in my opinion!
 
All 3 of mine ( 2x3 yrs and 5 yr old ) have fitted skull caps even though they only ride sporadically on lead rein. My 5 yr old still fits the one she had aged 3 - their heads grow slower than the rest of them and as the padding has flattened it has been taken up by head ! We decided not to take chances with their heads. We have a Polly hat for when friends kids want a sit on but it doesn't fit like the skull caps.
 
Mine had the charles owen skull cups, from when they were tiny, I personally wouldn't use a cycle hat like some do.

Go to your local tack shop and get one properly fitted.
 
I'm happy to have a dial type but I don't like the look of some of the cheaper ones aimed at kids. They just don't look robust enough or deep enough.

My husband and I are cyclists and you really do get what you pay for in bike helmets too. My daughters one is great but wasn't cheap. It has the same standards as my husbands mega expensive one and it has a dial attachment that grows with them. They are designed to withstand the impact of a car so pretty robust. My dial attachment fits my head brilliantly and really tucks under the back of my head!!

The one my daughter borrowed today however to go on her friends bike was bloody awful. It was better than nothing but it really was crap. I wouldn't go for that at all for anything.

Plan is to go to local saddlers tomorrow and I've told my (non horsey) mum that for £60 (her budget for a birthday present) she isn't going to get hat and boots (which she thought after looking on Amazon)!!

Thanks guys!!
 
Last edited:
atlantis said:
Ooh do you all bother with body protectors for lead rein lessons?
Click to expand...

I'm not with my son who turns 3 next month but then I'm still holding onto him (or having someone walk right beside him). I will likely get him a BP once he's a bit more confident, I can't imagine the fuss he'd make if I tried to put one on him at this age! Bit too young to understand it... although he does love his riding hat. I went to my local tack shop and tried them on him, got one with the adjustable dial at the back so should fit him for a little while. I personally wouldn't use a bike helmet for riding, I read that they're designed with totally different impact zones.
 
She's still at the someone holding onto her stage atm. I'm hoping she'll get a bit more confident with someone else with her. She's very keen so maybe we'll go for a hat and boots and wait for a body protector. Thanks.
 
atlantis said:
What make did you get, if you don't mind me asking? Just so I can keep an eye out?
Click to expand...

I got him a Gatehouse one, it's very lightweight with a peak (not velvet covered, but that rubbery type). I made sure I chose a light one as I read that heavy hats are bad for their necks when they're really young. It was about £45 if I remember. Good luck :)
 
Thank you. That's the one I've liked the look of the most when I've looked online. I need to see it for real now and plonk it in her head lol.

They do a pink one though, I'll have to steal her away from that lol!!
 
Please do not get a poly hat!!

I had one a couple of years ago after a nightmare of getting a hat to fit (this one seemed to fit said the fitter!) and it was the worst money I've ever spent.

I tipped off the shoulder of a 16.2, did a forward roll, the hat part came away from my head and the harness strangled me. I ended up with a severe concussion.

Called the company who were of no use at all, and very unsympathetic. I ended up with a Champion.
 
Please buy a proper skull cap for your kids - they don't have to ride so if you can't afford the safety kit they shouldn't get on. It's a dangerous sport and a skull cap has saved my life more than once. Especially when they are little - they fall head first as small children's centre of gravity is higher ( they have big heads compared to their bodies) they are more likely to land head first than a teen or adult.
 
I have a poly hat for me and it doesn't feel as robust as a skull but I just keep telling myself it's tested to the same standard! Just make sure the harness is tight enough like any hat to secure it and make sure you do the dial as tight as it will go on your head and it doesn't move. I know gate house do one simmilar I think called cool rider I've seen it in the tack shop but not tried on.
 
I really don't like the look of the polly hat or many of the other lightweight makes. They just look perched. I completely agree that you get what you pay for but Im also not sure I'm happy with the implication that I don't want to spend money to protect my daughters head!!! But I'll leave it there its difficult to judge on the internet.

We're off out to a couple of tack shops later. The lightweight hat to protect their neck vs skull cap for greater protection is something I need to bear in mind.
 
For me the damage to their spine by having a heavy hat at such a young age is more of a risk than sliding off the side of a 7hh Shetland in walk while being lead.
Young bones are still developing and 'proper' hats are really heavy if you were using them regularly.
I guess it depends on what level of riding your child is doing, the 'proper' advice is no more than 10 mins a couple of times a month at 4 or it'll damage their pelvic development.
Everything is a risk - just depends what/ where you want to take that risk.

The Poly hats are tested to UK standards, if you don't fit/ fasten any hat properly then it's a waste of time.
 
Horse riding is a dangerous sport so I'd get a skull cap professionally fitted buy a tack shop. Unfortunately they will grow out of them quickly but that's the down side of riding... It's expensive!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top