Hat or no hat? That is the question.....

Having recently had a fall landing on my head (wearing an HS1) the impact was painful but my head was OK - unfortunately I cant say the same for my lower back (wearing a protector) multiple fractures in sacrum! I am mending and can walk so very lucky!

Would never ride without a HAT!
 
I must admit to not wearing a hat on more than several occasions. Very naughty!
I think it's more the fact I feel more confortable without a hat and I just tack up and get on, also I seem to have really sensitive ears as soon as they get even slightly cold I get a very bad headache. So in the winter I have always have a fleecy winter hat and my hat won't fit over it so I just go out without one. Also in the summer when it gets really hot I have been known to just nip out without one in the evenings.

I really think people shoul wear them though, I am definately making more of an effort to put mine on. Although I need a new one as it doesn't fit me very well and I just don't like it.

It annoys me to see top showjumpers or whatever not wearing them though on tv etc. What a bad example !
 
niagaraduval said:
I seem to have really sensitive ears as soon as they get even slightly cold I get a very bad headache.
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This is priceless! You'll obviously have an even worse headache if you land on your head. Has that ever occurred to you?

PS The showjumper bit is just so annoying after what you've just said..is it their fault you're daft?
 
bahumbug said:
This is priceless! You'll obviously have an even worse headache if you land on your head. Has that ever occurred to you?

PS The showjumper bit is just so annoying after what you've just said..is it their fault you're daft?
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I know I should wear a hat and I often do but on some occasions I don't, But I am working on that, I never wore a hat when I was young as I was always riding all the time and I just didn't, my father never wore a hat either..
I think the showjumper comment is for kids more than adults..
I make my own choices to wear a hat or not.
 
niagaraduval said:
I never wore a hat when I was young as I was always riding all the time and I just didn't, my father never wore a hat either..
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Funny that as I always did wear a hat as a child as was in a yard that also had a riding school and we had to be 'correctly turned out' at all times. Was only later I started to get bit cowboy. Can appreciate the background but I actually have made a firm decision, hot or not, hat.
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Having lived and kept horses in Spain for five years it is the norm' for Spanish people not to wear hats (one old guy asked me if I was scared of my horse becuase I was wearing a hat). Even some of the English ladies keeping horses on the yard had slipped into the 'no hat' camp until we arrived and wore our hats every time we rode. As a result, two of the owners decided to buy and wear hats as well - two days later one of the women was thrown whilst out in the campo and broke a collar bone and hit her head really badly. Had she not been wearing her new hat, who knows?

We owe it to ourselves, our families and our horses to keep ourselves safe - it's not a sign of experience to ride without a hat - it's a sign of ignorance.
 
niagaraduval said:
I know I should wear a hat and I often do but on some occasions I don't, But I am working on that, I never wore a hat when I was young as I was always riding all the time and I just didn't, my father never wore a hat either..
I think the showjumper comment is for kids more than adults..
I make my own choices to wear a hat or not.
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It really is not.
Kids have parents-there is no way in hell my son would be allowed on without a hat.
Adults are the ones stupid enough to copy whatever name and put themself at risk.
I would sugest you get a new hat if your one is making your head ache and get it fitted.

Obviously,I am a parent,so am a little more safety aware now.
There were times when I younger that I would jump on an old faithfull without a hat in the summer to save mysef hat hair.
Now I simply can't stand the thought of my OH having to tell our son mummy wont be comming home because she did not want a sweaty head.
 
Personally I think times are a' changing. Where as once it was considered an extra to wear a hat not we are far more safety concious about the whole thing.

I wear my hat (I feel weird with out it), but I have also ridden with out it, the last time I actually went back and got it as I couldn't concentrate and it felt weird.

But (and here is the big but) I have a body protector and never wear it, even on cross country courses. I hate it. It restricts me I can't sit up properly and balance in the saddle with it on, I feel like its pushing me forward all the time my bum is massive and is pushes on my lower spine and makes me sit in a weird way. In 15 years of owning one I have worn it all of once. In fact I don't even know what I have done with it other than I know I haven't got rid of it. I felt very unsafe wearing it because I couldn't get the right balance, feel in my seat.

I believe that in a few more years time we will not be discussing hat or not but other safety issues such as body protector or not.

I do not agree with those who do not wear hats but it is their life, their decision and as such I respect that. No its not a good role model issue to not wear a hoat but then hey most teenagers are looking up to Katie Price and if we go by that we will have a generation of blinged out horses with riders who are full of silicone and botox. Dressage arenas will be covered in pink and wonderbras...!
 
