February 18, 2011

This Is How We Roll: Helmets

It's warm outside! And Solo slowly begins to feel better, with a little less sag to his belly and a little more sparkle in his eye. Although he no longer trusts my sneaky hands: every time I approach his stall, if he cannot see two empty hands, he backs up warily, quite sure that I am about to either (a) stab a giant needle in his man-boobs or (b) squirt something nasty in his mouth.

Today, though, I thought I'd throw about a couple of helmet reviews as folks are getting ready for spring seasons (jealous!!!!) and checking to see how gear fared over the nasty winter.

Helmets are getting a lot of attention lately, but you know I've always been a helmet nazi. Thanks, mum, for instilling good safety habits! Remember, not only do you need a helmet (well, at least if I like you. If you are annoying and mean to your horse, meh, I don't care if you fall on your head), you need a helmet that (1) fits you correctly and (2) is in good condition.

That 10-year-old Troxel that you've fallen on six times and the dog chewed on? Yeah, sorry, it's got to go. Helmets should be replaced roughly every five-ish years OR after you fall on them. Whichever comes first.

I know it hurts to spend the money if you've just bought the thing and it only has one good clunk. But helmets work by absorbing shock in compressing foam. Once you have compressed the foam lining, it doesn't spring back. The helmet will no longer be able to absorb that shock and it will instead by directly transferred to your skull. Not cool. Ask lifeshighway how important that is.  So really not worth it, suck it up and replace it! For more info, check out the riders4helmets website.

On to what's in my tack room: two actually, and I have glowing love for both.

The very popular Tipperary Sportage. I've had two (the first one met the ground). Lightweight, very comfortable, and I really like the generous head coverage. Plenty of vents for those Carolina summers, which is of utmost importance. And best of all, at $60, AFFORDABLE. Because here's the truth: a $40 approved helmet works just as well (and in some cases, better) than a $350 (or $700 or $900) approved helmet. Don't let the damn marketers convince you that pricier is better. They have all passed the same tests so the science is the same.

I also like to have something a bit dressy and more "traditional" for dressage and for recognized horse trials. I had a very VERY old black velvet Troxel, but it has long outlived its time and it doesn't fit very well anymore, so it came time to replace it. I REFUSE to buy Charles Owen (because they are trendy and yes, I am THAT stubborn that if something is a hot trend, I won't touch it), so I turned to IRH. Mum very generously agreed to sponsor it for my birthday this year (thanks again, mum!) so I am now the thrilled owner of the IRH XR9 (why can't they give them normal names, what's with all the stupid numbers and crap?). It fits perfectly, is very light, uber-comfy, and as a bonus, looks nice on your melon. At around $130, it's not the cheapest one out there, but definitely one of the most affordable helmets that will dress you up for a recognized show.

20 comments:

  1. Also if you are a $130 helmet you get to live in your own bag.

    I will be 80 and will not outlive that story, sigh.

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  2. This is a great post. I have a Charles Owen JR8 helmet. It's less expensive than the GR8. I LOVE it. It fits snug yet comfortable and looks great (nice low profile). I also have a Charles Owen Pro II Skull Cap which comes in a bunch of fun colors. Makes me feel like a 'real' eventer with my flipped up hat brim ;)

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  3. I have the Tipperary sportage and LOVE it! With one minor exception, it reallllly sits differently on my head than other helmets and unless I raise my head I cannot see where I am going. But then again, I have a bad habit of looking down, so it does help with that, it just feels unnaturally high (the way I have to hold my head to see). I liked how classy it looked AND that it IS affordable on a college student budget!

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  4. Yeah, I've never really undertand the multi-hundreds-of-dollars helmet thing. I have a nice little ovation helmet that I think I paid $45 for. Fits great, looks fine, does the job.

    I used to have a tipp that I loved, but the new helmets don't fit my head at all.

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  5. lh, only if the bag comes free! And no, no you won't.

    Nicku, then maybe you can explain to me the brim thing which has always mystified me! It appears completely pointless, so why have a brim at all? Why not simply wear the JR8?

    SB, I like the look of the new Ovation helmets too, they've got some good designs!

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  6. Fantastic post! I am needing to purchase a new helmet and I get so overwhelmed when I have a million and one choices. I just need someone to tell me "hey I have this one and like it". The only person that has done that for me has a CO GR8 and I am not paying that much. So then I was leaning toward a CO skull pro but though I would love that for cross country I would like something a bit dressier for dressage and stadium. I guess it is that hunter/jumper background. I am 75% sure I will be ordering the IRH XR9 now. Then if I want a more eventy type one later I can get one. But I love the look and the price of it. Thanks for this post!

