KEEP YOUR HATS ON!

C

Cedars

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My rant for the day.

You are a professional showjumper.
You are riding at one of the biggest horsey events for impressionable young children and riders who look up to you and worship your every move.
You wear a safety hat when jumping so that if you fall on the floor your brains do not spew everywhere.
Children are asked to wear hats so their brains don't spew everywhere.
As a public figure, you should be setting a good example.

SO KEEP YOUR F******* HATS ON, THEY'RE NOT A FASHION STATEMENT THEY'RE THERE TO SAVE YOUR LIVES AND YOU SHOULD SET A BETTER EXAMPLE.

Rant over!

xxxxx
 
I was getting angry at that watching it on BBC2 earlier!

Horrid isnt it, I do think its more the older and foreign riders though.
I was quite annoyed also about the lack of plaits.
 
Ranting at the converted hun
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I concur by the way
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That is like asking us not to drink or smoke, or use the phone whilst driving, or any other minor thing that can be seen as a bad influence on kids.

If you dont like then dont watch and stop your kids from watching too.

Simples..........
 
You're not the only one whos thought that!
Worst was one last year... it was on cbeebies or cbbc, and they were going on about horses, they then showed footage on a lady riding, no hat!

Something cute though... when we had the SJ on, one of my twins dragged his rocking horse into the middle of the room, and started riding as if he was going around! every jump they did on the TV, he giggled
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I dont have kids.

I also dont smoke or drink excessively (and do neither whilst driving!) or use the phone as firstly its illegal and secondly you could kill someone.

I think its disgusting that they dont take responsibility for the image they portray.

But I do agree that it is the older, and forgein riders, and actually I was watching Ellen today and she wasnt sure what to do! But she left it on and I thought that was good of her.

I particularly liked the guy who was accepting the prize and his horse was rearing and bucking and he still didnt put it back on! Classic.

xxxx
 
Is this a modern thing? sort of fashion? I don't remember any of the GREATS ie: Harvey Smith, David Broome, Paul Schockemole, Eddie Macken etc etc doing this? I wait to be corrected
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I concur! But then I also get very annoyed when people swear/smoke/are generally inappropriate in front of children, I just don't see the need for it. End of.

ETS: I must admit I did wonder about this ^^^^ , and I am one for respect, but I think now a days when we are more safety conscious (generally I do hate H & S, just not when kids are involved) there's no reason you can't just tip your hat instead
 
to be entirely accurate I've gone and looked at the rule book....

Rule 101.4
...."Such headgear must be worn with the chinstrap properly adjusted and fastened, when jumping in the arena, the practice area and the collecting ring"

Rule 267
...." Jumping or attempting to jump any obstacle or passing through the finish without a hat or without a chinstrap correctly fastened incurs elimination unless the judge decides the competitor was so far committed to jumping the obstacle at the moment when the chinstrap came undone that he could not be expected to pull up before attempting the obstacle"

I correct myself!!
 
As a child, I remember I liked only the most inappropriate people, who did the most interestingly unsensible things.
I would probably also have been delighted with a demonstration of brain spillage...
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Children are clearly much nicer, and more innocent than I was.
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S
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FEI rules are very different from the BSJA ones, at FEI shows you are only required to wear a hat through the start and out the finish. If you visit any of the international shows abroad, be it Dressage or SJ, hardly anyone wears a hat in the warm up. And the decision to do this is SOLELY theirs.

People are also forgetting that removing your hat comes from a long long time ago and is a form or respect to say thank to the invited VIPS, judges and crowd. I can remember the days when your hat used to fly off half way round because they ahd no chin straps!!

The vast majority of British riders, except Billy Funnell, (throwing it in the air after his third Derby win, and Rob W off the top of my head, keep it on because they are used to riding under national rules.
 
At every show i went to in the summer (small local shows) if anyone was sat on a horse with no hat they were told to dismount or put a hat on, usually said over loudspeaker. I thought this would be the same for professionals as i was under the impression it is because of insurance reasons for the organisers, but i see its not.
 