Unless I know for certain that we're going swimming in the pond or lake, I always wear my hat. When I was younger (growing up on a country ranch, then riding horses at a polo barn) I rarely wore a hat, because back then in the area very few people did, and I guess my dad didn't know that either he or I were supposed to wear hats!

I am so grateful and feel so lucky that the worst equine related injury I sustained in that period was a broken arm rather than brain damage, and possibly death!
 
Having suffered from severe concussion which involved a stay in ITU, a CT scan, a suspected brain bleed following a fall from a horse in a sand covered menage WITH a hat on I felt incredibly lucky to have got away with what I did and most probably wouldn't be here now unless I'd worn one. To me not wearing one is like driving a car without a seatbelt, jumping XC without a body protector or climbing a mountain without a safety rope.

Many years ago a fellow livery died following a fall from a horse (she was wearing a hat but it did not fit her correctly). When something like that happens on your door step you tend to learn a lesson quickly.
 
Having been bucked off on Sunday and landed on my head, i feel very lucky to have been able to get up and chase after my horse....however very stupidly did not have on a body protector and i have been hobbling about for the past few days! So i woudl say always have a hat on and i'm going bnody protector hunting this weekend.

Also was suprised to get to the yard yesterdya to find that one of the kids who was there when i feel off and said how bad it was had fallen off her horse and had no hat on!!! needless to say she got very very sore ears from me!
 
i've been riding for the last couple of weeks in a baseball cap! Have always ridden in a hat and don't know why i havene't been recently, probably becasue i've only been riding round the fields at home.
last Thursday i feel off my non -spooky, 'safe' boy and bruised my pelvis quite badly, however, just in the moment where you know you have parted company and know it's going to hurt all I cold think of was 'oh my goodness i haven't got a hat on!'

OK hat on from now on................. please take note of my story. as i was riding- i was in a day dream and thinking how well he was going, he didn't do anything wrong, just went sideways!
could have been much, much worse
 
hat for whatever equestrian event your doing or horse your riding. Had an unflappable bombproof horse and had him for many years. One day riding down the bridlepath and without any warning whatsoever he reared very high and I fell off. Just goes to show any horse not matter what you think can rear. We think he was stung.

Have seen a top event rider fall off her horse and end up in the school wall, had a hat on though. Flat work in the school can be worse than jumping (never really got why its different to wear a hat for jumping and not for flat work).
 
Darwinian selection at work here.
Whether you wear a hat or not; for you it is a choice. For your relatives and friends there is no choice.
For the people who have to sort out your injuries there is no choice.
Before you make your choice experience what it is like to tell someone their loved one is brain injured and may die/be damaged forever
How can I put this politely..well I can't.
If you don't wear a hat you are stupid and that is where Darwinian selection comes in.
 
Darwinian selection at work here.
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Surely “Darwinian Selection”(I prefer the term natural selection) would be the following:-

Individual chooses not to wear hat, has offspring who inherit the inclination to both ride horses and not to wear a hat. Offspring of original individual all die in riding accidents due to head injuries. Genetic line is discontinued.

Or, take two individuals, one chooses to wear a hat and one doesn't, both have offspring who inherhit the hat/no hat inclination. Offspring cycle continues and various accidents occur. Natural selection only comes into force if one or other families evolve a resistance to death by head injuries. This may occur in the non-hat wearing group as individuals who survive falls may have thicker skulls/protective plastic type hair:eek:/better brain cushioning and develop this feature in their descendants.

So, if natural selection is the argument, I propose that the non-hat wearing group are the “winners” as they are more likely to produce a “super safe” race of thick-skulled equestrians who have no need for a hat – that would no good for the hard hat industry at all and many people will loose their jobs..................so wear a hat for them (and to avoid the protective hair, not keen on that for the species).

Of course non of this applies if the individual doesn't get the chance to breed so I guess it may apply to non-hat wearing children. Injuries do not apply unless the individual is prevented from breeding.

*tongue residing a little bit in the cheek so don't get worked up* ;)
 
HAT!
Being at a dressage yard surrounded by people who are not riding in hats I was mocked for having a skull cap on with the chin strap fastened, I always stood up for myself and kept it on.
And the other day one of my 'non hat' friends fell off doing flat work and hit his head on the fence and was knocked clean out! All I said to him was, 'You should have worn a hat'. Thankfuly he learnt his lesson, so did the rest of the no-hatters!!!!! :)
 
