Riding Hat... Help/Advice

[HayleyUK]

Looking for a hat for a 7 YO little girl - and keep seeing these adjustable ones like:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180947100605?hlp=false#ht_2184wt_770

She'd love this with it being pink etc, but I'm not entirely sure how safe the adjustable nature and standard makes it.

Obviously, with her growing etc, don't want to spend a fortune but want her to be safe etc.

I've never bought a childs hat before so would appreciate advice.

Thanks

 

[Dubsie]

My advice is take her along to a largish tack shop with a wide selection and a qualified hat fitter and ensure she has a hat that fits properly, and is of a BS standard (with the kitemark) PAS 015:1998 or 2010
EN 1384:1996 or BS EN 1384:1997 as this is the current Pony club requirement I think it's best to be safe than sorry! No point in having a pretty one that doesn't fit, it won't be safe. You can always buy a nice selection of hat covers quite reasonably priced (www.carrotsequestrian.co.uk have some great ones for little girls some with matching gloves - also important as stops blisters from the reins, many tack shops stock them)

 

[mandwhy]

Ooh quite tempted by the stripey hat covers myself! I liked being able to change mine lots when I was little but probably would have liked a coloured skull underneath. I tried an adjustable and I didn't feel like it was very secure and that one only seems to comply with one safety standard :-( riding schools and pony club will prob be specific about this.

 

[BackRidingAgain]

HayleyUK, I got something similar for my kids - it may have even been from the same source. I purchased 'Belstar' riding helmets (we had a brown and black one), the adjusters work well (the kids have the same style of system on their skiing helmets. They look neat and tidy, and if I could have got one large enough I would have purchased myself one too. They are accepted by their riding school and many kids there are wearing something similar. They also won't rip or tear like a velvet one would. Providing you buy something genuinely meeting the safety standards I think you should be OK. The fit adjuster makes the hats fit nicely on both my pair. I hope that this helps.

N.B. I think if you Google Belstar riding hats you will find out more about them, I've just done so and they are sold in lots of places, NB I don't know if the one you linked to is a Belstar one, but the ones I purchased are and seem fine

 

[Racheldee]

I have this exact helmet for my two year old and it fits her great and for the money is well worth it! It's up to standard and doesn't slip, what I also found great is that i came with replacement part for the dial at the back so if it breaks you don't have to replace the whole hat!