Hats - following on from discussion below

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Who here replaces their hat after every fall or routinely every 2years?
I know its recommended but I have to admit that I do not - though i will probably be replacing my "posh" hat in the next 6months and if i have one more fall on my skull cap I will replace it.
In the other post people were saying that if you have the money to ride you should have the money to replace your hat - which is true to an extent - but last year i had a fall within a week of getting my new skull cap, and another fall 2months after - if i had replaced it each time i would have bought 3skull caps in 2months!

This is not started as an argument so please keep this a genuine interesting discussion.
Particularly interested in hearing from those who ride for a living and compete regularly to see if your view is different from those who keep horses as a hobby (so please state which you are)

Discuss...
 
I do not replace my hat every 2 years! I had my last hat for about 6 years and only recently bought a new one [which is bloody uncomfortable
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I'd fallen off a lot in my old hat, but only maybe once or twice actually hit my head when falling - nearly always land on my feet or my arse!

It might be the sensible thing to do, but to be honest, I felt my old hat was still doing a reasonable job, and I wasn't doing anything incredibly high risk - the horses I rode were generally well behaved and I wasn't eventing or anything, particularly in the last 4 years of that hat.
 
Ive had my current one for 2 years and while ive not fallen off in it, i think i probably will replace it soon. Not just because of the safety issue but because i think they get pretty grim and minging after that amount of use
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I think its probably one of those things where 99% of the time you can "risk" not replacing it and you'll be fine. But that 1% happens to someone and you'll be kicking yourself afterwards if you suffer some real damage just because you didnt replace your hat :/

Basically... dont think its worth the risk really. I never ride without a hat for the same reason... most of the time you're fine but theres always those stupid situations that arise and the thought of spending the rest of my life needing continuous care due to major brain injuries isnt appealing :|
 
I replace my hat about every year because I fall off all the time & then when I go to PC camp, where they check you're hates I'm terrified they'll say mine is broken and then I can't ride until mum brings a new one!

But as probably not going next year..I'll probably replace it soon but havn't hit my head in a fall on it, havn't fallen off properly for aaaages...-touch wood- Or ages to me anyway xD
 
Had mine for as long as i can remember (including a 4 year break from riding), and to be honest could do with a new one...... only ever used to replace them if I fell and hit my head!
 
I certainly replaced mine after my last fall as I was knocked out and had concussion to me - that to me says that hat was likely to have got a bashing. This was quite a tumble though - horse was hit by a car and I got thrown!
Admittedly I dont usually replace after a light tumble,
 
I have not replaced my 2 hats for about 3 years or so. Not because I dont want to, but because I never got round to it, or found money for other things. I also like my hats as they fit nicely- but i agree with comments above they do get pretty gross having been used during summer months etc. I will probably change it at some point this year. I am a recreational rider btw. (although I do instruct so should change it to set a good example!)
 
I replace hats after every fall where the head hits the ground or whenever they are too disgusting to put on! I do only buy the cheap Charles Owen ones, they have passed all the necessary safety standards and although they may not be beautiful or fashionable they do the job required.

To add - as a child I would not have worn a hat schooling in the field. I was very shocked therefore when my daughter, wearing her hat, came off in the middle of our field which is peaty and has very few stones, landed on her head on a stone and put a hole in her hat. Had that been me thirty years previously . . . .
 
Ive had my hat about 4 years. I should really change it soon. Its comfortable though and Ive not had any falls on my head. I dont think modern hats deteriorate that quickly and it still feels fine...lots of padding etc.
 
Mine probably last 3 years before I give in & replace them for smelling to bad!
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I tend to buy one for competing & continue to hack out in the old one though.
 
I haven't had time to read the other responses yet, so forgive me if I repeat things! I have always replaced my hat if it has hit the ground when I have come off. I haven't needed to think about the two year interval because I have always come off within it
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I do know what you mean about replacing a fairly new hat. I've been there, it did make me wince and I didn't like throwing the virtually new one away, but the protective material degrades with impact, so although it looks the same, there is a good chance its not the same inside. My brain is my favourite organ, so I'm not going to take any chances with it!

I ride as a hobby, not professionally.
 
I am a professional horseperson. I am also the main breadwinner in the household. I only have one head, therefore I try to look after it. I have several hats for different purposes, none of which is over 2 years old. I change them regularly because 1) the materials do degrade 2) they get manky with regular use 3) you never know when someone may have dropped your hat, and the materials are designed to take the force of the impact without necessarily showing the damage.