I've always worn a hat to ride, my parents instilled it in me from when I first started. They did this as I'm the most accident prone person they know and if anyone was going to have an accident it would be me! This was brought back to the fore a couple of weeks ago when I took a crashing fall head first onto the tarmac while out hacking, the horse put in the tinest spook at nothing and I just went out the side door. Even with my hat on I was still nearly knocked out, was dazed and confused and was seeing stars until the next day. It was nearly 6 hours later before I could string a proper sentance together. When I got home my dad pulled my hat apart (as there was no way I'd be waring it again) so we could see the damage. Right there in front of my eyes was an undeniable dent in the foam, had I not been wearing my hat, that would have been my skull and I wouldnt have been seeing stars, I probably wouldnt have been seing anything at all!! Dont mean to sound dramatic, but my accident was 'just one of those things' which could have ended so much worse. Thankfully all I suffered were minor injuries and re-cracking my ribs for the 3rd time, plus a headache for the weekend. Ok its cost me £70 to replace my hat, which I could ill afford, but whats £70 when it can save your life??
 
*havent read all posts*

all i can say is evolution is a wonderful thing, those who are stupid enough to ride without a hat will be removed from the gene pool soon enough without us worrying over them.
 
I have fallen on my head too many times - not worth the risk for me TBH.
Flat work - horses spooked mid canter totally unexpected
Road work - horse reared and flipped, landed on my head on the concrete - cue hat actually split!! i still had to go to hospital as i was dizzy as hell when i stood up, infact i would have been dead if not wearing one
Jumping - too many times

Plus i have two young children to think about
 
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Got bucked off and kicked in the head.. If I wasn't wearing a hat the metal shoe wouldve split my head open.as it was I still had to have a hospital stay if i wasnt wearing a hat couldve been a lot worse!!!

People that dont wear hats are idiots in my opinion. A simple item which could save your life.

Every horse can spook or trip.. Every rider can fall off
 
Ok, haven't read all posts so sorry if I'm repeating what someone has said.
I think riding without a helmet is incredibly irrasponsible. So it's your choice whether you wear one or not but what about the family and friends who have to deal with the after affects should you have an accident?
 
Always wear my hat riding- with it done up.

Fallen off schooling and jumping and had some bad concussion in the past too (could of been worse but my helmets have taken the brunt of it). Even fallen off in halt before! Never had it drilled into me to wear a hat, but to me helmets were in invented for a reason.
 
I would always wear a riding hat every time I sit in a saddle, when I am jumping my horse at home I also wear a body protector. My husband is not horsey and would not understand if I didn't, most of the time I am on my own when schooling too.

I have had occasional falls one my horses in the past, some have been the most sensible horses I have ever sat on - I fell off on a road as a man on the other side of the hedge started his strimmer just as we were riding past, I was very glad to be riding with a hat and it wasn't the horses fault.

As a BE rider, I am amazed that so many people at intro level (Until this year) would wear patey hats to do dressage - I have watched horses rearing and bucking with their rider wearing a hat that wouldn't help them if they fell off. I am so pleased to hear that some dressage riders are now making it a rule that they must be worn.

I appreciate that there is freedom of choice but as our sport is constantly fighting to remain an olympic sport we cannot allow those people to ban it due to safety because some people can't be a**ed to wear a hat.

I would like to add though that if I ever get to compete at an international event I hope that a hat company has brought out a BS standard top hat by then as they do look cool (if they haven't then I will still be wearing by navy blue hat with 5 point harness!)
 
Well wearing hats and body protectors are creeping into that outpost of the tough and IMO loony world of the Pro Bull Rider Circuit. I love this and have been watching it for a few years (though I can't really see why you would do this rather than eat the steak) BUT the helmet brigade are growing thankfully! In this particular case I think Stormy owes his life to his helmet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMsBDb6N8UY

Though to some the safety Vs cool tradition message is has not penetrated the extra thick skull evolution has given the dumber cowboy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0948_B6r1kA
 
After a coma, two weeks in intensive care as the result of a riding accident when hat was not properly secured..... hat always!
( and now always secured )

My well schooled horse deposited me whilst schooling a few months back, a cat (black but not lucky) jumped out into the areana from no where, horse spun quicker than I even realised what was happening, I just missed the fence in my fall.

Horses are animals, they are not bombproof anything can happen with any horse even whilst schooling!

Riding itself is a risk by itself don't be selfish to your family and increase it by being reckless!
 
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I never wear a hat, I am far to good a rider to ever fall off. My horses are perfectly schooled and understand that they can not ever buck, rear, nap etc

I think I look pretty darn cool without a hat on, its a fashion statement and means I can wear baseball hats to match the colour of my jodhs.

My head is not as heavy as my hips so if god forbid, I ever did fall off, the laws of gravity would make my hips overtake my head and land me in an upright position.

Oh, hang on.....no, thats not right. In actual fact, I am not a complete TWONK

I do wear a hat. Always.
 
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