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  7. Hey, your welcome, Amy! Check out Ovation's helmets too, I can't remember if they have a show one. But if I remember right, the XR9 was pretty close to the cheapest approved dress helmet you can get. IRH also has one with the more traditional hunt cap look if you want that, might be closer to $90-100.

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  8. Dammit, that should read "you're welcome."

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  9. I like IRH too. I have the one that looks like the GPA, it is super comfortable. I love the Charles Owen helmets but they don't fit me. I found back in the days of hunt caps that the IRH fit me best and they still do (No Patey's for this working person, lol).

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  10. Well, who knew that I was trendy?! I've always rebelled against the GPAs (who the hell pays $600 for what is essentially a Troxel?), but I LOVE Charles Owens. Yes, paying $314 for a helmet made my wallet moan and whimper, bit it was worth it. I have the AYR8, which has many vents, anti-microbial silver thingies enmeshed in the interior to fight The Funk, and a nice low profile. It is super comfy and quite attractive and I plan to have it for a loooooooong time.

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  11. Yes, Barbara is my team!

    Frizz, you have now achieved the height of trendiness. I'm not sure that I can talk to you anymore. ;-P

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  12. I have an Ovation ($45) that I use for schooling and just messing around. And I have to admit I got a CO JR8 for my show helmet. It wasn't something I planned on but I went to a tack shop and tried a whole bunch on and it was the one that fit the best, felt the best and looked the best. Well there were some crazy expensive ones that might have been better looking but I too have a hard time justifying $300+ for a helmet.

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  13. you're welcome! Nice to know you are encased in something that will protect that brain! Thank you for being so strict about helmets. Helps me sleep better at night.

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  14. Hey, Amanda, as long as it fits and you like it, that's ALL that matters!

    Mum :-)

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  15. Love my IRH. It's an Xtreme of some sort, I think? Matte black exterior with VERY nice air vents. Wonderful for XC.

    Also, I believe that 5-year lifetime is if you treat it right - never letting it knock against the ground/tack room wall/fence, and taking care not to leave it in extreme heat/cold. If it gets abused, I think you're supposed to replace it more often.

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  16. I am sure you are right, mm -- just like our horses, care is everything!

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  17. I have a GPA Titium, which is sadly approaching 5 years old... I bought it while living in France and riding other people's horses, which is why I could justify it. Funny thing is that since I've been back and trying to afford the truck/trailer, two horses and board deal, I've pretty much stuck with the old cheap tack I've had since I was a kid. I'm sure the trainers I go to can't figure out why I'm riding in a helmet that cost more than the saddle I'm riding on!

    Also just got a Tipperary Sportage. After years of using a Troxel on the trail (because a GPA or other show helmet will kill you in the Calif. heat!) I am so excited to find a light vented helmet that actually feels as safe as my GPA! For just a bit of a step up in price from the Troxel, I think its a big step up in quality. LOVE it so far!

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  18. Good news, TDS! I sure know about head suffocation in heat!!

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  19. Several comments on this topic:
    1) I'm not sure how I survived my young riding years wearing plastic helmets with stretched-out rubber band chinstraps. Worthless, purely decorative junk.
    2) However worthless they were, all my instructors required that helmets be worn at all times, and effectively drummed that into my (protected) little head. 4-H was good for that, too. I once won an over-fences class purely because I was the only entrant who a) cleared all the jumps and b) had my chinstrap on.
    3) I bought myself a beautiful new helmet in about 1988. At the time it was "top of the line" and I shelled out $90, a huge amount to me then (and now, I'm afraid).
    4) I was faintly horrified to learn that upon returning to riding after a 12-year hiatus, said "top of the line" helmet was definitely NOT any more. Things had changed, big-time! Certainly for the better, safety-wise. Wallet-wise? Not so much. I have watched the "helmet wars" with vast amusement ever since. What's hot, what's not, what's new and innovative, what's just stupid. I cannot BELIEVE some of the prices now! I entertained myself by trying on some C.O.s at the WEG. Have to admit, they looked pretty sweet... but I'd rather spend that kind of money on lessons. My new-ish, well-ventilated black flocked schooling helmet will see me through for a while. Oh, and my kids have been raised since birth knowing that if they're riding anything - whether wheeled or hooved - or skiing, they'd better have on a brain bucket!

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  20. Hahaha, RW, I am with you on the prices. Craaazy, eh???

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