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Hi again,

This time I’m going to review two of my favourite riding hat’s available at the moment.

My first helmet is the Jin Stirrups Cap Color Helmet:

I’ve had this helmet for over 4 months and can only say it has been great. The unique design always gets lots of comments and not only does it look smarts it’s also really practical.

It’s super lightweight and comes with a handy bag to carry it around in, the lightweight nature of the helmet was one of the main reasons I was drawn to it. I travel quite a lot while riding especially at university where I have to travel all around London on the tubes to go to training and competitions. Another benefit is that the changeable liners. These ensure the helmet fits perfectly, this was a problem I found with some other manufacturers as not all head are the same size so I struggled to find a helmet which fitted. The liners can be removed for washing which keeps the helmet fresh and clean all year round.

I really like the safety aspect of this helmet it has certification approval ASTM - PAS015 2011 - KITEMARK - 2015 VG1 01.040.2014 European Directive 89/686/EC which are all up to date with the current regulations for British Show jumping, British Dressage and The British Horse Society.

The hat also provides ventilation while riding which comes in useful when riding in hot weather and riding more than one horse. My head always remains cool when riding making it a great choice for all weather conditions and types of riders.

The only drawback I can think of with this helmet is that it had a fixed peak, however, this features adds to the style but unfortunately means it’s not allowed in cross country events this is why I have a second hat for this.

The price of this helmet is around £485.00 this is at the more premium price tag for helmets however I believe its excellent value for money and even after the 4 months I have been using it, it has remained looking like new.

The second helmet I’m going to review is the Gatehouse HS1:

This hat is a super choice for the all-round rider. I have had mine for over 1 year and have been pleased with it. It is a traditional jockey style skull cap meaning you can change the silks to suit you. I have decided to have the Gatehouse’s own silk which has extra grip on it, I chose the black colour to keep it looking smart.

This hat had a great multifunctional design, it can be used for all phases in eventing and can be used in both British Dressage and British Show jumping. This helmet is super safe having SNELL E2001 the highest manufacturer equestrian safety standard in the world. The helmet also comes with a great carry bag meaning that it stays clean when not being used.

I find it hotter than the Jin Stirrups, however, is great as its hardy, if you can afford two I would definitely recommend this helmet, I use this for handling horses and then I ride in my Jin, this is due to the gatehouse being less easily scratched and can easily be flung to the side and then change the silk when it gets mucky. However it is less easy to clean inside of the hat but as I don’t ride in it, it doesn’t get as mucky. The lining in the gatehouse is not interchangeable but is very being treated with Aegis Microbe Shield. This is a permanently bonded anti-microbial barrier that provides protection against odour, staining and the deterioration caused by bacteria, fungus and other micro-organisms which means your hat stays cleaner for longer.

This hat is a great price of around £187.00 however you have to purchase hat silks on top of that.

Overall, both the helmets are great in different ways, I use both of them throughout my week, I prefer the Jin Stirrups Helmet for riding and the Gatehouse for handling horses. If you could have two hats like me I would recommend both of these however if you could only pick one, If you only do dressage/showjumping I would recommend the Jin Stirrups however if you do some eventing/cross country I would recommend the Gatehouse.
 

 

Here are the current standards:
 

British Dressage Hat Standards:

Protective hats must meet one of the following standards;

British – All PAS 015

European – VG1, EN1384 -2017

American – SEI ASTM F1163 04a onwards and SNELL E2001 and E2016

Australian & New Zealand – AS/NZS 3838 2003 onwards.

It is strongly recommended that members wear hats bearing the BSI kitemark in addition to the published safety standard.

BHS Hat Standards:

PAS 015 (1998 or 2011)

VG1 01.040 (2014-12)

ASTM F1163 (2004a or 04a onwards)

SNELL E2001 or E2016

AS/NZS 3838 (2006 onwards)

British Show Jumping Standards:

British - All PAS (1998 or 2011) 015, VG1 - Provided they are BSI Kitemarked

European - VG1 - Provided they are BSI Kitemarked

American - All SEI ASTM F1163 04a onwards and SNELL E2001 and SNELL E2016.

Australian & New Zealand - AS/NZS 3838 2003 onwards.

Competitors are strongly recommended to check their hats regularly and to replace them if damaged, or following a fall.

British Eventing:

British & European: PAS 015 (1998 or 2011), VG01.040 2014-12 both with BSI Kitemark or Inspec IC Mark

American: ASTM F1163: 2004a onwards with SEI mark, Snell 2001 or 2016 (No other mark is needed with Snell)

‘Cross Country Protective Headwear’ is a “Jockey Skull” of an even round or

elliptical shape with a smooth or slightly abrasive surface, having no peak or peak

type extensions. Noticeable protuberances above the eyes or to the front not greater

than 5mm, smooth and rounded in nature are permitted. It must also comply with

the ‘Protective Headwear’ criteria and be tagged as set out above. A removable hat

cover with a light flexible peak may be used.

Until next time,

Edward

 

Links to purchase:

Jin Stirrups cap colour : https://shop.jinstirrup.it/collections/cap-color

Gatehosue HS1: https://www.gatehouseridinghats.co.uk/2/hs1.html

 

My social media channels:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equinetuition/?hl=en

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/equinetuition/

Website: www.edwardchitty.com

Edward Chitty (Equine Tuition)
British Dressage Judge
Published on 18-02-2019
Edward Chitty is one of the youngest listed British Dressage judges in the UK. He has been based at one of the UK’s biggest equestrian centres for over 5 years, where he has been helping to run and organise the shows. Edward is a British Dressage Judge and UKCC L2 Showjumping Coach. He has recently been appointed as an FEI campus level 1 course designer.