wearing or not wearing hats - let's discuss!

[Gingernags]

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No it did work, but it dug in a little bit and hurt... perhaps it was too thick. Maybe I could sew a piece of cotton onto it... hmmm

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I'd put the E45 or some sort of barrier cream on before you ride, should help repel the water? Or how about a silk head scarf under your hat?

I know what you mean though, I really, really hate any head sweatiness and often get a rash. So much so I'm tempted (and not joking!) to find out more about BOTOX! I heard that people get it injected into armpits to stop sweating, so I'm really thinking about getting the top of my forehead done!

 

[Christmas_Kate]

At the end of the day if you go out and about with no hat on and kids see you they think it's cool and aspire to not wear one.
I don't care who doesnt wear their hat in their own yard, lets face it if they don't wear a hat then they havent much brain to protect anyway, but when kids can see you not wear a hat then I think that's downright irrisponsible.
Those who wear a hat have the brains to protect, those who don't do so for a reason....as stated above.

I ALWAYS wear a hat. It's chunky, but it's safe.

 

[the watcher]

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Thanks Casismum... I did try the Charles Owen stuff but it made it worse. I think I might try to wipe it with some hypoallergenic wipes, maybe baby ones, and see if that helps at all. I can cope with sweaty hair, just put a cap over it, but the rash drives me crazy because it itches like mad! (also doesn't look very nice when you are 23 either... looks as though you have acne!)

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Headliners are a product that stick into the inside front of your hat, in the area of the forehead, designed to soak up sweat and keep your hat a bit drier and fresher, they are about £1 for a pack of 5, use once and throw away, pads. You can get them on the internet and eBay. Or economise and use panty liners in your hat for the same effect..but not the scented one which might cause allergies...obviously

 

[parsley]

I spent quite a few hours at the hospital last night with my son as he had fallen off and the pony had accidently run over his head. The bash on his hat and the strike mark where he had been got at the top of his neck would make me NEVER go out without a hat (not that I did!). Its the times when you least expect it, or silly things (like being tipped over the horse's shoulder) that could be fatal.

 

[frannieuk]

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when kids can see you not wear a hat then I think that's downright irrisponsible.

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Despite standing on the other side of the fence on the issue I totally and utterly agree 100% with this comment.

 

[Scoopy]

OK i hold my hand up tooooooooooooooo ....... i did not wear a hat for 5 years only when i competed, but this was in Holland. You never even thought about it, now i wear a hat, and sometimes a base ball cap ! so im a in between person !

 

[riotgirl]

I always wear a hat, mainly because my girly has omly been ridden since last year and she can still be unpredicatable. I'll admit that when I was younger and I had my ponies I wouldn't wear a hat if I could get away with it (i.e. if mum wasn't about!) as I thought I looked ridiculous in them. I still do look ridiculous, but have accepted it as a fact of life. It really is personal choice though, and I would never have a go at osmeone who wasn't wearing a hat.

 

[4whitesocks]

Always wear a hat - feel extremely odd without one (and also suffer from that rash by the way so invested in 5 or 6 bandanas, wear them over hair under hat and clean one every time I ride - stops hat getting sweaty and if you buy decent ones it can cover up horrible 'hat hair' too (who said non-hat wearers were vain!!!)

Since I got bucked off and the mare stood on my chest I also always wear a back protector when on the road, xcountry, jumping (or when I'm anywhere new...)...only place I don't wear one is in an indoor or outdoor sand arena really - yes it too makes me look like the michelin man but I already look like a bit of a numpty with my hat so who cares.....

agree on the example for kids thing and also on the yards that show you horses, jumping them without a hat - think it looks really unprofessional and makes me wonder what other short cuts they take....