I would always change a hat, however new (!) if I fell on my head or the hat fell on the ground. I am not a slave to fashion, and although I have a "posh" hat for competing, my everyday ones cost around £40. I find the kids' ones actually fit me better, so no VAT.
 
I try just replace mine when they get a few years old usually, I don't fall off very pften. But just had to replace my last one after a 'rapid dismount' from my 17hh 5yr old, where I cracked my hat and ended up with migraines for a month!
 
I always replace mine after a fall, last year I fell off out teamchasing and landed on my head. At the time I dismissed it, got back on and finished my round, but a couple of days later I was speaking to my saddler's wife about the fall and she asked if I would bring the hat down to hers.
She lectures on rider safety and demonstrated to me that although the outer shell was still rigid, the hat would not protect me. She opened the outer shell within seconds, by hitting it at one of many 'weak points' the hat aquires after a fall and showed me the extent of the damage, the hat was neither use nor ornament, and therefore I would rather be out of pocket than without head...
 
Once a riding hat has received an impact to it then it becomes permanently damaged and will no longer offer the head the level of protection it was designed to. This is because it absorbs the destructive energy from the blow to it which causes it to become permanently damaged. Any further blow to a damaged riding hat will no longer be fully absorbed and the destructive energy will be transmitted directly to the head.

This is why it is essential to replace your hat after it has received an impact.

The same applies to back protectors.
 
I ride for a living, and always wear a hat when riding, but then again Im always falling off!

However, with regards to replacing them after every fall or being dropped, my personal point of view is that if a hat is no good after one fall or 'drop' I am wasting my time wearing it in the first place!
I am NOT saying that hats are a waste of time, far from it, I think my hat has saved me several times, but as I said before if I have to change it every time I dropped it its pointless! (that is providing of course that the hat is in one piece without cracks etc.!) Plus I would be skint!
I also think that hats are too expensive these days - I am not putting a price on my life but if I did feel the need to change it more often than I do now I would be spending an awful lot!
Just my opinion
 
I fell off onto my head in October and spent the night in hospital.
Whether or not I can see any damage in my hat - it has been replaced.
Not worth the risk in my opinion.

Fiona
 
I have 3 hats!! I have a Dublin Oynx for every day which is a nice ventilated one. Has the PAS and EN standards and was really cheap. I also have a kids own skull hat (kids ones are cheaper as no VAT) which I use for XC and is a spare in case I did fall on my Oynx and a charles owen SJ XP which I keep for shows (no wonder at the price - it was a gift from someone). The only reason I have the 2 cheaper ones is I had the skull hat then bought the oynx as the skull hat was too hot. You can buy fully certified hats for under £30 so I would always replace one after a fall where it suffered impact. I've never replaced one just because I'd had it a couple of years.

I guess it depends how much you spend on them. I have a dislike for GPA hats, over £200 and only have the EN standard (which is absolutely fine but the British PAS one is a higher standard). I know someone who had a fall in one and it split clean in 2, not a particularly hard blow either. No offence to anyone who has one of course. Replacing one of them would be costly though - £30 isn't a big deal when you consider what you pay for a set of shoes.
 
Sadly I am not one of the ones that replaces hats every 2 years or after falls.
My 2nd to last hat got replaced 5 years ago as my ex went to borrow the silk off it & it had a huge y shaped crack up the back & he threw it in the bin on the 3rd time of telling me to replace it!
My hat I currently have has been in my boot for a while & when I went to get it out it was covered in mould!
So I am currently looking for a new one. Either the HS1 or champion vetair depending on which one fits me the best!

Then I hunt in a patey! Which will not be getting replaced every 2 years!
 
Up 'til a couple of months ago I had a fairly 'difficult' mare who I fell off regually, at least once a month (& I still got back on-yes I am stupid!!). I didn't replace my hat after every fall as I usually land on my bum.
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If I had a fall & hit my head I would definatley feel the need to replace my hat then.

I usually find that once my everyday hat starts to get past its best I relegate my competition hat to everyday use & buy a new one for best.
 
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How safe are pateys? especially without a chinstrap?

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I will agree that they are not up to safety standard but the chin strap does not add ANY saftey value to a correctly fitting hat. Mine was made to measure & I struggle to get it off with my hands. & am left with a great red mark across my forhead for rest off day after taking it off.
 
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