Riding hats?

[roundabout1]

Hi my dd is 7 and just started riding lessons through Riding for the Disabled. She would like her own hat but given that she has grown hugely over the past few years will her head grow some more? I don't mind getting her a hat if it will last a year or so. The only place we have nearby is quite expensive and it won't get that much use. I did wonder about the adjustable ones but they seem to look quite cheap compared to others. Any advice? TIA

can i tag along for the answer to this please?

DD also has RDA lessons, she has her own boots but not hat

thanks

Her head will grow, but pretty slowly. My ds's helmets last at least 2 years.

If the adjustable helmets fit your dd, then they are great, but it depends on her head shape as to which helmets are a good fit. You need to go somewhere with a good selection and a qualified fitter who will choose the right one. Ask at rda where to go

Ripping Yarns - Hi! I'm glad you're interested in the answer too, wondered if it was a stupid question! I am so grateful for the RDA, my daughter has just received her level 1 horse care & riding badges and is ecstatic, she hasn't been going long and already I can see the benefit. She is gaining confidence and is so proud of herself.

CMOT - Thank you, we will go to shop & have a look. I did wonder about the adjustable ones, dd would prefer a more conventional hat anyway as she complained the adjustable ones looked like her cycle helmet!

Ds has an adjustable Pollyhat as he doesn't care in the least what he looks like and it only cost me a tenner in Tesco . You can get more expensive adjustable ones that are 'proper' hats. Think my sister's is a Troxel one?

The Champion junior skull caps are great for kids and high standard. They can be bought from most decent tack shops and should be properly fitted by an inexperienced member of staff. If not damaged (and most falls will damage them) then it should last you at least 2 years.

I mostly agree with Butkin, but would go for an experienced member of staff ;-)

i hear you new

thanks for this info, i think a 2 yr life span is worth the investment

There is a huge number of choices out there in all styles and prices. As above I think you need to try the hat on your DD's head as different makes have different shapes, e.g. I have an oblong head so I know some styles simply don't fit. If you can get your DD to wear the hat for 10 minutes while you browse in the shop to make sure it doesn't feel too tight after wearing it properly.

I really like the adjustable ones as you can tighten or loosen them to fit each time (maybe I have a weird head but the fit of my hat changes a little bit from winter to summer and depending on my hairstyle).

It's best to change a hat often (ideally each year but no longer than 2 years and always after a fall) as the materials the hat is made from can degrade with time. Also new safety standards are introduced every so often and it's a good idea to benefit from maximum protection.

I would just add that I understand not all riding hats conform to the same safety standards. There is a minimum standard, that all hats sold in the UK have to meet, but I think some hats meet higher standards so are safer than others. For this reason I would do some research and go to a good tack shop with experienced staff. A good place to start is the BETA website www.beta-uk.org/pages/safety/hats.php

I also agree a hat needs to be fitted by someone with experience.

Good luck

Thanks for your help and info, I did wonder about the safety standards.