Riding hats. Why we should always wear them and the arguments for and against

Although to some, this post it going to be a little frustrating and maybe what I am going to write will be a tough pill to swallow.

This week alone i've seen two very scary hat related stories I wanted to make you all aware of so there they are -

First is this Race Post photo that is of Edgar Prado's helmet after falling off while racing..
Just look at it for a minute and let that sink in...

Then today a good friend of mine and fellow equestrian Alix sharing this -

All of these in one week.

Now I know that in the world of showing and hunting, a lot of people still wear beaglers, bowler hats, and top hats. They are 'correct dress' traditionally and are still 'correct dress' and allowed in the show ring.

Less and less people are choosing to wear them though due to stories about the above. Plus a lot of show societies are not allowing them in classes anymore.

See this article by Horse & Hound about SHB (GB) after they banned hats without a strap here

Now, don't get me wrong, I think that top hats, bowlers and beaglers look absolutely beautiful, they really do. They're traditional and all. But, saying that, I do think that whenever on a horse you should wear a riding hat up to safety standard which cannot come off your head if you were to fall off..

The above photos are from two completely different situations one is a professional race jockey, the other a amateur rider. There have been dressage riders who have had accidents. Even Charlotte Dujardin said in this interview that she has suffered from a fractured skull from riding without a hat and won't ride without a helmet on again. Same for Courtney King-Dye who rode without a helmet, the horse tripped and took her with it, she also suffered a skull fracture..

So with a top hat, bowler or beagler, just how much would they actually help in a fall while wearing one? Who knows, and i'm certainly not going to try and find out..

I've seen this video with someone showing a Charles Owen Beagler coming off and a Patey staying on, then again I've seen photos of a Patey coming off in a fall too! So really with the risk of it might come off, why do people continue to wear them? As the H&H article above writes, is it vanity or tradition, or both?

My vibe I get from reading more and more on the subject is that non safety standard hats are on the way out. See here and here for examples of questioning why everyone should wear safety standard hats.

Many a time in facebook debates people have argued "It's my head, my decision" in the sake of argument in wearing a top hat, beagler or bowler but had they stopped and thought of the long term of who would look after them if they were to suffer a debilitating fall which left them disabled and unable to look after themselves? 

The stories i've read are that those who have had accidents have had husbands and family to look after them, but what if they didn't? And what if they had been killed, leaving family and friends behind.

I think it's definitely a thinking point to ponder on... So on that one, I'll leave it there