Riding Hat advice please?

[shelley72]

DD, who has just turned 2.5 has just started going to 'pony gym' - a session aimed at very small people where they get to ride on a shetland, as well as helping to groom the ponies. She is really enjoying it (though i worry when she takes one or both her hands off) and she also had a few goes over the summer and watches her big brother ride and has been desperate to start herself.

anyhow, she is quite small for her age and they only seem to have a couple of hats that fit her well and if someone else has got there first, we have to wait. so i was thinking of maybe getting her one for christmas. i think that she will continue with the riding for a long while yet, but obviously being so small she is likely to grow fast and unsure how long a hat would realistically fit her for? can anyone recommend a type /brand of riding hat that i should look for? how do i measure her? or is it best to go to a shop (where?) to get her fitted? can they be passed on, or re-sold on ebay, or is a riding hat like a car seat and you should never pass on?

sorry for all the daft questions, but i have never ridden myself (though i fancy having a go ) so i am a bit clueless.

Many thanks,

I wouldn't buy a second hand riding hat as you never know if it's been dropped / fallen off with etc so yes very much like a car seat.

Personally I would go to a saddlers/tack shop and get a hat properly fitted. They must be tight enough so they don't wobble/fall off/slide over eyes but not so tight that they are uncomfortable.

Probably best to go to a shop and get her fitted because she can try on different brands. They all tend to vary a bit in shape and obviously all our heads are different! For instance I usually buy Harry Hall hats because I know the shape of them is a good fit for me. Otherwise you might be able to get an adjustable one which would last longer too. Ds has a Pollyhat which adjusts with a sort of dial thing at the back and has the advantage of being lightweight but I'm not sure how small they go so you'd have to try get a look at one yourself. I know we got a very small hat for dd when she was little and she was very small for her age but I can't think of the make! I know the lining had Thelwell ponies in it and it was one of the well-known brands so maybe someone else will know? (am thinking it might have been Charles Owen).
I have passed on hats to friends but only because I've known for sure that they haven't sustained any damage (children hadn't fallen off, they aren't allowed to mess about with their hats and possibly drop them and they aren't left in the car in the hot sun). I would be wary about passed on hats otherwise.

We have this hat for visiting children and for ds to wear when its hot as its cooler than his normal hat, and its great. Very light, and adapts to different head shapes well.

The Pollyhat does start smaller, so might be best for your very little one

thank you all for the replies. i have a feeling that the stables said she was a 000? does that sound about right? we had a trip to scats this morning (the only place near us i could think of where i've seen a selection of hats) and a lady came over and had a brief look and said they were all too big for her. although afterwards DD picked up and tried on a charles owen (i think) hat and to us it looked as though it was a good fit - it wasnt slipping down over her face or too wobbly. what should i be looking for? i measured her head circ just now and it is 49cm. we are back riding later today so i might get them to try a few on her to get a better idea of size.

i was asking about passing down not because i was looking to buy one this way but because i am v newly pg with DC3 and was just thinking ahead as to whether we may get some more use out of it in future years if it was well looked after!

Right. I'm going to go against the grain. Personally, for a teeny tot on a Shetland, I would buy second hand. They grow quickly at that age, and do very little that's actually dangerous on their ponies. They also have very little distance to fall off of a Shetland. We've been known to put teenies in cycle helmets, or a bigger hat with a wooly hat under it for lead rein stuff.
To get a good fit, it should go on with a nice "huff", and fit snugly all round, not impeding the ears at all. If you gently waggle it, her eyebrows shoud waggle too.
IF you can find a second hand 000, you'll be lucky, check for the latest British standard number, and don't buy anything blatantly dented or damaged.

Our kids go to RDA and they have skull caps with padded inserts to make them fit properly. I think they use velcro to fix them in but haven't really paid attention.

Oh yes passing on to younger dcs is fine as you know if the hat is still safe or not. Ds has always had dd's cast-off hats and boots, which is why the poor girl was only allowed green or black wellies for years .

i second a proper fitting - i thought getting a hat was as easy as picking it - ohhhh how wrong was i.

i have a round head apparently and the best fit for me is a skull cap type. (These can be altered with pads inside them.)

traditional riding hats are not good on my bonce. too oval. so defo go for a proper fitting.

ive just started lessons and dd has now decided to join me - she will borrow for her first few lessons and if she likes it i will kit her out.

Riding hats are one of the few things I don't skimp on . Have always bought each child their own, and had them properly fitted , but then am paranoid about head injuries .