Second Hand Riding Hats

Flipo's Mum

Flipo's Mum

Heavy owner of a Heavy
Aug 17, 2009
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Perthshire, Scotland
My neighbour approached me the other day and asked if I knew of anywhere she could donate an old riding hat she had.
I said it was a lovely thought but I didn't think anywhere would accept a used hat because of the risk that someone has fallen while wearing it, and with safety standards changing it might not be up to date if she's had it a while. Not wanting to tell her 'no' completely, I said she could ask the local RDA as I wasn't totally sure.
I've been on eBay and gumtree just procastinating instead of studying and there's a fair few folk selling hats second hand. Would you buy a second hand hat? I was always taught that it's a no no.
 
No I wouldn't consider it, you dont know the history for sure and it could be worse than useless if you rely on a hat thats structure has been compromised.

I wouldn't really consider any second hand safety equipment TBH.
 
Definitely not now, but 25 years ago I did! Back when they were held on with knicker elastic.... Hahahhaaa, maybe that was just our local riding school.....!
I am far too much of a worrier to buy second hand, tho having said that, you should see how riding hats get treated at some stables! A fellow livery used to often drop his and another would hang theirs precariously from a hook over the stable door....
I have ticked Mr T off on more than one occasion for slack behaviour regarding his hat!!!! Naughty Joe once chewed the velvet off a brand new bespoke Charles and Owen brown velvet one.... Hahahaha was quite funny until he nosed it onto the grass.....
 
Never, ever, ever. I just wouldn't trust anyone who said it had never been dropped or banged, no matter how well kept or new it looked.

However, I have sold riding hats that I no longer use for one reason or another. And with a clear conscience, because I knew they we up to the standard and I had never dropped or damaged them in anyway. But I have to say I was pretty gobsmacked that random strangers trusted my word and bought them from me.:frown:

I have also burned a few too, that I know have been damaged or are well below the latest safety standard.
 
Sorry to thread hi jack - but what would make any of you guys buy a new one? What would you deem damaged? What kind of fall or knock would make you think?
 
I would never buy a second hand one because you could never be sure it didn't have a hairline crack somewhere. Although I know people who have got a new hat because they have worn the old one for so long that the padding around the rim has flattened out and the hat has effectively become loose!

Does make me wonder though when you see the hats that are loaned out at a RS - goodness knows how many times they have been accidentally drop kicked across the yard or otherwise abused, then some poor novice sticks it on his or her head in the hope that it will save them! :frown: Still, I doubt there's any way around that, when people are first learning they often don't want to shell out for a hat before they know they are definitely going to keep riding.
 
Yeah our first riding teacher told us to try a couple of lessons before shelling out for hats. I was sooo excited buying mine!!!! And I was surprised that they weren't more expensive. As a child / teenager I always thought they were very dear brand new.
 
The riding school I work at some of the hats are 15+ years old and they never ever get replaced when people fall off so they would take it if she offered them.

But I'd never buy second hand. Had an accident and the paramedics told me my hat saved my life, just not worth the risk of second hand as trewsers said they are not too expensive really new
 
Well I have sold a number of childrens hats - some I had bought 2nd hand some new - leaving me I can safely say they had not suffered a fall or knock - when spending £80 + on a show hat worn a handful of times in a season - I can't afford t0 simply throw it away every time their head grows - I have not had a problem selling them or complaints from any sold or had an issue with any I have bought - if I knew or thought a problem with a hat then I would throw it - we did with daughters when she had a bad fall - adult hats we buy new - but unless can pick up the kiddies hats at a bargain in a sale as new then yes for the ammount of use they get I would buy 2nd hand again. we went from a 50cm to a 53cm in 3 seasons and 4 hats its bloody expensive to buy new each time - younger child couldn't use them as he is a size bigger!
 
If it was someone I really trusted I might buy a second hand hat. Never from a stranger though, just too risky. Think I come into catagory of people who need a new one because theirs is so old it has become loose though! I must buy one with this month's pay cheque...
I've never fallen off in it (except onto my bum once I think!) but it is definitely falling apart inside. Not helped by the fact a previous share horse peed on it when I had momentarily put it down in his stable. I cleaned it thoroughly (actually I guess it might be the cleaning products that have gradually wrecked the foam inside) but it has always ponged a bit since :redface::redcarded:
 
No, I'd never buy a second hand riding hat. I don't even borrow them unless I have to.