 

[BenjaminBunny]

I have just got back from lunch - and just saw a woman riding her horse along a major A road which comes off the M62 bareback with no hat on

it's ok her thinking she'll be ok - but imagine if you are driving along that road - the horse spooks - she falls off and is killed rather than just bruised because she isn't wearing a hat - how would you feel?

why do people selfishly think of themselves only

how many of you ride without a hat have children/partners? how would they feel

I personally always ride in a hat - and only recently have started always wearing a body protector - my life is not worth half an hour without a hat

you cannot predict your horse or the actions of others so stop being complacent - you will fall off and you will seriously hurt yourself

Am I one of the few people left that genuinely cares about other people

 

[GinaB]

I would never dream of gettin gon a horse without having a hat on. I had a fall about 3 weeks ago over a jump and landed on my head (it was quite spectacular!!) and it made me so glad I always wear a hat. Up to a week ago I used one of the Champion Juniour Riders ones and found it very hot, hair sticking to head after but just got a Harry Hall Elite and what a difference! So light you wouldn't know it was on a great ventilation keeping my head cool and no more terrible hat hair!

 

[not_with_it]

I hold my hands up, I dont wear a hat when schooling. On the very rare occasion that I hack out or jump I always wear a hat.

My outlook on life is if you are going to die then you will die (have you not seen final destination

) If its your time then no hat will stop you. At least I will die doing something I love. I've just realized that sounds really arrogant

I ride at competitions in a beagler as do many other people and to be honest that wouldnt save my life at all. I think a lot of it is to do with appearance when competing, everyone wants to look the part and so everyone jumps on the bandwagon and copies everyone else.

 

[MrsMagoo]

I was gonna suggest sanitary towels for head sweatyness..my friend used to have them in her old hat, not only helps sweating but slight padding to lol

I always wear a hard hat when hacking, jumping, competitions and riding my younger mare, but alot of the times I will school Star without a hat - think is mainly cause of getting hot and i feel 100% safe in school with her....

 

[not_with_it]

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was gonna suggest sanitary towels for head sweatyness..my friend used to have them in her old hat, not only helps sweating but slight padding to lol

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ewwww!

 

[MrsMagoo]

we did always take the pee out of her though, thankfully she brought a new hat in the end haha

 

[katiejaye]

I always wear a hat out on hacks and jumping and since moving to my new yard, always to school. I do occasionally do without if i'm schooling and it's really hot, but I agree that it's not a clever idea.

I compete in a beagler at the moment but am seriously considering a new hat with flesh coloured strap as it is a much safer option.

My friend always hacks/jumps without a hat and I think she's looney as her horse is neither the calmest or the most careful with his feet. I have tried my hardest to reason with her but she politely tells me where to go!

On the subject of hats, can anyone recommend a good way to deodorize/clean a hat that is starting to smell!

 

[katelarge]

Charles Owen Hat cleaner - great stuff and works a treat!

 

[JessPickle]

I always wear I hat, even though I feel completely safe on pickle all horses can be unpredictable, the latest modern hats are now really light and ventilated so I see no excuse not to really, It sets a mad example on younger kids and it could really put you in danger

 

[hussar]

Coming late to this thread, but here goes.

I've been riding since I was 7 - that's, er, 42 years. I have never ever ridden without a hat. I have seen many falls happen to people without hats and they've nearly all ended up in Casualty with concussion or worse. Most were good riders, on 'safe' horses.

We have one head, one brain, one life. Wearing a hat is the equivalent of putting your seatbelt on in the car - you might never have an accident; if you do, it might not always save your life; but in most cases it will minimise the damage, and it's such a simple thing to do. I wish the horsey press would be more proactive and refuse to accept ads with photos showing hatless riders.

 

[Lucy_Ally]

I always wear a hat when riding, I just feel naked without it

Plus I don't want to end up brain damaged if I fall off. I ask my OH to wear his helmet when mountain-biking or riding a motor-bike so in turn it is only fair to protect myself as much as possible really, in a sport considered as dangerous.

 

[Horseymum]

I wear a hat because I value my life and want to take whatever precautions I can as I don't want my Daughter to have a dead or brain-damaged mother. Similarly I couldn't live with myself if my Daughter didn't always wear her hat and had an accident as a result of me not making her. What other people do is entirely up to them, it is their life after all. When my Daughter asks me down at the yard "Mummy why isn't that person wearing their riding hat?" I simply answer "Because they are very silly".

