To Patey or not to Patey

[Hunters]

I'm just off to by a motorcycle helmet to wear in my car. Cars are dangerous & unpredictable.

Im only doing this as this is the way the world is going. As a children we rode bareback and hatless, how much fun & freedom we had....

 

[Hunters]

Also reading the previous posts, I learn that 'freedom of choice' is dwindling & find that worrying for the future.

What 'Orwellian' attitudes many of you have - sign of the times (sigh!)

 

[Alec Swan]

.......

........ As a children we rode bareback and hatless, how much fun & freedom we had....

....... and we survived! I've not sat on the back of a horse, for ten years. I have also, never worn a hard hat, and if I had my time again, I wouldn't change a thing. Irresponsible? Possibly, but it's my life and I shall live it, as I chose!

Alec.

Ets, just a thought, but even those two from "Breakback Mountain" didn't wear hard hats!

 

[Ditchjumper2]

....... ..but it's my life and I shall live it, as I chose!

Alec.

Hear, hear!!

 

[Goldenstar]

As I posted earlier I don't wear my Patey anymore my OH asked me to change to a' modern' hat his words so I felt I ought.
If someone asked me the question I would answer honestly but i would never judge , volunteer a view or seek to impose the course of action I have taken on others we must make our own judgements as adults to Patey not to Patey to wear a BP or not or an air jacket.
I hate this attiude that because I think it's best everyone should be enforced to this course.
We have still the right to go to the devil anyway we choose ( at least for the moment )
I do yearn for simple times when I was a child when our parents turned us out with the ponies in the morning and left us toget on with it

 

[cptrayes]

Another point for you; a horse which drops dead from a heart attack (and yes, of course I've seen it happen), all so often takes a stumbling step or two before it actually goes down, which should give the rider plenty of time to work out their exit strategy, assuming that they can ride, that is!
.

You practice being offensive, don't you Alec

My horse did not have a heart attack, it burst its aorta. You have clearly never been on a horse when its aorta bursts. I should try it before you try to tell me that I didn't know how to ride because I was knocked out, wearing a skull cap.

Are you also suggesting that everyone whose horse stumbles should throw themselves off while they are safe to do so? Half the field would be exiting the saddle each week, if so, it being impossible to tell a heart attack stumble from an I've-lost-my-footing stumble.

You do talk nonsense so often, which is a shame because on other posts where you are not simply trying to get an argument going you appear to be a largely rational and quite humourous man.

 

[cptrayes]

My own stance is that I defend anyone's right to wear what they like on their heads, but in return I do not expect to be looked down on because I wear a skull cap and an air jacket.

You can laugh at my plastic bridle if you like, and I'll laugh at you spending your time cleaning leather tack covered in an inch of mud

 

[Cortez]

Good grief! Why is everyone so rude? I choose not to wear a hat unless required to do so by competition or venue rules. I'm not particularly stupid, being in another country I'm not going to be troubling your NHS (the other boring argument routinely trotted out in the hat arguments), and I'm well aware that riding is inherantly risky - and I've had two horses drop dead with heart attacks whilst I was riding them (I stepped off, Alec will be pleased with me). This is my choice. It is most people in the UK's choice to ride with a helmet. For some reason this doesn't make me angry, nor feel the urge to call them stupid, or wimpy, or unfashionable. Lighten up, folks.

 

[C&C]

So to put the cat among the pigeons and cause more fury (probably) - what about hunting in a Beagler??

I have one and use it for ridden showing, and this is what i was gonna hunt in before thinking about the Patey. I know they are intended for foot use only but surely they offer as much protection as a top hat or bowler as we all are aware - is very little !

I am still contemplating it ...... I am a stickler for tradition

 

[CrazyMare]

Up to standard hat for me.

Seat belt in the car, every time, for me too.

I've spent time in ABI rehab before now, and the saddest cases are always the ones where safety measures that were easy to take, hadn't been taken.

The ones that stick in my mind are the 18 year old girl thrown from a car into a tree, because her mates laughed and said 'don't you trust me to drive properly'....

I would say I don't care what others do, but deep down I do, becuase I've been there, with the families crying on my shoulder, asking 'why?'. Its not a question I can ever answer. If I can stop that being my family, then I will do everything in my power to do that.

This video, which some of you may have seen, is ex Olympic dressage rider, Courtney King Dye, who came off in walk. She is having to work so hard to try to rebuild her life, and belive me if I say she is LUCKY compared to some I've looked after, that she has come out of this comparatively WELL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awJDYBhBPzk

 

[Pinkvboots]

I bet your really glad you started this OP, at the end of the day its peoples choice what they wear, charles owen do a much cheaper alternative about£100 look just as nice but kinder on the pocket I show in mine.

