Safety
Ride out, come home safe.
Hi-vis, helmets and body protectors - kit you barely notice until you need it.
Riding Hats & Safety Helmets
This is the full Just Horse Riders riding hat range: 77 products covering peaked riding hats, jockey skulls and replacement hat liners. In-stock prices currently run from £39.95 for the Uvex Suntop and £40.63 for the HKM Riding Helmet Carbon Art up to £549.95 for the Uvex Exxeed Lady, with replacement liners from £4.50. If you only take one thing from this page: get the fit right first, then check the hat meets a standard your discipline accepts, then worry about how it looks.
In a hurry?
- First hat, sensible money: John Whitaker NRG Riding Helmet, from £62.31.
- Tightest budget: HKM Riding Helmet Carbon Art, £40.63.
- Cross-country and racing skull: Gatehouse HS1 Jockey Skull from £99.99, or Gatehouse R20 Jockey Skull from £112.50.
- Showing, dressage and hunting: Gatehouse Conquest MKII Riding Hat from £149.99, or Champion Evolution Puissance Riding Hat from £155.00.
- Premium end: Uvex Exxeed MIPS from £316.95, Uvex Exxeed Classical from £449.94, Uvex Exxeed Lady £549.95.
- Only need fresh padding: Karben Sonic Riding Hat Liner, £4.50.
How do I choose the right riding hat?
Start with what you actually do on a horse, not with the price. A hat that suits a weekly lesson is not the hat you want for a cross-country schooling round, and a showing hat has a different shape again. Use the table below to narrow the field, then let fit make the final call.
| Your situation | What to look for | In stock now |
|---|---|---|
| First hat for lessons and hacking | A straightforward peaked shape that is easy to adjust and easy to live with | John Whitaker NRG Riding Helmet (from £62.31); HKM Riding Helmet Carbon Art (£40.63) |
| Keeping the budget tight | A well-fitting hat that meets a current standard, rather than a big name that fits badly | HKM Riding Helmet Carbon Art (£40.63); Champion Pro Plus Adult Skull Helmet (£59.10, 51cm) |
| Cross-country, racing or point-to-point | A jockey skull with no fixed peak, worn with a silk | Gatehouse HS1 Jockey Skull (from £99.99); Gatehouse R20 Jockey Skull (from £112.50); Karben Graphite Luxe Skull Cap (from £67.50) |
| Showing, dressage and hunting | A clean peaked hat in black or navy that suits a traditional turnout | Gatehouse Conquest MKII Riding Hat (from £149.99); Gatehouse Oxer Regular Peak Riding Hat (from £149.99); Champion Evolution Puissance Riding Hat (from £155.00) |
| Hacking out on the roads | A finish that catches the light, worn with the rest of your hi-vis | Rhinegold Reflective Pro Riding Hat (£78.99); Rhinegold Glitter Pro Riding Hat (£78.99) |
| Long hours in the saddle, every day | A premium shell you can genuinely wear all day without a headache | Uvex Exxeed MIPS (from £316.95); Uvex Exxeed Classical (from £449.94) |
| Yard or riding-school workhorse | A mid-priced hat in plain colours that will take daily use | Premier Equine Endeavour Horse Riding Helmet (£85.50); Premier Equine Centauri Horse Riding Helmet (£90.00); Premier Equine Odyssey Horse Riding Helmet (£90.00) |
| Refreshing a hat you already own | A replacement liner in the right size and thickness for your shell | Karben Sonic Riding Hat Liner (£4.50); Karben Ellipse Riding Hat Liner (£7.20) |
What is the difference between a jockey skull and a peaked riding hat?
A jockey skull has a smooth, rounded shell with no fixed peak. That is what makes it the usual choice for cross-country and racing, where a rigid peak is not wanted, and it is normally worn under a coloured silk. A peaked riding hat has the peak built into the shell, which shades your eyes and gives the traditional look that showing, dressage and hunting classes expect.
Which should I buy if I do a bit of everything?
Most riders who event start with a skull and add a silk, because a skull covers the widest range of situations. If your riding is mostly flatwork, lessons and hacking, a peaked hat is the more comfortable everyday choice. In this collection the skull options start with the Champion Pro Plus Adult Skull Helmet at £59.10 and the Karben Graphite Luxe Skull Cap from £67.50, then run up through the Gatehouse HS1 Jockey Skull, which starts at £99.99.