Trewsers said:
Sorry to thread hi jack - but what would make any of you guys buy a new one? What would you deem damaged? What kind of fall or knock would make you think?
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I replace mine if I hit my head (4 times so far!) regardless of any visible damage. When my boss in Portugal had a head injury which put her in a coma, her riding hat didn't have a scratch on it, but you wouldn't keep your hat after a fall that bad would you!
 
I would NEVER buy a second hand hat. I would replace after any fall or drop. If it fell out of the car boot onto the ground I would replace. I only get one head so I intend to look after it as much as possible. I also replace hats every 5 years as the foam degrades over time. My 'timed out' hat is now used as my groundwork hat. Any hat that gets dropped/has a fall I cut the harness out of and write 'DAMAGED' in permanent pen on the inside in case anyone at the tip thinks 'ooo free riding hat'.
 
joosie said:
No, I'd never buy a second hand riding hat. I don't even borrow them unless I have to.



I replace mine if I hit my head (4 times so far!) regardless of any visible damage. When my boss in Portugal had a head injury which put her in a coma, her riding hat didn't have a scratch on it, but you wouldn't keep your hat after a fall that bad would you!
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I replaced mine when I came off a riding school horse - I didn't really land on my head as such but it was a painful fall and my hat did take a bit of stick. Seemed such a shame as I hadn't had it long but better safe than sorry.
 
No I would never buy a second hand hat unless it was from someone I knew very well and trusted totally.
As for new hats, replaced three now, two after falls, one where I hit my head hard enough to leave me unconscious for a good 12 minutes or so (like Ale I was told if I hadn't had my hat on I wouldn't be here now) second left me very dizzy but still have replaced it as you never know what's going on inside where you can't see.
The third time I've replaced was when I made the mistake of leaving it hanging on my bridle hook outside my stable while Belle was in..... she decided to play with it and threw it down the yard!
My old yard manager asked me for the hat I threw out after my bad fall!!! It was brand new the day before and she asked me if she could have it, I wouldn't give it away as I couldn't have lived with myself if she had then sold it on ebay as being new without tags or some such and she was the type who would do that so it went in the bin.
 
Wouldn't touch a 2nd hand hat with a barge pole!

I am sure you are meant to replace hats every few years because the inside can degrade. I would always replace a hat if I hit my head.

ETA I actually kept a hat after a bad fall (ended up with concussion - I fell off and smacked the back of my head off the fence post of the school). I never rode in it again but it was the first hat I'd ever bought and it was a pretty velvet one and I just couldn't bring myself to throw it out for a year or two. Eventually I decided to get rid as it was just wasting space but I always wish I'd cut it open to see what the inside looked like as there was only a tiny mark in the velvet on the outside.
 
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eml said:
There used to be a charity that sent the hats to people overseas on the basis they were better than the nothing they had. Haven't seen anything about it lately though.
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I've had quite a few sent over to Hungary for the local riding school - anything is better than nothing, and although they DO sell the really expensive top of the range hats here, they also still sell the ancient things with elastic straps...and it's not really part of the 'culture' to ride in a hat so most people don't wear one at all! Even at the riding schools.... :eek:

I've bought 2 second hand hats - both from people I know who I knew had barely worn the hats and they were like new. One I wear occasionally, the other I gave to a Hungarian girl.
 
Trewsers said:
Sorry to thread hi jack - but what would make any of you guys buy a new one? What would you deem damaged? What kind of fall or knock would make you think?
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I bought new when I took on the cob, my old one was then five years old and not up to the latest standard.

Answering the op, I did when I learnt to ride as it saved borrowing from the riding school.

I also sold a riding hat worn twice for showing only. So people will buy and people do sell.
The same with my BP. My first was secondhand-you know the ones that went under your bits! Then I bought new and automatically upgraded when a newer standard came out.
 
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No never never ever. A frend took a nasty fall in her hat, she blacked out, concussin vision problems for months. I was gobsmacked she was still riding in the same hat ! "It cost me a lot of money"was the reply. I convinced her to buy a new one,but she wont wear itas it makes her head hot. :rolleyes:

My daughter has new hats each time. I will never put a second hand hat on her head. Prior to her first riding lesson I went and brought her one as I don't trust RS ones. Same goes for cycle helmets she knows the rules, "No hat = No Ride."
 
I would never buy a second hand one. Though I might consider sellng one, obviously only if I knew it was sound.

I replaced my last one after I dropped it off a wall that was about shoulder height. I admit I do keep it as a back up, but only for pottering round the school or if I have friends up who don't have a hat (and they are likely to be lead rein candidates!).
 
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