 

[Alec Swan]

They look great on stupid people. No-one who isn't stupid wears one.

.......

I'm rather struggling with your second sentence, are we to assume that Patey hats are only warn by idiots?

....... I find it quite offensive for one to call another stupid for choosing to wear a Patey.

As do I, even though I neither own, nor wear one.

You practice being offensive, don't you Alec

........

Considering your previous posts, I don't really see any need for me to defend myself, do you?

Alec.

 

[Dovorian]

OK, I know I am stupid and do wear a Patey hat ....but Patey do make hats with a safety harness and I have to admit that my ancient one without straps etc didn't ever fall off when I made unscheduled dismounts.

 

[combat_claire]

I have seen a couple of nasty freakish accidents whilst out hunting. One of these was where a friend of mine took a fall over a low hunt jump, as she lay on the floor her horse caught her in the head with his hoof. She was wearing a jockey skull and this was dented and cracked. Her head was fine.

If you want to opt for a proper hunt cap then for heaven's sake wear a real one, don't penny pinch and ride in a beagler. There is a reason why the label says, suitable for foot beagling only!

Wear whatever you want on your bonce, but remember that a head injury can kill or seriously disable you and the impact that might have on you and your loved ones.

Our pack does a lot of fund raising over the year and 2 charities we have supported this year include Spinal Research and East Anglian Air Ambulance. Consider them when thinking of a charity for your hunt fund raising.

 

[natalia]

After breaking my cheekbone and jaw in a fall out hunting and having my patey go flying off I have resigned it to gather dust in the tack room and use it for showing only now. Also at our opening meet a good friend had a rotational fall over a hedge. The horses backside landed straight on his head. His Charles Owen hat saved his life, although he spent a few days in an induced coma, and is still not functioning 100%. Had he been wearing a patey he would probably be dead. We thought we were going to lose him on the field that day, and now I won't hunt in anything but my HS1.

 

[Judgemental]

I suppose I would failing in not adding my ten penny worth to this thread.

Some years ago I was out with a West Country pack and a well known master of hounds was visiting and told me I was “wet” to be sporting a crash-skull, I have to say my opinion of him went down substantially.

Furthermore as a devotee of High-Viz, I am firmly of the opinion state of the art harnessed crash-skulls should be worn at all times and folk should not give a damn what self appointed over opinionated grandees of hunting think.

I always feel the high crowned jobs make ladies look extremely arrogant and are nothing more than an affectation.

That said, I have noted as an ardent fan of International Dressage on Horse and Country TV that since the Olympics, Adelinde Cornelissen has so sensibly followed the lead from Charlotte Dujardin and dispensing with the dressage topper and is now wearing a harnessed head gear.

Finally, I am aware of too many fatal accidents, where so called riding hats have ended up 20 yards in front of the prostrate rider, as they lay dying from a caved in skull. Having slid on a hard road or at speed round a corner and collided with a gate post or jumped a hedge and somebody's horse came down on top of them.

When the soft velvet caps of the 18th Century were worn of which there is still an absurd continuing 'following of form or protocol' there were no hard tarmac roads, no motorised vehicles and the going was wholly different.

 

[Sherston]

Well, what a thread, I watched this one start and thought at the time this will be fun, it's like asking ROSPA if you should buy a ladder.

Most of this thread says so much more about the people that use forums, (just like the great riding in dayglo thread, that was a classic!) which luckily appears to not be a representative sample of the great people I meet out hunting and competing in general. I'm happy to leave you all in your computer world.

Before the comments come back, thats why my average posting is less than 3 a month. and i've concluded thats far too many.

Good luck all, lifes all about choices, as long as you are happy with your own i'd get on with enjoying it.

Best to all of you
Sherston

 

[cptrayes]

I'm rather struggling with your second sentence, are we to assume that Patey hats are only warn by idiots?

Which bit don't you understand from my posts Alec? It's quite straightforward. In the context of riding a horse only, I believe that it is daft not to wear a full spec hat. I would, however, put myself to considerable effort and inconvenience to fight to retain the right of everyone in this country to do daft things if that is their personal choice.

 

[LEC]

I believe the issue of wearing hats out hunting is currently being looked at with regards to statistics about falls and outcomes from falls. I heard this at a Jon Pitts talk recently and it sparked my interest.

 

[SusannaF]

I have witnessed two people suffer severe head injuries out hunting when wearing Patey's which did not come off when they had their falls. One was a complete **** of a bloke who really cannot ride, took far too many risks and the fall was no surprise to anyone.

The other was an eminent lady master, a seriously lovely rider and very experienced horsewoman, who was sitting on her horse, flanked by two friends, at a standstill, at the top of a hill, watching hounds working at the bottom. As she went to move off, her horse staggered, collapsed, and she ended up underneath him. As he thrashed about for a few seconds, she took a blow from a hoof to the back of her Patey hat, which collapsed like the cardboard it is. She was never the same again. And it all happened far to quickly for her to have reacted.