How should a riding hat fit?
Measure around your head at the widest point, just above your ears and eyebrows, and use that measurement as the starting point. Then check three things on the hat itself: it should sit level rather than tipped back, it should not rock or slide when you shake your head with the harness undone, and the harness should sit comfortably clear of your throat once fastened.
Why do the sizes look different from hat to hat?
Because the brands here use three different systems. Some are sold in centimetres (roughly 51cm to 63cm across this range), some in traditional hat sizes such as 6 3/8 or 7 1/4, and some in Small, Medium and Large or paired sizes like Medium/Large. Head shape matters as much as circumference, so a 55cm in one brand can feel quite different from a 55cm in another. If you are between sizes or unsure which shape suits you, get in touch and our team will help.
Which riding hat brands are in stock?
The current range covers Champion, Gatehouse, Uvex, Premier Equine, Rhinegold, Karben, John Whitaker and HKM. Gatehouse and Champion carry most of the traditional showing and skull options, Uvex sits at the premium end with models such as the Uvex Exxeed MIPS from £316.95, and Premier Equine, Rhinegold, John Whitaker and HKM cover the everyday middle ground from £40.63 upwards.
When should a riding hat be replaced?
The standard advice from safety bodies is to replace a hat after any fall or heavy impact, even if it looks undamaged, because the protective layer is designed to absorb the blow once. Hats are also generally treated as having a working life from the date of manufacture, so a very old hat should be retired even if it has never been dropped. Buying second-hand is not recommended, because you cannot know what has happened to it.
Replacing the liner is a different matter. If the shell is sound and recent but the padding has flattened or gone shabby, a new liner such as the Karben Sonic Riding Hat Liner at £4.50 or the Karben Ellipse Riding Hat Liner at £7.20 can bring a hat back to a comfortable fit, provided it is the correct liner for that shell.
Riding hat FAQs
What size riding hat do I need?
Measure around your head at the widest point, just above the ears and eyebrows, and match that to the size guide given for the individual hat. Hats in this collection are listed in centimetres (around 51cm to 63cm), in traditional hat sizes such as 6 3/8 to 7 3/4, and in Small, Medium and Large. Sizes are not identical between brands, so check each product rather than assuming your usual size carries over. If you are between sizes, get in touch and our team will help.
Do I need a jockey skull or a peaked riding hat?
A jockey skull has no fixed peak and is the usual choice for cross-country and racing, worn with a silk over the top. A peaked hat has the peak moulded into the shell and is what showing, dressage and hunting turnout normally calls for. If your riding is mostly lessons and hacking, a peaked hat is the easier everyday option. Skulls here start at £59.10 with the Champion Pro Plus Adult Skull Helmet, with the Karben Graphite Luxe Skull Cap from £67.50.
Which safety standard should my riding hat meet?
That depends on what you do and who you compete under. Each governing body publishes its own list of accepted standards and updates it from time to time, so the reliable approach is to check the current rule book for your discipline and then check the standard printed on the label inside the hat before you buy. If you are unsure which standard applies to your riding, get in touch and our team will help.
Is it safe to buy a second-hand riding hat?
It is not recommended. A hat that has taken an impact can look perfectly fine on the outside while the protective layer inside has already done its job, and there is no way to tell from a photograph or a quick look. Age matters too, since hats are treated as having a working life from the date of manufacture. Buying new is the only way to know the full history of the hat you are putting on your head.
When should I replace my riding hat?
Replace it after any fall or heavy knock, even if there is no visible damage, because the impact-absorbing layer is designed to work once. Retire an old hat once it reaches the end of the working life given by the manufacturer, and replace it sooner if the shell is cracked, the harness is frayed or the fit has become loose and unreliable.
Can I just replace the liner instead of the whole hat?
Yes, if the shell itself is sound and has never taken an impact. A fresh liner restores a snug fit when the padding has compressed, and it is far cheaper than a new hat: the Karben Sonic Riding Hat Liner is £4.50 and the Karben Ellipse Riding Hat Liner is £7.20. Liners are made for specific shells and thicknesses, so match the liner to your hat rather than to your head measurement alone.
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Last reviewed 2026-07-26 by the Just Horse Riders team.