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Pixie88

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Hi all,

As some of you will know I plan to start showing my boy this year. I am looking to buy a velvet hat, but I just wanted some advice. I am tiny and went into the local tack store today and the hats all looked huge on me!

Can anyone recommend a velvet hat? That is more slimline? And do you have to have flesh straps? I know they look neater but also more expensive and I don't want to pay out loads for my first season showing.

Thanks in advance.
 
I did look at the Caldene hats, but at the tack show they were saying as they don't have the pas mark they don't meet the new standard for showing. The only ones they had in that do we Charles Owen ones all of which were huge on me.

Although I was under the impression if they had bsen/en and the kite mark they would be OK.
 
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Pixie88 said:
I did look at the Caldene hats, but at the tack show they were saying as they don't have the pas mark they don't meet the new standard for showing. The only ones they had in that do we Charles Owen ones all of which were huge on me.

Although I was under the impression if they had bsen/en and the kite mark they would be OK.
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Thats only for like affiliated events etc. For a local show it won't matter.
 
I don't think showing has any hat standards as such does it. Other than some societies wanting a chin strap rather than a beagler. The hat standards in showing confuse me a bit.
 
KautoStar1 said:
I don't think showing has any hat standards as such does it. Other than some societies wanting a chin strap rather than a beagler. The hat standards in showing confuse me a bit.
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They confuse me to. The local riding club has said I need pas. I have a pas hat for general riding / jumping ect so that is fine. Will do a little more research I think.
 
Most showing societies are giving you until next year to get a new hat up to the saftey standards. Any riding club or pony club show you will need one up to the latest standard.
 
EKW said:
Most showing societies are giving you until next year to get a new hat up to the saftey standards. Any riding club or pony club show you will need one up to the latest standard.
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This does make me laugh, its ok to wear a beagler or a bowler but if you wear a strapped hat it has to be up to PAS standard! Sport horse GB lost HOYS qualifiers last year because they insisted members could no longer wear Pateys or bowlers! Then back tracked after the outcry from the Pro`s !
 
spottybotty said:
This does make me laugh, its ok to wear a beagler or a bowler but if you wear a strapped hat it has to be up to PAS standard! Sport horse GB lost HOYS qualifiers last year because they insisted members could no longer wear Pateys or bowlers! Then back tracked after the outcry from the Pro`s !
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Yup! Crazy isn't it?!? Most ride judges now have to wear strapped hats for insurance purposes. It will be interesting to see what happens when the new ruling is brought in next year as to how many societies will adhere to it and even more so how many will actually enforce it.
 
No showing enthusiast or professional would be seen dead in a fabric or dark strap hat unless it was working hunter!
Flesh straps are an unvoiced rule in flat showing! unless you wear a beagler which I do not recommend!
The best hats are Charles Owen H2000, you can get them second hand and despite the rumours it is rare to find one that isn't sound for use! there are easy ways to check if a hat is sound anyway.
The Fiona is nice too but most expensive, the H2000Sq is rather fancy and I have the plain H2000.
The caldene is a cheap alternative and unfortunately you can really tell, the cut is rather dumpy and a but and in my opinion, I rarely see people in them.
Similarly the show jumper XP doesn't compliment anyone's face, at all! Definitely more of a dressagey hat if at all!
Unfortunately you have to pay more to get a better look as with most things!
 
Besides, eye will last, saves you buying one next season if you get more use out of it! Judges will prefer it either way!
I do think they all look rather big on everybody but that's just the style, designed for tradition rather than modernisation if you see what I mean?

If you google photos of flat showing at hoys under the class you want to enter you will see they almost all will be wearing Charles Owen hats most often the Fiona, or either h2000s, there are other more expansive types like the patent though or the cheaper gatehouse hickstead.
 
EKW said:
Yup! Crazy isn't it?!? Most ride judges now have to wear strapped hats for insurance purposes. It will be interesting to see what happens when the new ruling is brought in next year as to how many societies will adhere to it and even more so how many will actually enforce it.
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I dont think they will! To many Pros with to much influence! Its been tried already and failed miserably.
 
Flesh-tone straps look neater, but if you're only doing local shows black webbing straps are really not the end of the world.

As far as brands, get what fits you - I have a Charles Owen Showjumper XP, which fits like a glove (I get loads of compliments on it, actually, and I'm buying another of the same but brown to go with my side-saddle habit for classes I'm not allowed to wear a bowler and veil in), but I know several people (my sister included) who find it very hard to get CO hats to fit.

Have a hunt around; try on various different makes and models; and get one up to current BHS-recommended safety standards (PAS015 etc.) because otherwise you might as well just wear a bowler or hunt cap (which do look neater, tbh, but are not exactly the safest things on the planet).
 
Charles Owen H2000 or H2000sq are the nicest hats. Yes you do need the flesh coloured harness! And ... yes you do need to make sure your hat is of the correct standard, if not because the local shows will follow suit eventually to the affiliated and when you pay in excess of £100 for a show hat you dont want to have to buy another one in a couple of years time!!! Oh and of course, I do believe that wearing the safest hat is good for your head too! The new PAS numbers are there for a reason.
 
Not only that, but 'local' shows are normally run by a riding club or bhs centre or pony club or hunt. All of these, with exceptions of the hunts, have brought in the new rule for hats this year.
Quite frankly, a hat that fits well and is tidy in a conservative dark colour is sufficient for any local showing, I'll have to use my plain navy Ayr8 for affiliated showing this year (I normally do dressage) as my final won't be legal, and the Ayr8 is the only other hat that fits. :)
 
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