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An Equestrian helmet is worn when Riding Horses . This type of Helmet is specially designed to protect the rider's Head if a person falls off a horse, especially if they should strike their head on a hard object while falling or accidentally be struck in the head by a horse's Hoof . Certified helmets are required headgear for many competitive riding events, particularly where horse and rider must jump or work at high speed. Helmets are worn more often by , are starting to require by law that riders under the age of 14 wear helmets at all times they are riding. DESIGN An equestrian helmet has a hard shell on the outside of an impact-resistant resin or plastic, sometimes covered with cloth for a more attractive look. The brim is particularly flexible and will give way immediately in the event a rider lands on it. Beneath the shell are materials designed to absorb the impact of a fall or blow. The inside is lined and often padded in order to be comfortable for the rider. Ventilation is usually worked into the design, and a harness is attached to keep the helmet on the head at all times. Equestrian helmets have sport-specific differences from those used in other sports. For this reason, a helmet designed for another sport, such as bicycle helmet, is not deemed suitable for are less important in a riding helmet than in a bicycle helmet, but equestrians require a classic appearance, good ventilation and comfort. Some riders feel that riding helmets are hot, uncomfortable or unattractive and do not want to wear them. However, the classic hunt cap, which modern helmets attempt to resemble, offered little or no protection to the rider of the horse. Neither do other types of hats popular with riders, including the Derby , Cowboy Hat and the Top Hat . Use of helmets by beginning riders is becoming a common requirement, and some Liability Insurance policies for riding instructors[http://www.horsesdaily.com/insurance/apps/instruction.pdf Riding Instructor Liability Insurance application] ask the instructor to require their students to wear helmets. sanctioned competition; it offers inadequate crash protection to the rider's head.]] STANDARDS Helmets must meet a defined standard to be certified for use in competition. Procedures vary from one nation to the next. However, as a general rule, the design standards are created by a Standards Organization that has knowledge of hazards in the field of activity, and then actual helmets are tested and certified by a separate Conformity Assessment organization with testing expertise. The testing standards in the United States and New Zealand are considered more rigorous than those in other nations. "Most horseriders' helmets 'fail to protect them'" The Times , June 3, 2003. Web article accessed August 5, 2007 Independent testing in the United Kingdom in 2003 by the British Equestrian Trade Association found a number of "traditional" designs from the three most established and respected British manufacturers failed a series of tests indended to determine if a design provided proper protection in the event of a fall. Conformity assessment Conformity Assessment organizations that certify safety equipment perform some similar tests on all protective helmets (including bicycle, hockey and equestrian helmets), such as dropping them onto a flat anvil from a height of about six feet from several angles and directions. However, other tests are designed to consider the particular risks of a given sport. For equestrian helmets, these other tests may include dropping the helmet onto an anvil with a sharp edge, to simulate impact with the edge of a jump standard or a horse hoof. Riding Helmet Safety Standards Explained In the United States, (SEI) for simulated crash testing using the test methods defined by ASTM F1163. If the samples pass the tests, the manufacturers may label other helmets of the same model and size to indicate that the helmet is SEI certified. SEI also monitors the market for helmets fraudulently labeled as being SEI certified; for this purpose, SEI publishes a list of all helmet models and sizes that it has certified. United States The most common standard used by sanctioning organizations in the United States is known as ASTM F1163ASTM F1163-04a Standard Specification for Protective Headgear Used in Horse Sports and Horseback Riding. abstract It is periodically updated, the most recent is ASTM F1163-04a (2004).[http://www.seinet.org/CPL/astm1163_04a.htm "Equestrian Helmet Models" Web page accesssed August 6, 2007 It is a performance standard written by a volunteer committee of ''producers'' (persons who represent manufacturing companies) and ''users'' of equestrian helmets, and published by ASTM . The standard defines performance criteria and test methods; it does not prescribe helmet design. This is the current standard adopted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Helmet manufacturers voluntarily provide samples of each model and size of helmet to the Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) for simulated crash testing using the test methods defined by the ASTM standard. If the samples pass the tests, the producers may label other helmets of the same model and size to indicate that the helmet is ASTM/SEI certified. SEI also monitors the market for helmets fraudulently labeled as being ASTM/SEI certified; for this purpose, SEI publishes a list of all the helmet models and sizes which it has certified. Other standards The Snell Memorial Foundation , best known for its safety testing standards for Motorcycle helmets, also publishes a safety testing standard for Equestrian helmets, E2001.Snell Memorial Foundation 2001 Helmet Standard For Use in Horseback Riding HTML version or PDF version The Snell helmet standard generally is claimed by some to be the highest safety standard in current (2007) use. However, no national sanctioning equestrian organization to date has adopted it, the ASTM standard is more generally used. United Kingdom Product Approved Specification (PAS) 015 is one British safety standard for equestrian helmets. PAS 015: Helmets for equestrian use It defines test methods to evaluate shock absorption, penetration resistance, strength and effectiveness of retention system, durability of quick release mechanisms, and deflection of the peak. The other standard is BS EN 1384:1997http://www.bsi-global.com/en/Standards-and-Publications/Industry-Sectors/Health-and-Safety/H--S-Products/BS-EN-13841997/ BS EN 1384:1997 Specification for helmets for equestrian activities The EN 1384 and PAS 015:1998 are now essentially the same. Conformity assessment in the UK for the EN 1384 and ASTM F1163 standards is performed by INSPEC [http://www.inspec-international.com/home.htm Head Protection Testing. Web site accessed Aubust 6, 2007 Europe European Normes EN 1384 (Helmets for Equestrian Activities) and '''EN 14572''' (High Performance Helmets for Equestrian Activities) are standards published by the Centre for European Normes in Brussels, and widely used for purposes of Conformity Assessment in Europe. The codes for EN standards is sometimes prefixed by other codes to indicate adoption by national standards organizations. For example, the acronym "DIN" is used to indicate the Deutsches Institut fur Normung, and "BS" indicates a standard adopted in the UK. Australia/New Zealand The helmet standard in Australian and New Zealand standard is known as SNZ 3838. International The International Organization For Standardization (ISO) Guide 65:1996 is a widely respected international best practices standard for entities operating certification programs such as SEI and INSPEC.http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2004/pdf/Bic_Crash_6.pdf "Assessing the Level of Safety Provided by the Snell B95 Standard for Bicycle Helmets." Section 2.4. Web page accessed August 6, 2007 STANDARDS COMPARED More recent versions of PAS 015:1998 and BS EN 1384:1997 are nearly identical. In contrast, ASTM F1163 and PAS 015 are not identical, though a series of tests in 1999 indicated that in some cases, the ASTM standard in use at that time was marginally superior. Equestrian Helmet Safety Test Scores . Web site accessed July 30, 2007 On the other hand, the current debate between the ASTM standard and the EN standard is primarily over the issue of ventilation slots, allowed by ASTM. The debate centers over whether there is an actual need for protection from penetration by sharp objects. The SEI is accredited to ISO/IEC Guide 65:1996 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). Safety Equipment Institute This means that SEI is one of several testing programs that complies with the guidelines of the ISO.http://www.useventing.com/resources/files/docs/AMEASRFNewsSpringSummer2005.pdf UPDATE: Commentary on Proposed Legislation Senate 2681 (2002), 2254 (2004). Web page accessed August 6, 2007 COMPETITION RULES CONCERNING HELMETS Typically, helmets must meet one or more specific safety standards to be permitted for use in competition. United States The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) requires that, in classes that mandate a helmet to be worn, the helmet must be SEI certified. The USEF also requires all junior riders (under the age of 18) in any Hunt Seat discipline to wear an SEI certified helmet with harness fastened while mounted on their horse anywhere on the show grounds, and requires all riders to wear a helmet when jumping anywhere on the show grounds. While other Horse Show events do not mandate helmets, the rules have changed in recent years to permit helmets as optional headgear in any class. All riders are required to wear certified helmets while competing in Hunter, Jumpers, and Hunt Seat Equitation classes, and in any other class, including Hunter Hack, where jumping is required. They must fasten their helmet harness and must verify that the helmet meets or exceeds the current standard and carries the SEI tag. "GPA Helmets Purchased in Europe Might Not Meet USEF Safety Standards" December 24, 2006 International For FEI international competition that involves competitors from many different nations, protective headgear complying with the European (EN), British (PAS), North American (ASTM), or Australian/New Zealand tested standards is required.[http://www.horsesport.org/c/PDFS/ChI-IIGeneral-GenRules2006-June07.pdf FEI Article 521 AESTHETIC AND SYMBOLISM Riding helmets traditionally reflect the conservative style of dress that characterized earlier non-protective English Riding headwear. The classic riding helmet is covered in black velvet or velveteen (either via a removable cover or permanently glued on), with a small, flexible, visor-style brim. More recently, smooth finish helmets, worn without a fabric cover, have become more common. A newly popular style in the hunter-jumper world features a lightly textured (less shiny) plastic shell with a decorative ventilation strip down the center. This design goes by many brand names, but, due to the ventilation strip, is informally called a "skunk helmet." Jockey s who ride Race Horses wear a helmet designed without a brim, adding a colorful cover that matches the rider's Racing Silks with a false brim for appearance's sake. Use of racing style colored helmet covers has spread to other disciplines, especially amongst Eventers . Causal riders often wear "training" or "schooling" helmets in a variety of colors and some even include patterns (such as stars or stripes). Cloth covers in brilliant colors and vivid designs can be purchased to provide even more variety, but are frowned upon (and are sometimes illegal) in the Horse Show ring, where black, brown or gray are still the standard. Some helmets retain a symbolic ribbon at the back, which dates from mounted hunting. Traditionally, black ribbon was used for Fox Hunting or general Hunting , with red ribbon used when stag hunting or ''arme blanche'' hunting. The ribbon was "sewn up" (i.e. with a bow at the base of the helmet and the tail ends of the ribbon either cut off or glued pointing upwards on the body of the helmet) for "common" riders. The ribbon was "sewn down" (i.e. with the tail ends dangling from the bow, below the edge of the helmet) for hunt masters and hunt staff. Because any rider is entitled to wear a sewn up black ribbon, this is the standard for modern helmets retaining the ribbon. The use of "sewn down" ribbons by those not entitled to them sometimes occurs in the United States but is considered a serious transgression by traditionalists. In some nations, members of the Cavalry wear silver ribbons and national athletes wear gold ribbons. The ribbons are sewn up for troopers and common riders, and sewn down for officers and riders who have represented their countries at the Olympics or championships such as the World Equestrian Games . REFERENCES SEE ALSO
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