A bit of advice...

fermatstheorem

Good Morning

I was wondering if some of you with more experience could give me a bit of advice.

Firstly I left all my riding gear up in Dublin and now that I'm back in Galway have been using the yards various hats. Of course I got a red rash on my forehead, unsightly but not the end of the world. I'll get my own stuff back this week but any advice on how to keep my own hat clean. Would you recommend one of those deodorizing sprays?


Secondly my hat after a year is now too big and keeps falling down over my eyes. Any advice on how to make it more snug and safe. When I bought it, it was very snug. Or do I just need to buy a new one?

Thirdly any good online Equestrian ware shop. I'm very tall and whenever i go into one of the usual shops they never seem to have my size.

Thanks

Baby_Bear

You need a new hat!!!! If it's loose and/or you've had falls in it you really need to invest in a new one. Also there are new hat regulations coming in on the 1st of January 2016 that will render a lot of hats, including brand new fancy ones, null and void. If a hat ONLY posses the EN 1384 kite make then it is considered no longer up to safety standards. Your riding centre should start enforcing this as of the 1st of Jan, if they are not they can be considered negligent in the event of an accident and if they do not have the correct insurance this could leave you (the client) in a horrible situation of having a head injury and no money for your family to get you the best possible care and treatment.
Sorry to be so full on but this is a topic close to my heart.
On the clean hat thing... You can buy hats now that the lining is removable, washable and replaceable, and had cleaners can be quite good.

fermatstheorem

OK thanks Baby Bear for the advice. I actually haven't had any falls thank goodness but have been wearing it 2/3 times a week all year. So this is normal enough to need a new hat every 12 months? It would be a fancy enough hat, I thought it would last me a couple of years. I'm not sure if it meets the new standards, probably not if I bought it last year...

Any recommendations for hat's?

Ave Sodalis

I'm actually quite surprised it's slipping after only a year. Was it fitted properly in the first place?

Kamili

Personally I would always go for a Champion Hat, after a lot of research they seem the best. For me anyway.

Worryingly it seems that a hat can fall apart on impact so do research the brand before you buy. There is a huge thread on a UK equestrian forum about a expensive well known brand hat that literally disintegrated on first impact, the photos are horrifying! (as are the responses from the manufacturer)

For me just in case I fell knocked my head and the horse fell on me or a stray hoof hit my head I would want something to protect me from a secondary impact.


Any hat that has the PAS 015 standard can be used from next year. I know the champion hats have that standard also, but again it could differ on different models so please check the inside of your helmet.

More details of the withdrawal and what standards are ok here>
http://www.bhs.org.uk/our-charity/press-centre/news/july-to-dec-2014/bsen1384-helmet-hat-standard-withdrawn-beta-safety

ailbheg

fermatstheorem wrote: »

Any recommendations for hat's?

Different makes are different shapes (e.g. Champion and Charles Owen are completely different), so you'll need to go to a shop and get it fitted.

As sup_dude said, it's surprising it's slipping after a year. It could be that the shape isn't right for you.

fermatstheorem

Thanks it's a Champion hat yeah I'm surprised it's slipping after a year as well.

Kamili

fermatstheorem wrote: »

Thanks it's a Champion hat yeah I'm surprised it's slipping after a year as well.

I find the champions get very loose after a while, my own one is in need of a refresh

fermatstheorem

Which brand would you recommend? Champion?

Baby_Bear

Champion carry the new kite marks as do Charles Owen.
There are many that don't and I'm finding more and more of the 'expensive' ones don't, as we've been checking clients ones. So GPAs, Gatehouse and KEP have all come up as only having the EN 1384 mark (not sure if it's all models for these brands except GPA they definitely don't carry the newer kitemarks) which is the one that will not be recognised by most affiliates.
Retailers can still sell them though as you can still wear them at home, hunting etc and SJI don't have hat rules as such they just have 'advisory' rules.
I agree with the other posts about getting fitted just make sure that the person fitting you has been trained and that you double check the standard.

ailbheg

Baby_Bear wrote: »

Retailers can still sell them though as you can still wear them at home, hunting etc and SJI don't have hat rules as such they just have 'advisory' rules.

Just note that if you ride in a riding school, from January, AIRE approved centres will also require you to have a hat that meets the higher standard.
http://aire.ie/index.php/news/17-news-sub/121-riding-hat-standard-changes

As baby_bear said, double check the standard, as even some of the Champion and Charles Owen hats do not carry anything other than the EN1384 standard (Champion have a list here http://www.championhats.co.uk/hats-helmets/)

may06

Baby_Bear wrote: »

Champion carry the new kite marks as do Charles Owen.
There are many that don't and I'm finding more and more of the 'expensive' ones don't, as we've been checking clients ones. So GPAs, Gatehouse and KEP have all come up as only having the EN 1384 mark (not sure if it's all models for these brands except GPA they definitely don't carry the newer kitemarks) which is the one that will not be recognised by most affiliates.
Retailers can still sell them though as you can still wear them at home, hunting etc and SJI don't have hat rules as such they just have 'advisory' rules.
I agree with the other posts about getting fitted just make sure that the person fitting you has been trained and that you double check the standard.

From 1st January 2016 the new hat rules also apply to SJI as standard.

Baby_Bear

We actually put a call into SJI and they stated that their hat rules are only on an advisory basis.

silverfox88

Champion hats (the older suede type ones with the silver vent) are dreadful for slipping. The foam lining compresses and leaves the hat a good size bigger than it was when you bought it! I have the new one, the Champion air-tech, which has a dial at the back to tighten/loosen.

It's lovely but unfortunately won't be in line with new regulations next year...

Just edited this as I read the last two comments above - does this mean that for SJI you can wear your old hat?

fermatstheorem

Just to let you know I've settled on a tea tree shampoo that i now wash my hat out depending on how many times over used it over the week and I have a tea tree spray that spray on after use and my hat is as good as new