Riding hat minefield… (south)

M

madabouthehorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 May 2011
Messages
141
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
It’s been a while since I last bought a hat (naughty me) but I am now in desperate need.

I’m aware they all have to meet a standard but as someone who has cracked her hat landing head first on a flint before, the lightweight plastic / dial fit really do scare me (more so than the cost of the non plastic ones 😂)

I recently went to a tack shop to try and get one but they couldn’t get one to fit with what they had in stock, not helped by the fact I’ve historically had Charles Owen who have paused production.

Any recommendations of alternative brands of more traditional hats to try?

Also any shops in the south with a big stock (or a big Charles Owen stock!) to try with decent hat fitting service please!
 
Depending on where you are in Hampshire (assuming your location is right rather than I've stalked you!) Wadswicks I think has quite a wide range of hats if I remember correctly.

Re Charles Owen you might just need to ring round unfortunately. I also have a CO shaped head and have struggled to find other brands that fit. The only non dial hats that I could find were Samshield (expensive) and the only dial one that came close to fitting was a shires Karben. Hopefully your head is less CO shaped than mine 🤞
 
madabouthehorse said:
It’s been a while since I last bought a hat (naughty me) but I am now in desperate need.

I’m aware they all have to meet a standard but as someone who has cracked her hat landing head first on a flint before, the lightweight plastic / dial fit really do scare me (more so than the cost of the non plastic ones 😂)

I recently went to a tack shop to try and get one but they couldn’t get one to fit with what they had in stock, not helped by the fact I’ve historically had Charles Owen who have paused production.

Any recommendations of alternative brands of more traditional hats to try?

Also any shops in the south with a big stock (or a big Charles Owen stock!) to try with decent hat fitting service please!
Click to expand...
Don’t know where you are in Hampshire but Romsey Saddlery are excellent for fitting hats.
 
Rokers store had a good selection of hats when I went for feed. Nearish to Guildford? No idea how far you want to travel but Equitogs near Billingshurst and A2B equestrian down towards the coast do very good hat fitting. Might be worth ringing before you travel!

rokers.uk

Rokers Animal Feeds, Equestrian and Country Store

Located on the outskirts of Guildford, Rokers provides a full country store experience. Whether you're looking for animal feeds, equestrian supplies, garden essentials, or aquatics products, we have it all. And while you're here, don’t forget to stop by the Farmhouse Café for a delightful treat!
rokers.uk rokers.uk
www.a2bequestriansafetycentre.com

A2B Equestrian and Outdoor. Rider Safety Centre and Tack Boutique

West Sussex Rider Safety Centre, BETA Safety Fit Winners! Everything for horse and rider. Rug Wash and Park and Ride available. Fresh coffee,hot and cold drinks.
www.a2bequestriansafetycentre.com www.a2bequestriansafetycentre.com

No idea what might fit you, not gatehouse probably as they fit me and I cannot get on with Charles Owen’s hats!

Good luck!
 
Evoke would be worth considering. I think they’ve a new fit/range currently being manufactured, due out next month or the following.
 
My hats have all come from Rokers near Guildford and have been fitted by them.
Hats and safety have developed over the years. Riding hats owe something now to hats developed for cyclists. So the current hat is m.i.p.s. I have always worn expensive hats starting with Gatehouse and my present one is Charles Owen.

If you are going to Rokers or a similar equestrian store, I phone up first to make sure the hat fitter will be there when I arrive and give them my previous hat size in inches as, if they did not have it in stock, they would order one in in my size.

With m.i.p.s., the outer hard shell of the hat comes in basic sizes and the fine tuning is down to an inner mesh cap.

The theory is that in a fall onto a hard surface classic riding hats protected the skull as it hit the ground. But injuries were also caused by the soft tissue of the brain colliding with the inside of ones skull. Modern mips hats for cyclists and now for horse riders, aim to minimise that impact.

My modern hat is also put on from the front and the back edge rests higher on ones head and so doesnt cut into the back of ones neck in a fall as my old hats used to. These modern hats look massive but they are very comfortable to wear and most riders on our yard wear them.
 
Skib said:
My hats have all come from Rokers near Guildford and have been fitted by them.
Hats and safety have developed over the years. Riding hats owe something now to hats developed for cyclists. So the current hat is m.i.p.s. I have always worn expensive hats starting with Gatehouse and my present one is Charles Owen.

If you are going to Rokers or a similar equestrian store, I phone up first to make sure the hat fitter will be there when I arrive and give them my previous hat size in inches as, if they did not have it in stock, they would order one in in my size.

With m.i.p.s., the outer hard shell of the hat comes in basic sizes and the fine tuning is down to an inner mesh cap.

The theory is that in a fall onto a hard surface classic riding hats protected the skull as it hit the ground. But injuries were also caused by the soft tissue of the brain colliding with the inside of ones skull. Modern mips hats for cyclists and now for horse riders, aim to minimise that impact.

My modern hat is also put on from the front and the back edge rests higher on ones head and so doesnt cut into the back of ones neck in a fall as my old hats used to. These modern hats look massive but they are very comfortable to wear and most riders on our yard wear them.
Click to expand...
This is super interesting and makes a lot of sense about the developments, thank-you!
 
madabouthehorse said:
It’s been a while since I last bought a hat (naughty me) but I am now in desperate need.

I’m aware they all have to meet a standard but as someone who has cracked her hat landing head first on a flint before, the lightweight plastic / dial fit really do scare me (more so than the cost of the non plastic ones 😂)

I recently went to a tack shop to try and get one but they couldn’t get one to fit with what they had in stock, not helped by the fact I’ve historically had Charles Owen who have paused production.

Any recommendations of alternative brands of more traditional hats to try?

Also any shops in the south with a big stock (or a big Charles Owen stock!) to try with decent hat fitting service please!
Click to expand...
Park farm in Oakley had Charles Owen hats relatively recently, I bought one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top