Knowing a few people who have had terrible accidents, I hope more of you start to wear hard hats!
One, a friend, fell from a very well schooled horse, which resulted in head injuries, epilepsy and the loss of her driving licence.She is no novice horseman,the horse just decided on that day to prove thats what it was!

Another lady was hacking out, wearing her hat, the horse spooked at the leaves that had blown in front of them. She took a side ways fall and struck her head on the side of the kerb. her family now look after their wheelchair bound mother.

It does not matter, what type of riding you are doing, please ride wearing a hard hat. Leave your top hat or stetson for the five to fifteen minutes you are in your class!

Children should always wear a hard hat, no exceptions. I have spent some long hours in casualty waiting for xrays/doctors/ results.Its not worth it, and for a long time I made my child wear a body protector too!
Glad to say my child still enjoys her horses! Has only been concussed once, and in plaster once, and that was a football injury!

I have found now the E and L will cover the hat and also NFU and Pet plan cover ASTM approved hats.

I never ride with out my hat have had some big falls in my time. Actualy the last 4 years owning my mare as owning an ex-race horse at that speed you need you had on trust me !!!!!

Plus training babies is just silly without a hat. I like my head

So will look at changing from my quarter horse from Scotish Equestrian Insurance Services, will leave the mare there though as it was such a night mare getting cover for her.

Troxell hat hear I come http://www.airowear.co.uk/ are one of the main Troxell hat dealers in the UK and they were great on the phone and if there is enough demand will stock the western hat.

My understanding is that there is dispensation for the specialised hat - ie the stetson type - as there is for the dressage hat, top hat.

Troxel western hats are at www.westernscene.co.uk and the stetson type one will be available if its decided to import by the troxel distributor.

I'd think twice before going with E & L...

I've never used them myself but if you check out, or ask on, other forums like www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums or www.exracesclub.com you will find that they do not have a good reputation

I know of a few people who've been insured with them and they have done all that they could to get out of paying out and have all sorts of "small print"....

I have one TB with Petplan and the other with NFU (my new horse with NFU because my friend works for them) and they have both been fab dealing with my claims quickly and efficiently.

If you'd like insurance advice if you PM me your email address I can pass it onto my friend from NFU who can go through details with you if you'd like? She's helped me and LOADS of my friends, people from exracers forum and nearly everyone at my livery yard!

NFU and Pet plan want over £1500.00 for my two and cant afford that. Thats why I ended up where I am plus pet plan and NFU wanted to excude my mare front legs where my current insurance dosent.

Muffin wrote:
My understanding is that there is dispensation for the specialised hat - ie the stetson type - as there is for the dressage hat, top hat.

Troxel western hats are at www.westernscene.co.uk and the stetson type one will be available if its decided to import by the troxel distributor.

Has anyone got a picture of the Troxel stetson? I can only find there western/sierra which looks just like a normal one to me but suede