English Riding Helmets

English Riding Helmets and Protective Vests

English riding helmets provide safety while offering style and protection. FoxHuntingShop carries show helmets, hunt caps and protective vests from top name brands. Our brands include Charles Owen, IRH, Uvex and Helite AirNest protective vest. AirNest is the original Air Vest.

We have black velvet show helmets, Vented Helmets and fun-colored schooling helmets not to mention a variety of protective vests. We'll keep you well covered from head to toe.

ENGLISH RIDING HELMETS

An English riding helmets are a form of protective headgear worn when riding horses. Hampton English Riding Helmet This type of helmet is specially designed to protect the rider’s head during falls off a horse, especially from striking a hard object while falling or being accidentally struck in the head by a horse’s hoof. Helmets for riding horses are worn by riders to reduce the damage of possible impact to the head while riding or working around the horse. Riding helmets come in styles from traditional black velvet to more technical styles as well as brightly colored decorated schooling helmets. Riding helmets these days are mostly vented with moisture management or moisture wicking linings. They are lighter than ever, but contain advanced materials that provide more shock absorption or protection than the older styles. All riding helmets are attached to the rider's head with a closure that is attached to a harness that is an integral part of the helmet. Riding helmets used fastened incorrectly will not offer the protection that they are designed to do.

For maximum protection of the head uvex exclusively relies on high quality materials that meet the highest safety demands. After the completion is done each riding helmet will be quality controlled. Certified helmets are required headgear for many competitive riding events, particularly where horse and rider must jump or work at high speed. English riding helmets are worn more often by English-style riders and are gaining acceptance as riding helmets for kids. Fox Hunters now wear a rated helmet for hunting. They are also widely accepted in fields such as horse racing, eventing or show jumping. They are required in eventing, in endurance riding and other types of competitions. People who take their horses hacking or trail riding sometimes wear trail riding helmets, though there are tremendous variations in helmet use in different regions and cultures. It's not a good idea to buy a used helmet because it could have sustained a fall and have a hidden crack. Also, the plastics begin to deteriorate if the helmet is more than 5 years old. So think about wearing that helmet. It could save your life.

British safety helmet maker Charles Owen has sponsored the USEA for over a decade and also returns as a Gold Sponsor of the USEA American Eventing Championships, a Contributing Sponsor of the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention, and the Title Sponsor of the Charles Owen Technical Merit Award in 2016. “Charles Owen is honored to continue to sponsor the USEA,” said Managing Director Roy Burek. “We have a long history of giving back to the sport of eventing and are excited to have the opportunity to continue to support the sport and keep its riders safe.” USEA CEO Rob Burk said the association and Charles Owen share a common vision regarding safety. “We genuinely appreciate that Charles Owen constantly pushes research on technology to protect our riders. We couldn’t ask for a better partner,” Burk said. The Charles Owen Technical Merit Award was created to motivate amateur riders to demonstrate safe and appropriate technique cross-country and to educate riders and trainers about safe cross-country riding. This year, it will be awarded to training level junior and amateur riders. Winners of the award will receive an Airowear body protector and helmet bag, and the highest scoring junior and highest scoring senior at the year’s end will also receive a Charles Owen helmet at the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention Awards Ceremony.

Wearing English riding helmets is a personal issue. Some riders wouldn’t think of going without, while others wouldn’t even consider putting one on. It is commonly said that if you ask ten riders a question, you will get ten different answers. But there is one thing we should all agree on - you should never ride a horse without a helmet. Horses are inherently dangerous due to their natural flight instinct. Horseback riding can be hazardous even if you have a “bomb-proof horse.” There are hazards associated with riding no matter how experienced or inexperienced you or the horses are. Studies have shown that horseback riding is the fourth highest recreational activity requiring hospital admission. Falls accounted for 80 percent of the injuries. Horses are powerful animals. Horses are flight animals that can spook at the strangest things. I once had a horse that shied away from certain white wildflowers. A sudden jerk or false step can land you on the ground. Helmets can keep your head from hitting something hard. Even the quietest lesson horse is capable of spooking at an unusual object, and even the most experienced riders have falls. Horses can inflict injury even if they don’t mean to. A flick of a head in the wrong direction can knock you out. A bee sting could make a horse buck, and off you go. A dog running out from a bush on a trail can send the horse into a spin.

There are many excuses for not wearing a helmet perhaps it is not traditional for your riding discipline, you are just hopping on the horse for a minute, or maybe you just don’t want to ruin your hairstyle. Whatever the justification, it just doesn’t hold up when compared to the risk of a traumatic brain injury. When it comes to your brain, why take a chance?

Still not convinced? Studies have shown that…

Head injuries are the most common reason equestrians are admitted to the hospital.
All riding types are at risk for brain injury
Head injuries account for 60 percent of equestrian related deaths.
It is estimated that the chance of head injury is greater for equestrians than downhill ski racing, football and motorcycle racing!
Repeated head injuries, even when mild, can cause cumulative damage – your brain never fully recovers from a traumatic head injury.

Unfortunately, falls are a simple fact of horseback riding. It is our responsibility to protect ourselves, our friends and family, and to our horses to take every precaution we can to minimize that risk. Perhaps the most compelling reason to wear a helmet is the simple fact that a traumatic brain injury could keep you off the horse and out of the barn indefinitely. It only takes a single moment to change your life