 

[teapot]

Always wear a hat when riding - HAVE to if I'm riding at the yard but even when I had Baron - I rode with a hat as it's just like putting on a pair of boots.

Closest I've come to not wearing a hat was getting on and was about to start schooling and realised chin strap was undone. So I wear a hat when I'm schooling, hacking jumping and lunging depending on the horse - Baron wasn't 100% on the lunge (but think this was more due to greeness than anything else) but I didn't want to take the risk. And I don't wear one for turning out etc.

When I did my stage 1 exam, was quite funny to see that when other horses were being brought in at the exam centre, everyone was leading in by the BHS book - so 1 horse her person, a hat, gloves, 2 hand on leadropes etc. Bet as soon as the examiners go, they go back to old habits

BP wise - only wear it for jumping as I have to (yard/RS policy that everyone (including all staff) must wear one when jumping. I saw the couple of falls which were the deciding factor when the yard brought in the BP for jumping policy.

 

[weevil]

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no hat...fall off, possibilities....brain damage at best, dead at worst.....
with hat...fall off, possibilities.....85% less chance of the above.........

no brainer, really...........................

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Absolutely, it's natural selection in action isn't it

 

[JessPickle]

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BP wise - only wear it for jumping as I have to (yard/RS policy that everyone (including all staff) must wear one when jumping. I saw the couple of falls which were the deciding factor when the yard brought in the BP for jumping policy.

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our yard's policy is while on there land/premises you have to wear a hat if you want to hack out and as soon as you have left there land chuck your hat off thats your decision. Lots of younger children ride up my yard so I think its a great rule (oh yeahonly the liveries are allowed to chuck hat off, off there land kids and staff sign a contract which means they have to wear a hat)

 

[Pidge]

Have never ever ridden without hat, just the way I was taught! Don't care if my hair is all sweaty after I've ridden at least I'm still alive. IMO people who ride without hats are selfish as someone else will have to pick the pieces up when they injure or kill themselves. Before anyone slates me for this I watched my husband die of cancer and its really hard for the people left behind. If you don't wear a hat and end up dead how do you think your relatives and friends will feel.

 

[SunSmile]

I always wear my hat but do tend to not do the chinstrap up. However i alway have it done up doing fast work and for jumping and if i was riding any horse other than my own.

 

[Tia]

So fundementally you very rarely wear a hat.

 

[sunflower]

Why do people seem to think that there is no danger if they are riding their own horse or if they are only doing flatwork? A friend of mine had just got on her own horse (who she had bred and broken in and knew very well) and was in her own yard, horse spooked at something (she's still not entirely sure what happened) and she came off, hat split in 2 and she ended up in hospital. Without a hat it would ahve been her head split in 2.

 

[JessPickle]

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I always wear my hat but do tend to not do the chinstrap up. However i alway have it done up doing fast work and for jumping and if i was riding any horse other than my own.

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thats mad!

you still wear the hat but ruin the point of it by not doing up the chin strap you might as well not wear it, cos if you fall off the hat will fall off your head!

 

[eventingdiva]

one of the yards i work on is a big dressage yard and the only time anyone has ever worn a hat was when we had a 3 yr old stallion that had just been broken.
no-one ever wears a hat there, freaked me out when i started working there, but no-one ever even thinks about it. if you take a horse to the school for someone and their not ready, your told to jump on and warm it up, not given the option to get a hat!
not something i agree with and always ride mine with a hat.
mind you following something that recently happened to me im considering always wearing my hat when within 10m of a horse! x

 

[katelarge]

sounds like my yard! There are the "serious dressage types" who all ride without hats, and then "the ordinary riders" who all wear them!

What gets me is that the whole "I ride without a hat" thing is almost like a status symbol. Which, when the likes of Sandy Philips and Pammy Hutton (this issue of HORSE) do it, just perpetuates it all even more!