Harry Hall Hat shocker!

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Ranyhyn

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Well I was shocked ok!!

Went to my local feed merchants to buy a new hat and they didn't have the one I wanted, so I picked up one of those Light grey on Dark grey Harry Hall peaked hats, had it fitted and it was the best fit of all so happily went to the check-out.
Just about to pay and the shop assistant said

"You know you can't go to pony club or riding club in that dont you?"

"Er no, does that mean I can't compete in it either?"

"No"

So of course I put the hat back and go through the whole process again with a different type of hat (subsequently I saved some money as I fit in a childs hat....)

But my point is surely they should make that a little more obvious - what if that girl wasn't at the till? I know I should have researched into it a bit more but I am just so suprised to find a hat on the market which doesn't reach britains safety standards....

How Odd...
 
Surely if it didn't reach the safety standards they shouldn't have been selling it in the first place
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Could it have been a case of it being the colour? Surely for competing its meant to be black? Or is that wrong?
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It doesn't have the kite mark - thats the issue I think so its not safe for anything really that recognises the kite mark as a safety mark.

She said it didn't detract from its safety its just it hasn't passed the relevant tests etc.

I do agree - I did wonder how they get by selling that hat without making it blatantly visible it isn't up to the relevant standards. I mean I know it didn't have the kite mark on it - but Ive been riding for over 10 years and never thought I'd have to look for that - I kinda thought if its being sold, its passed everything.
 
The kid who I teach turned up for her first lesson with me wearing a hat her mum had got from Tesco!! It had no kind of safety standard mark. I think it's discusting that they can sell these!!
 
Alot of the GPA hats havent got the kitemarks either.... Ponyclub and BE are the only ones who really check it... though more riding clubs are now.
 
Such a shock because if your a mum buying a hat for your kid, you look at the hats and think ok, (honestly) which one is the cheapest? and the HH one is one of the cheapest - then you end up spending £45 on something you cant use!
 
The Pony Club only recognise the Kite Mark as standard for their club and events.

However, other hats such as GPA and Troxell etc actually have other marks which are the SNELL and CE saftey standard marks, these standards are actually the same if not HIGHER safety ratings than the BE Kite Mark.

It is just the Pony Club trying to standardise so that they can tell at a glance who is wearing a properly certificated hat - as only Dublin or Harry Hall seem to have the Kite (along with other safety marks) throughout their range. So I am surprised that you are saying that this particular Harry Hall hat did not comply. A little draconian of the Pony Club maybe - but I suppose they can make the rules they want. However, it does mean that I have had to buy a new hat for their events and keep my nice JTE and GPA for jumping etc

The worrying thing would be, if the Tesco's hat that someone mentioned above was not tested or marked at all. Not for the sake of competing in Pony Club or what ever, just for the fact that it has obviously not been tested for safety of any standard and that, to me, would me the chance of "smushing" your brains .... no thanks!
 
I've got that hat and it has the safety standards for BSJA and I thought Riding Clubs (?) but not the Pony Club. Very comfy hat though
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Look it up on the Pony Club website they have a whole section about which hats etc are accepted - basically they have to have the Kite Mark - you may find that the E:**** number stated in that hat is the Kite Mark number - however, they must also have the actual Kite Logo.

As said previously, this does not mean that all other hats eg GPA that do not use the Kite Mark standard are "no good" or "unsafe" it is just that they have not been tested by the Kite Mark people. But they will have been tested by SNELL or CE which is a smilar or higher standard of safety test as the Kite Mark.

It is just Pony Club and some Riding Clubs that are making this ruling - I suppose to make sure that everyone is wearing a tested hat - and to make it simple as to what tests the hat must have passed - hope you get my drift !
 
So in a nutshell, the hat is safe, just useless as you could find yourself unable to ride at a show or competition or even at a RC/PC.

I don't see what possible use a hat like this could serve, just buy another hat which you can use for everything....
 
That Harry Hall hat don't carry the PASO15 kitemark (the British one) so they aren't suitable for RC/PC .

They need to have the British Kitemark on them to be suitable (the one that looks like an ice cream)

I think most other brands have the PAS015 .
I can't understand why manufacturers make them without the kitemark for the British Market
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My personal grumble with riding hats is that our wonderful Government doesn't class them as safety equipment, so we have to pay VAT on them!!

So your steel toecap boots - no VAT, fluorescent tabard - no VAT, riding hat - 15% extra please!!
 
i've got a livery who has just got her daughter a new hat for christmas, she had sent her mum to a local tack shop to get one, with a budget of £50 but her mum saw one on offer in tesco for £7.99, needless to say her mum bought it. My livery was a bit concerned by that fact it was from tesco and has apparently checked it and it has the current safety standards. So maybe some of them from Tescos do meet the requirments - not sure bit dont they do a couple of types?
 
Its also worth bearing in mind that tha PC and RC take no account of the global market

I have a Casco helmet which is one of the safest and German Kitemarked. I can compete BSJA and BE in it, but for RC I have to swap to one that doesn't fit me because its got the BSI kitemark!!!

Stupid, yes.

Also Tesco sells the Polly Products hat which is fully kitemarked and costs £25. Lidl has EU rated hat, but no UK kitemark (not sure whether it was german kitemarked)
 
Its just PC being PC i suppose... :S If you cant ride at a show or PC/RC in it.. why buy it? If its not safe in their eyes, surely its not safe for general use either? (unless stated as above, if they dont recognise all saftey marks. in which case Harry Hall's sales are going to drop) Its silly imho, standards are set in terms of saftey yet a large organisation such as PC refuse to recognise them!
 
The reason the PC don't allow you to ride in anything that isn't British Kitemarked is insurance, not them being akward. To comply with the insurance that covers them every hat must have the kitemark or else the rider won't be covered by the insurance. Bit of a pain but still it's understandable.
I was a bit annoyed as just joined the PC and went to get my Kavalkade Safety riding hat tagged and they said no as it is German it doesn't have the kitemark, so had to by a new hat but i brought one i can use for xc so wasn't that much of a problem.
 
omg. i have the light grey and dark grey hat. gutting. does that mean i cant compete BD init???
my friends is with the riding club and she has a champion hat with a fixed peek and she went to camp with no problems. im gobsmcked by that. iv had my hat for a few years now!!!
 
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