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For a new rider, horse riding helmets can be confusing. 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? Follow the steps below to find the right helmet for your head. |
Choose a horse riding helmet from your favorite riding style below…
  English riding is a style that is both elegant and powerful. From the delicate control of dressage and equitation, to the mastery of strength and will that is jumping, English riding is classic and beautiful in the European tradition. If you ride English, choose English Riding Helmets or English Riding Hats below. |
English Riding Helmets
(for Dressage, Hunter, Jumper, Eventing)
English riding goes back to the days of royal fox hunts, and English riding helmets are based on the look and feel of the English hunt cap. Whether they’re colorful and informal, velvety and classic, or strong and striped, English helmets are designed to protect your head while maintaining a classic profile. If you’re going to be riding dressage, hunter/jumper, or participating in the dressage phase of eventing, you will need an English riding helmet.
English Horse Riding Hats
(optional for Dressage above Level 4, adult Hunter flat classes)
Horse riding hats are just that: hats. Whether it’s the velvety hunt cap on which the English riding helmets are based, or the top hat worn at higher levels of dressage, horse riding hats are not helmets and offer no protection for your head. Still, they’re deeply rooted in English riding tradition and are seen at higher levels of competition. If you’re riding high level Hunter or Dressage, an English horse riding hat may be for you.
  Western riding is based firmly in the cowboy lifestyle. From the form and endurance of Western equitation and pleasure riding to the strength and control of cutting, reining, and the various rodeo disciplines, Western riding is not for the faint of heart or the shallow of spirit. If you ride western, click Western Riding Helmets or Western Horse Riding Hats below. |
Western Riding Helmets
(for Reining, Cutting, Cow Horse, Penning, Western Equitation)
Western riding goes back to the days of the cowboy and the skills needed to work a ranch while sitting in the saddle. Western headgear has long been based around wide-brimmed hats — cowboy hats — as they offer great protection from long days in the elements. What they don’t offer is protection from injury, and that’s why Western riders are beginning to embrace the western horse riding helmets.
Western Horse Riding Hats
(optional for Western Pleasure, Western Equitation, most others)
Ah, the cowboy hat. Do I really need to say anything about it? In case you live under a rock and have never seen a movie western, let me just say this: Western riding hats may not offer any protection from injury, but they are a cowboy’s barrier from the sun, wind, and rain. And they look good doing it. If you want to ride Western pleasure or any of the other slightly less dangerous Western events, try a Western horse riding hat.
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.
Happy riding!
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