Rant - Riding Without A Hat, WHY?!

I do always ride in a hat now, but when I was younger, I did ride around the fields bareback with no hat on, as did most of the people I rode with. When I started teaching, I realised people looked to me as an example of what to do, so I ensured I always wore a hat. I also insisted every single person, adult or otherwise, wore a fastened hat when mounted or lunging anywhere on the property - insurance etc aside, I didn't want to have to be the one giving CPR to a dead body if they fell on to their bare head.

What people choose to do on their own property, as adults, is up to them. I will be riding this weekend, I will be the only one in a protective hat. Over here the whole hat culture is a bit different, but vanity will not prevent me from protecting my head.
 
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It'll never fail to be surprised by how niave, selfish and ignorant people can be.

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I take it you are perfect then? I find such broad, sweeping statements themselves hugely ignorant. How dare you make such presumptions about people and how they wish to ride?

I'm going to try and not open this thread again as its making me genuinly very angry
 
Probably the best thing is to worry about yourself and let others get on with what they do. Hard, when you see something you don't agree with but as has been said, everyone makes their own choices.

I do ride wearing my hat done up, and would feel very vulnerable without it. Every person on our yard always wears a hat, its not a yard rule, we just do.
 
i feel the same as you tinkerbee
but im staying out of this coz i often go for long hacks in a head collar and leadrope simply beacuse i'm lazy!
 
Legal, yes, just on roads. However, you will find an awful lot of riding schools / livery yards will have it within their insurance policies that hats are mandatory when riding otherwise coverage is void.
 
Yet you don't wear a body protector? Punctured lung, fractured vertabra, severed bone lacerating an artery etc can all kill you, and can all be prevented by a body protector.
 
You're right Soph. I think people do it because they're ignorant and stupid and have a 'it'll never happen to me' attitude.

However, adults make their own decisions, so why bother getting so het up about it? If people don't want to wear a hat and hurt themselves, that's their choice
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The long term consequences of not wearing a riding hat sadly does not restrict itself to the person alone but also to their friends, relatives and the public at large who take on the time and financial resposibility of looking after them for the rest of their lives. In some cases the neurological damage can be so catastrophic that they may remain highly dependent on others for the rest of their lives. The cost alone for their care can be many thousands of pounds per week money far better spent on people who have non self-inflicted injuries on themselves.

The family relations and friends of the injured person may then have the resposibility to devoting many hours of their time to the care of the injured person.

Horses are a dangerous sport and it lies on us to take whatever measures we need to to minimise the risks of injury.
 
hellspells, you knew the title of the post when you opened it so I suggest if it wasn't one you wanted to be involved then it may be advisable to, as you say, not open the post again, although if you have done so then you won't read this.

I'm perfectly entitled to my opinion and this is an issue I feel strongly about, so I feel those 'sweeping comments' are justified. If you disagree with them that is also your perogative. Of course I'm not perfect, but I never ride without my hat as I feel it would be selfish/niave/ignorant!

Tinkerbee, I agree, it's difficult to draw the line. Afterall riding is a dangerous sport so you could say perhaps we shouldn't ride at all to preserve ourselves... but that would mean not living your life... I just think it's plain common sense and courtesy to your loved ones to try and minimise the risks of you sustaining awful injuries or worse, in an already risky sport. But no, I don't feel the same about airbags. It isn't always possible to drive a car with airbags, but there isn't really any reason it isn't possible to ride without a hat!
 
I always wear a hat but then thats because there has been many occasions when I've come off and clonked the back of my head so I've fully appreciated it, but everyone is different.

I'll challange anyone to ride Mr M without a hat
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.....and I'll bid you good night.
 
Miaowkiss - my work colleague's wife (a very experienced rider) was left paralyzed from the chest down when riding a dressage horse in walk. It reared and went over backwards. Horses have brains but don't always use them effectively.
 
My friend has only ridden without a hat once in her life and has only fallen off her horse once and coincidently it was the same day - which I suppose does go to show you cant take anything for granted. She was fine and i'm not preching as I cant talk as I do school without a hat when its hot.
 
With you 100% it is a stupid thing to do.
I do know a lot of girls who dont wear one because their dressage hero's dont though
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however once you are an adult it is your choice.
 