That's why I thought they did it too. IMO they usually do it when the horse is practically stationary and I guess it is also done as a show of respect for support given. My children regularly watch these events with me and I wouldnt expect them to cluelessly copy this behaviour. I don't really see it's a problem
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Oh no Boogles I totally agree with you, obviously it is the childs responsibility.

Maybe I should rephrase actually, I think the problem lies more with teenagers as its apparently a legal requirement to wear your hat under 16.

We always see kids riding up our lane without any fluourescence (whoole different rant!) without their hats done up, and the only thing I can think of is that they think its cool. Things are made "cool" by people they respect doing it.

Its definitely the parents responsibility, but what about when they're old enough to make their own decisions? Although I suppose then its their fault if they kill themselves!

xxxx
 
[ QUOTE ]
As a child, I remember I liked only the most inappropriate people, who did the most interestingly unsensible things.
I would probably also have been delighted with a demonstration of brain spillage...
tongue.gif

Children are clearly much nicer, and more innocent than I was.
grin.gif

S
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Do you think that's it? I reckon it's that parents are much more ineffectual these days - when I was a kid it didn't really matter what I saw other people doing, if my parents told me to do otherwise then I would have done...you know, they were allowed alcohol and to stay up later then me amongst other things
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[ QUOTE ]
Oh no Boogles I totally agree with you, obviously it is the childs responsibility.

Maybe I should rephrase actually, I think the problem lies more with teenagers as its apparently a legal requirement to wear your hat under 16.

We always see kids riding up our lane without any fluourescence (whoole different rant!) without their hats done up, and the only thing I can think of is that they think its cool. Things are made "cool" by people they respect doing it.

Its definitely the parents responsibility, but what about when they're old enough to make their own decisions? Although I suppose then its their fault if they kill themselves!

xxxx

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think it is - I think you only have to legally wear a hat on the road if you are under the age of 14. Over 14 I do not think there is any law.

http://www.beta-uk.org/Safety/HatGuide.asp
 
I thought it was up to 14 on a road too SC.

I thought men always did it, not women, has always been that way.

I think it is prob useful for them for photos and to identify themselves as often someone with a hat on could be anyone. I find it hard enough recognising friends in one
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so it doesnt bother me really. I hope that kids are surrounded by enough other people wearing hats.
 
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its tradition. men, remove their hats to acknowledge the judges and crowd, women dont. i see your point, but if they didnt there would be an uproar re etiquette etc! its classed as bad manners not 2! the rule btw only concerns you through the course ie start and finish.

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yes i though it was tradition, particularly in the prize givings.
 
Firstly 'the greats' Harvey Smith, David Broome, Eddie Macken etc rode in an era where showjumpers might have worn an ancient old hat but NEVER EVER wore a chinstrap and always took them off for presentations- I was a little kid ridng show ponies in those days and remember the first thing one did with a nice new hat was cut the (probably ineffectual ayway) elastic/strap off!!

I also remember Harvey Smith raising hell when the wearing of the three point harness became mandatory!

Hat wearing to me is down to the individual - especially for a few minutes in a presentation.

I think they set a far worse example by sticking draw reins on to go in for the presentation!
 
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I'm probably going to get shot down in flames here but it's the PARENTS responsability to make sure their child DOES wear a hat not an international riders responsability!


It's their head and if they choose not to wear a hat so be it! p

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^What she said.
My 5 year old was sat watching the jumping with me,and every time a rider took their hat off he said "they are silly,dont want a poorly head,do you?" (poorly covers everything from a bump to brain spillage
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Yes getting on a horse without a hat is daft,but it is up to the indivual to decide what risks are worth taking.
If we never did anything that might hurt us we wouldnt keep horses at all....
 
Yes, definitely parents responsibility - they should have control over the action of their children.

For the record, Harvey smith, Eddie Macken etc all did it - in fact they didnt even have chinstraps attached to their hats. i vividly remember watching Peter chrles jumping in the dublin GP and throwing his cap off when he went clear. I also remember Francis connors "losing" his helmet when his horse overjumped a fence in a National class years ago and continueing on and completing the course (and winning the class!) without his hat - all within the rules of the time of course.
Im not condoning it, but while these riders should be encouraged to lead by example, its not their responsibility to ensure kids wear helmets (by setting good example) - thats the job of the parents.
 
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