STANDARDS

Whatever hat you’re looking to buy, it should conform to one of the current standards and also have the CE Mark (a mandatory declaration under EU law). All safety equipment must bear the CE mark to show that it meets the basic health and safety requirements.

VG1 (with or without Kitemark or C Mark)

Similar testing specification to the EN 1384. This is an iterim specification for the purpose of CE marking. It’s unclear how long it will continue once the new version of EN 1384 appears on the market. Hats with VG1 standard will be accepted by UK disciplines for some time to come.

PAS 015: 1998/2011 (with or without Kitemark or IC Mark)

PAS stands for product approval specifications, which are developed by the British Standards Institution (BSI). The 2011 standard demands more from a riding hat than the previous one. The acceptance of the 1998 version will be phased out of discipline rules over the next few years.

ASTM F1163: 2004a/2015 (with SEI mark)

An American standard similar to PAS 015 1998, but its testing doesn’t include mechnical strength (crushing). These hats often feature large ventilation holes.

Snell E2001/E2016

Developed in the United States by the Snell Institute, this is a highperformance standard that includes all aspects of ASTM and PAS 015. Its testing also includes a sharper horseshoe anvil, which replicates a kick from a horse, higher impacts and an additional hemispherical anvil to represent an uneven but not hard surface, such as a tree or fence.