I had to open the post again.

Yes Soph I did obviously know what this post was about due to the title. But I didn't realise what derogative comments would be housed within it.

But this is grown adults we are talking about here, people that are old enough to make their own choices and not be slated for doing so.

I do look at people hacking out without hacks in horror but I would never dream of confronting them about it (unless it was a child) its their choice, as its people choice to ride bicycles without helmets or even go skiing without hats.

Do you think that BD should changes its rules re beaglers and Top hats - what about people that go hunting in ordinary beaglers and not Pateys?
 
as a general rule i do wear my hat but i have on occasion not worn one the reasons being. my former boss used to put me on horses after he'd jumped them (hatless) to walk them round the school, field or down the road and i never had chance to get my hat. i did end up taking one horse for a fairly long hack hatless despite knowing she could be the sharpest horse on the yard and had almost removed my boss the day before.

I have schooled horses hatless a few times cos tbh it does feel quite nice but i know i've got pretty good stickability and i would say i haven't done it in the last year. I feel safer with a hat on and like i'm missing something without it.

When i was about 14 i not only took my hat off but also my boots while i was riding my 13.2 in the field not sure why but it was quite fun i have to admit not that i'll be repeating it anytime soon
 
hellspells, I wouldn't go up to someone on a hack and confront them. This is an open forum where discussion and debate are frequent and if I want to make an observation then I am allowed... people have used the freedom of choice card, well what about freedom of speech.
Had to lol, at you having to open this post again.

And yes I do think rules/laws should state that everybody should wear a hat! At all times! Obviously this would be impossible to police at private yards but at least it might go some way to making people think twice about hacking without a hat.

vicky, speaking of your friends one off unfortunate incident... when I was at school, about 14yrs old, a friend of mine went to her friends house over night. Her friend had an old ploddy pony that lived in their (rather large) garden and decided to let my friend have a ride. She put her hat on but decided it was heavy and she couldn't get on the horse easily with it on. So she took it off, ready to put it straight on when she was on board. Unfortunately before she managed to put the hat on the horse spooked as she sat in the saddle and she fell off, hit her head on a rock and died. Safe pony, one split second, first time on a horse.
 
Personally, for me, I dislike it when I see people riding without a hat. It makes my blood run cold! Especially on roads. I will be honest and say I have ridden minus my hat on a number of occasions a few years ago. However with the yard I am at now I know someone who had a relative killed from a head injury after falling off a horse. She also had another relative in a comma after a fall from a horse who stumbled. So I now would never ever ride without a hat. Maybe it's just because I've seen the damage of what it can do to the people left behind!! Luckily the girl who was in a comma is now returning more to normal (still not 100%) however I'm sure had she been minus the hat it would have been another story. No one at my yard rides without helmets as it is just too traumatic (and selfish) for all involved.
I understand it's freedom of choice but in my eyes it's a silly choice. And that's not me trying to insult anyone but honestly when you see someone who has been affected so badly by head injuries from riding, well it sure makes you think. And if it doesn't, well..
 
we ride western so when in the show arena wear a stetson, and also in the warm up. I do wear a hard hat if out hacking (I am extremely prone to thumping my head on low branches...) but tend not to wear a hat for schooling. My risk assessment , my choice. When you are in charge and make it the law will you please also do something about people riding in flip flops and other inappropriate footwear?
By the way, my kids always wear hard hats, but they are little tearaways!!
 
Yard rules at our place.I always wear a hat and make my kids wear one as well especially as both there horses can be unpredictable.
As for other people,i really don't care whether they wear hats or not.They know the risks they take and the consequences.
Their head,Their choice.
 
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hellspells
This is an open forum where discussion and debate are frequent and if I want to make an observation then I am allowed... people have used the freedom of choice card, well what about freedom of speech.
Had to lol, at you having to open this post again.



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I never said people weren't allowed there own view - god some of the debates on this place are fantastic.

