One bit of horse riding gear that can be especially confusing for the beginner is horse riding helmets. Some helmets are sleek and dark and covered in velvet; some are bright and colorful and look like bicycle helmets; some have visors, some look like cowboy hats, and only a few are allowed in the show ring.

So which horse riding helmet do YOU need?

Well, the answer to that question depends on what kind of riding you’re doing. Since I don’t know — despite my super-duper psychic abilities — I can at least walk you through the various types of horse riding helmets, tell you what they do and where they’re used, and let you decide which one is right for your head.

Show Helmets
Show helmets are pretty much what they sound like: helmets that you wear to shows. They’re more formal looking than other horse riding helmets, but otherwise have pretty much all the same safety features. For most English riding disciplines — Hunter, Jumper, Dressage, etc. — you’ll need a show helmet if you plan to show.

Classic Show Helmets
These are the helmets most people picture when they think of equestrian events. Modeled after the English hunt cap (which is basically just a velvet hat that offers no actual protection), classic-style show helmets are darkly colored — usually black — and either covered in velvet or given a finish (or cloth cover) that resembles velvet. Unlike hunt caps, show helmets actually do protect your head, usually have some form of ventilation hidden under the surface, and strap on for a tight fit. 

Modern Show Helmets
Newer style show helmets are sleeker, more abstract versions of the classic helmet’s hunt cap look, and look a bit like polo helmets.  They’re still darkly colored — generally black or dark gray — but often forgo the velvet cover for a matte, sometimes textured finish. Many of them also feature a central, highly visible ventilation stripe which helps to keep the rider’s head extra cool, but has also contributed to the helmets being nicknamed “skunk helmets.”

Of the two, I personally prefer the newer, sleeker helmets. They have a little bit of a sporty, sci-fi look to them — which I love — and strike me visually as more of an athelete’s helmet than a piece of purely traditional garb. Of course, that’s just my opinion. Whichever style you like best, a show helmet is what you’ll need if you plan to ride in any sort of official event.

Schooling Helmets
Schooling helmets are also pretty much exactly what they sound like: they’re helmets you wear for schooling, aka lesson riding. Although they protect your head the same way show helmets do, schooling helmets are way more informal and way less expensive. This means that not only can you express your own personal style with one of the many fun colors available, you can also save your much more expensive show helmet from all the wear, tear, dust, and dirt of daily or weekly lessons.  Basically, unless you have money to burn and your favorite color is black, you’ll want to pick up a schooling helmet.

Note: Even though schooling helmets look a bit like bicycle helmets, they’re very different. A bicycle helmet WILL NOT protect you from the sort of forces and damages you are likely to experience in a horse riding accident, so please make sure you purchase a proper, ASTM/SEI certified helmet that’s made specifically for horse riding.

Horse Riding Hats
In addition to the various helmets mentioned above, there’s also a category of English riding headgear known as horse riding hats. Horse riding hats are just that: hats. They’re not helmets at all, and offer little (if any) protection for your head. If you fell from a horse or were kicked while wearing a horse riding hat, the only thing standing between you and severe skull injury or death would be a healthy dose of luck and coincidence. Still, horse riding hats are deeply rooted in English riding tradition and are seen at higher levels of competition.

Hunt Caps
Introduced in 1780 and made popular by King George III when he wore one in Windsor Park, the Hunt Cap is the hat on which most horse riding helmets are based. Traditionally made of a shellacked felt covered in velvet and featuring a padded interior, hunt caps are basically just stiff cloth hats that offer little to no protection for the rider’s head. Unless you’re competing at an extremely high level, stay away from the hunt cap and stick to a helmet.

Top Hats
Top hats are one of the earliest types of hats to be worn in riding, and are still part of the traditional dressage ensemble. Like the hunt cap, the top hat is basically just a very stiff hat that will possibly protect you from minor scalp lacerations, but will not protect you from a major impact of any sort. Shorter than a normal, stovepipe-style top hat, riding top hats are designed to stay on the head while riding. Unless you’re riding dressage above the FEI level, you don’t need a top hat.

Dressage Derbies
Derbies are very similar to top hats, and in fact started out as an evolution of the top hat design. When William Coke, Duke of Norfolk, lost his top hat while riding, he engaged a hatmaking family, the Bowlers of Southwark, to make him a smaller, rounder, more wind-resistant version. The Bowler hat, later known as the Derby, was the result. These days, derbies have fallen out of vogue and are rarely seen outside of the UK and higher level dressage.

In short, horse riding hats are pretty much only for the highest level competitors. If you’re a beginner or even a mid-level rider, a horse riding helmet is a much better choice than a horse riding hat. In fact, many barns, events, and states are beginning to require the use of helmets for young riders as well as anyone below the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) level of dressage competition.

Skull Caps
Skull caps — aka jockey helmets — are the type of helmets worn for both horse racing and eventing. Although similar to regular riding helmets, one major difference is that skull caps have no visor. Instead, a soft visor is a part of the optional, silky helmet cover. And that’s another difference: while show helmets are traditionally covered in dark colors, skull cap helmet covers come in all sorts of bright colors and designs, often matched to the rider’s colors or jockey’s silks. Whatever their color, you’ll only need a skull cap if you’re riding in a horse race or taking part in the multi-day equestrian triathalon known as “eventing.”

Western Hats and Helmets
In addition to the English style of riding, there is another style: Western. Western riding is comprised of much more cowboy-ish activities — reining, cutting, team penning, etc. — and the attire is more cowboy-ish as well. The hats and helmets are no exception.

Cowboy Hats
If you’ve lived outside of a cave or seen a Western movie featuring cowboys, then you’re no doubt familiar with the cowboy hat. The cowboy hat is the usual headgear worn for most types of Western riding, and, like its English counterparts, is just a hat. It offers no protection from anything but the sun, wind, and rain, and should not be counted on as safety gear in a fall. In many western show outfits, the color of the cowboy hat is matched to the chaps.

Cowboy Hat Helmets
In general, Western riders still haven’t embraced the safety of helmets over the style and tradition of hats. Of course, no matter what style of riding you do, riding is a dangerous sport and any fall or stray horse hoof can result in catastrophic injury. With a riding helmet fitted inside a slightly oversized cowboy hat, however, the hat helmet may be the best of both worlds. If you want the look AND the safety, this horse riding helmet hat may be for you.

Western Riding Helmets
If the traditional style of cowboy hats is unimportant to you, there’s a new alternative: Western riding helmets, which are nearly indistinguishable from English riding helmets. While English helmets are usually black or dark gray, Western riding helmets lean toward browns and other earthy colors. And, rather than velvet, Western helmets are designed to look more like leather and coarse fabrics. Other than that, though, they’re basically the same and offer the same protection.

As you can see, there are all kinds of horse riding helmets and hats designed for all kinds of horse riding styles and events. As confusing as so many choices can be, if you know what style you’re riding, what event you’re participating in, and whether you’re going to be showing or lesson riding, your choice becomes much easier. No matter what your style or event, make sure you’ve checked with your barn for the local rules regarding horse riding clothing and headgear, and make especially sure that any horse riding helmet you buy is both new and ASTM/SEI certified.

And, most of all, happy riding!

Horse Riding Helmets – Which One Is Right For You? is a post from: The Horse Riding Clothing and Saddle Blog, where you can find great information about Horse Riding clothing, saddles, accessories, and more!