Skull Hat Vs Riding Hat

P

PinkTulips

Member
Joined
21 February 2011
Messages
24
Location
York
Visit site
so what do you all have and can anyone tell me the difference in them?
Im buying my first Hat tomorrow (been using the schools) and i really don't know what to go for and which is best. The school hire out skull hats.

Thanks guys x
 
personally i have always had a skull hat for doing all my riding in. I did also have a proper hat (velvet and flesh harness) for showing when i used to. But I am going to buy a new hat as i have had my last one wayy to many years and it will be a skull.
The difference as far as i am aware is a riding hat has a fixed peak and a skull doesnt, you have a cover for it.
 
I always use velvet riding hats, I do have a skull too but it is an emergency spare.

When you are in the shop, try on different makes and styles because they all fit slightly differently and you'll soon know which you think suits you. Don't forget to get the hat properly fitted (the shop should have a hat fitting service).

Are you going to be doing any activities that require a specific type of hat, eg, showing (velvet hat) or XC (skull)?
 
Last edited:
I will always go for riding hat with fixed peak, my daughter had a fall about 4 years ago and landed face down, the peak took the impact and snapped so protected her face without hurting her neck.

I had a fall 3 weeks ago and Id most definately be dead if id not had a hat on, but again the fixed peak protected my face, I fell onto the road and skid along it face down for a few feet, the fixed peak saved me losing the skin off my face and probably saved my nose from a break (my neck didnt hurt in the slightest).
DSC05185.jpg

Picture doesnt show great detail but the peak looks like its been attacked by a very vicous cheese grater!
 
hiya when you go to the shop they will fit a hat for you as they are not allowed to sell you a hat without it being fitted so make sure you ask if they are qualified . we all have different shaped heads i myself am a qualified hat fitter and there is no such thing as a normal head!!! the difference between the hats and skulls are simply that the skull cap does not have a fixed peak and are used for x country as you are not allowed to compete with a fixed peak due to if you fall at speed you are likely to break your nose!! usually the one that fits the best is usually the most expensive and they range from about £50 to £140 make suer you leave the hat on in the shop for at least 10 ins as this gives the hat time to warm up and it will either become too loose or start hurting so do keep it on for as long as you can they should allow you to walk round the shop and you want to not be able to notice you have a hat on !! the hat should feel snug to start with as it will loosen so don't be alarmed if they say it fits and you feel it doesn't i always want to her the word snug rather than tight!! good luck and remember you will not be allowed to take it back once you have paid for it so it is very important that you are happy with it xx
 
Thanks for the advice, I think i will try as many as possible on tomorrow and go from there :) I will not being doing any activities that require a specific type of hat so its totally personal preference i suppose.
 
Personally I'd always go for hats with fixed peaks (Champions exactly like in Friesian80's picture!) as I think they look nicer. Also, I don't fancy breaking my fall with my face - I broke my nose in a fall a long time ago and it's excruciating. (I'm sure skull hats have a way round it to stop this happening, but looking at them I can't figure out how).
 
PinkTulips said:
so what do you all have and can anyone tell me the difference in them?
Im buying my first Hat tomorrow (been using the schools) and i really don't know what to go for and which is best. The school hire out skull hats.

Thanks guys x
Click to expand...

I use a skull hat with a navy silk. I think they look so much nicer than the fixed peak ones. If you do end up buying a skull, please please buy a silk as well :D I hate seeing people riding without one. They remind me of bowling balls :p
 
The Gatehouse HS1 skull is the safest hat in this country - speaks for itself really. It is the only riding hat to hold the Snell test. Look it up.
 
mcnaughty said:
The Gatehouse HS1 skull is the safest hat in this country - speaks for itself really. It is the only riding hat to hold the Snell test. Look it up.
Click to expand...

Agreed this is the ome I use out XC and hunting Just change the silk depending on occasion!
 
i wont use a velvet hat these days, even for dressage, showing etc I stick a velvet cover on my skull cap and it looks very smart. Id have a gatehouse if they fitted me but when I got one i persevered for a week and it kept giving me headaches,my head just isnt a gatehouse shape:o I am on my second Champion Ventair skull though and I love them :) Very comfy and a very good safety write up - the next best to the gatehouse imho. :)
 
Rachiie said:
If you do end up buying a skull, please please buy a silk as well :D I hate seeing people riding without one. They remind me of bowling balls :p
Click to expand...


I think this is why skull hats grate on me so much! With a silk they're really smart and some of the colour combinations are lovely. But when people don't wear silks they just look... bizarre. :eek::p
 
I have a champion skull too, the shape fits me best. I wouldn't buy a fixed peak hat for safety reasons. A skull with a nice cover is fine for everything but showing, and at local level a skull is still fine.

The risk with a fixed peak is that in a fall you can break your neck as it changes the way your head moved when you hit the ground. A fixed peak might save your face in a minor fall but I rather save my neck in a major fall.
 
All hats you can be from qualified fitters today will be at the appropriate and accepted safety standard level, so you don't need to worry about that.

I only ever wear a hat when I go to shows, so from a fashion POV, riding hat/fixed peak looks so much nicer. I find them to be, for me, less bulky and less heavy, I get a very sore neck and very sore shoulders very very easily, so anything heavier than a GPA is a no go.

If you are jumping, I know a number of people inc. myself that say 'fixed peak if you want to save your nose' aka they are better at protecting your face, if you fall off, the peak goes first rather than your nose.

Skull caps, you can change the cover to suit your outfit, for XC colours etc. And some of them are renowned for being extra amazing in the safety dept, but see my first point regarding that.

It is up to you, and what you feel comfortable with, and what you feel safe in.
 
tried various hats over the years and charles owen are the only ones that fit comfortably.

i have *cough*3*cough* velvet ones, a brown everyday one, my old navy showing one (showjumper xp) and a new navy showing one (fiona, a lovely hat, beagler shape just with harness)

i dont like skull caps, wouldnt wear one out of choice (same as BP's) but if rules dictated it (xc) then i would.

for me pure vanity and comfort dictates my hat unfortunately, would have a beagler but its frowned upon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top