It was interesting how many of the ultra elegant lady members who had made scathing remarks about my crash hat over the years suddenly turned up wearing them the following week

When I was researching my book I found enough stories of children or teens being killed while riding in the 1950s and earlier. The good old days involved casualties too.

 

[natalia]

LEC- this would be very interesting to read, however, hard to get the full facts as even when my friend came off and nearly died, not everyone in the hunt knew what had happened or what was going on. If anyone here wants a good advertisement for wearing a decent hat out hunting though I have the pictures, stage by stage, as the hunt camera lady was stood at the hedge as it happened with a very quick camera lens!

 

[Hunters]

I'm with Sherston. These topics do say a lot about the people on here.....

The most opinionated, do not appear to listen or understand others points of view. They seem to shout loudest and insist their way is right.

I've always believed in 'freedom of choice' & long may it stay that way.

****** off dictators!

 

[VOM]

Sherston and Hunters, indeed.

 

[Judgemental]

Go on ........ you all know you would be far more comfortable, warm and dry in a High-Viz Bomber Jacket for £23.00 from any good builder's merchants and safer with a state of the art harnessed crash skull....... out with say the Beaufort?

One of the features of the jacket is a zipped pocket at the rear for the whole width of the quilted lining.

Also the collar has a concealed hood, notwithstanding the fact when the collar is zipped right up it should come to the ears.

What is the point of riding in some tweed or twill that is cold, gets soaking wet like a damp rag and takes ages to dry out. Not forgetting the velvet hat when wet is awful, and does it keep you warm, not a chance! If you are really cunning you can wear a jockey's crash skull with cheek flaps that come down over the ears?

Who cares what the posts say about folk. All I am interested in is, staying dry, warm and safe.

 

[mcnaughty]

I wear my Patey - have had any number of falls & it has never come off.

I have however seen riders get their hats with harnesses get caught in low branches.

It's all about personal choice. Horses for courses etc.

They probably need to learn to duck faster then ;-)

I have a beautiful new harnessed show hat but will still be wearing my Gatehouse HS1 crash helmet for hunting. Give a damn what my hat looks like - more concerned about my brain!

 

[tootsietoo]

I've said before I think, that I'm sure if we had all been wearing hi-viz and calling ourselves, for instance, "South Shropshire Free Rural Pest Control Service" for the last 40 years no one would have been bothered about banning hunting!

I have a new hi-viz Dickies bomber jacket for hacking this winter and it is fabulously warm and dry.

As for Pateys - I certainly wouldn't myself. And I'd rather not be picking up the pieces of someone who falls off wearing one.

 

[Judgemental]

I've said before I think, that I'm sure if we had all been wearing hi-viz and calling ourselves, for instance, "South Shropshire Free Rural Pest Control Service" for the last 40 years no one would have been bothered about banning hunting!

I have a new hi-viz Dickies bomber jacket for hacking this winter and it is fabulously warm and dry.

As for Pateys - I certainly wouldn't myself. And I'd rather not be picking up the pieces of someone who falls off wearing one.

Tootsietoo, you have a point, if only folk could think out of the box, things would be so much more comfortable.

 

[arizonahoney]

We need to rebrand...as extreme hackers...

 

[Jenni_]

Stepping tentatively in here since I've never hunted (looking to though with new horse) to offer my opinion.

I am of the view that 'Everyone is entitled to do as they wish, as long as they are not hurting anyone else, or breaking the law'

I never used to wear a helmet for flat work, but always for hacking / jumping. I have only once not worn a hat for hacking and felt very silly afterwards. At my old work, noone wore hats to ride hardly ever. Shortly after I left there, I was standing on the yard on my very quiet TB. I had my hat on as we were going to hack. Asked him to take one step forward, and for an unknown reason he blew his top, reared up, and came back over on the top of me. Broken ankle and ribs, and a rather nasty case of concussion.

What if I'd planned to school? I would have hopped up there hatless and the same could have happened, before we even got off the yard and into the school. Have always worn a hat since to ride - except from when I've had a few pictures of me sitting on my horse but that was for a photographer.

I appreciate the beauty of tradition and I myself can be a stickler for it, and I understand how much it means to the hunting folk, but honestly to me a hat is a hat and I've never looked at someone hunting in a skull cap and thought 'urrgh, that looks terrible and so out of place'

So, each to their own, and as long as no one is looked down on for breaking tradition and appreciating their safety, then leave alone the people who are continuing tradtion.

 

[NooNoo59]

whats could enough for a double olympic gold meddalist is good enough for me!