WHAT I ACTUALLY SAYING why do people have to make such remarks about the way people live their lives? Why do people feel the need to preach at people when at the end of the day its themselves they are hurting (and the people around them - who generally are aware of the risks their loved ones are taking)

But yes I had to open it again
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Eeeep, I used to hop on my "bombproof" (
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) pony with just a headcollar and leadrope and no hat when I went to catch him every single day. On occasions he did spook at the odd pidgeon flying out of the long grass, but I had a fairly good seat and managed not to fall off
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My reason?
The tackroom (where my hats are kept) is triple locked and alarmed. Therefore, me being very lazy, it was too much on an effort to get my hat out.
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I wouldn't ride Q without a hat- she is mental and huge- too far to fall
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I guess it is because over 50% of mentally challenged are sexually abused and it is the only way they can pull!
 
I usd to sometimes go hatless when I ws in the school or just riding to the field. I would never dream of doing it now, I know it is my head asnd can do as I like, but I now have people who rely on me so think I would rather be safe then sorry.

My little girl always comments that people shes see not wearing a hat are naughty, so I do not really think seeing a professional not wearing one would stop her from wearing hers. Just like she knows she has to wear a seat belt, and it is naughty to drop litter.

Although could someone explan why the ABRS have told my school it is essential to wear long sleaves, I really am prepared to scuff my skin in this hot weather
 
I couldn't have put it better myself.
To ride often without a hat you must be completely deluded, it is a life-saving piece of equipment that should be worn at all times when riding, ideally. My friend had a nasty fall a couple of years ago, it very nearly killed her, the only reason she didnt die was the fact that she was wearing a riding hat and body protector.
And a few years ago this girl in the area near me was killed because she thought it would be okay to get on her pony in the field without a hat to bring it up into the yard.
I personally can't understand why people would voluntarily choose to put their life on the line like that, when it doesnt take much effort to place a hat on your head and clip it up.
Of course people are completely entitled to their own opinion, but when it comes to it, not wearing a riding hat when on a horse is quite often a death sentence
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its quite upsetting really.
 
Each to their own I suppose
I have ALWAYS worn a hat as I value my life and don't fancy being struck def and dumb through lack of wearing one!

One woman a few yards down from me sat on her horse in the field whilst it was laying down with no hat......Ok you may say it's her horse and her decision she knows her horse right???.................................WRONG !!!! after less than 5 seconds the horse bolted up and bucked her off onto the field floor now 2 weeks after being in a coma on a ventilator she has died!

As I have said each to their own .........PERSONALLY I value my life and my family too much to not wear one
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This is one of my biggest bug bares I have to say. Who has the right to dictate such things to adults on their own horse on their own land (obviously yard rules should be followed etc)?

I'm really sorry and I bet I upset a few people by this but what is the point? We all know the risks etc. So why do people feel the need to rant constantly about other peoples choices?

I am going to admit that 15% of the time I will school without a hat. I compete in beagler which is just the same as riding hatless.

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Because it is a selfish choice - I am sure a lot of people care about you and the burden you will put on them if you have an accident is huge.

That goes without saying the costs society incurs providing for the injured.

I personally think people should be able to ride horses, motorcycles without helmets as well as not wear a seatbelt in the car - but if they are involved in a serious accident I think we should say f-em and take their organs and give them to someone more deserving.
 
GTs - I have no idea what you are trying to say here but anyway I read it, it's inappropriate and offensive.

On the hat front, I couldn't ride without a hat as it feels odd, like driving without a seatbelt. It's such an easy precaution to take (especially with the vented hats you can get now) that it seems crazy not to do it. I don't wear a back protector unless I'm jumping because, for me, the risks are a lot lower and the discomfort outweighs them particularly in a heatwave!

I appreciate that there is no legal requirement to wear a hat and many people go hatless with no negative consequences, but it always makes me cringe when I see it.
 
i admit to not always wearin a hat, riding to fields etc or just hopping on for ride up the lanes but hey thts my choice, if im ever goin riding on the roads for hacking etc i always wear one, never worn a body protector in my life
 
I agree with what GTs said, altohugh I think saying f-em was a tiny bit strong but true.

It is not just yourself you have to think about it is family and friends if the worst happened that have to pick up the pieces and the healthcare team, that have to come to yuor aid. Yes, the worst can happen anyway, but lets make the chances smaller
 
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