# What hat do you wear to hunt?



## chancing (6 October 2011)

I wear a black skull cap and a black silk however cant help noticing how much smarter the strapless hats look. What does everyone wear?


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## posie_honey (6 October 2011)

i used to wear a charles owen show jumper type (flesh strapes peaked cap)
but after i fell with it on when goig over some xc style jumps on a hack i now understand why they are banned for xc etc - so from now on i'll be wearing my Charles Owen Pro II - but will get a nicer hat silk for it rather than the one it comes with to smarten it up a bit

tbh i dont give a fig that its not as smart or as traditional - i value my head far more that that


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## horseywelsh (6 October 2011)

Charles Owen skull cap with navy velvet hat cover. Safe and smart


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## brucethegypsycob (6 October 2011)

charles owen pro 11 with black velvet hat cover.


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## combat_claire (6 October 2011)

Charles Owen Showjumper XP velvet cap or my Raleigh bike helmet depending on whether the steed is breathing or metal..... 

Posie_Honey can I ask what happened when you fell off wearing it? The saddler who fitted mine assured me that it was fine for hunting as although the peak is fixed it is supposed to be deisgned to absorb energy of impact. I'd like to know if that was a load of *******s...


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## posie_honey (6 October 2011)

combat_claire said:



			Charles Owen Showjumper XP velvet cap or my Raleigh bike helmet depending on whether the steed is breathing or metal..... 

Posie_Honey can I ask what happened when you fell off wearing it? The saddler who fitted mine assured me that it was fine for hunting as although the peak is fixed it is supposed to be deisgned to absorb energy of impact. I'd like to know if that was a load of *******s...
		
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i always wore peaked caps as they suit my head shape better (took me ages to find that the pro II fits me - alas the HS1 is a horrific fit on me )

anyway - my lovely horse decided that the jump we'd done a hundred times before suddenly had a massive ditch behind it (it had been mown since we'd last jumped it and the shodows were long ) - but she decided this half way up so must have pushed off extra hard and simply catapaulted me forward out the saddle (i was prob not riding as defensivly as usual as i figured she'd be fine as she'd jumped it loads before!) and i went face first into the ground (cue embarrassed looks from her and me )

for a relativly simple fall i really hurt my neck - whiplash - now it could be said that it would have caused that regardless - but i def remember feeling my head whip back as the peak hit the ground....and there has to be a reason that fised peaks are banned for xc....i'd just not risk it now = even for sj i now wear my JS - and i would if i did workers again too = then swap to peaked for the showing stage


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## combat_claire (6 October 2011)

Thanks PH, certainly food for thought. Glad you were okay.


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## JenHunt (6 October 2011)

I wear an HS1 with a black velvet cover on it. looks smart enough and loads of folk with us wear them too.


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## livetoride (6 October 2011)

Normally a Charles Owen J3 skull with a black tie-on silk for me.


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## Fiagai (6 October 2011)

JenHunt said:



			I wear an HS1 with a black velvet cover on it. looks smart enough and loads of folk with us wear them too.
		
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This...after taking advice from a trauma specialist


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## lauraandjack (6 October 2011)

Charles Owen Kid's Own skull cap with velvet cover (adult hats don't seem to fit the shape of my head!)


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## Herne (6 October 2011)

I wear a Patey, but that is though pure vanity. I like the way they look.

BS standard hats are the way to go, and if anyone tells you "nay" ignore them.

My Patey 50 years ago would have been as nouveaux and un-traditional then as modern crash hat was 10 years ago.

Hunting dress is not fixed, contrary to public opinion, it changes over time.

One thing, though, if you wear a hat with a silk wear the peak of the silk horizontal to the ground as if it were a fixed-peak and not at a 45 degree angle as per show jumping fashion.

Turning out for hunting is all about looking smart as a token of respect for the landowners -and having a hat-silk at half-mast looks as if you can't be bothered,. It looks slovenly, like having your tie half undone and collar-button undone. Either wear the tie properly or take it off.


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## meesha (6 October 2011)

Will be wearing my skull cap with silk Sat !!!! ooooohhhhh


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## Fiagai (7 October 2011)

meesha said:



			Will be wearing my skull cap with silk Sat !!!! ooooohhhhh
		
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So I'll take it that you all set to set off so for Saturday?  

Just enjoy and dont worry people are all usually very helpfull ....


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## chancing (7 October 2011)

I have a charles owen and an hs1 neither fits my head properly after 6 weeks of regular wearing i am running out of ideas! note about the hat silk will pull my down properly


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## Dunlin (7 October 2011)

Safety first, approved skull hat (seen a couple of painful neck injuries with fixed peaks) and a body protector is an excellent idea!

I had a really big problem years ago when I used to hunt. I wore a Charles Owen Skull with a Navy velvet. The velvet used to either ride up or come off completely if low branches were involved (most of the time). It's true what everyone is saying about everyone being friendly and helpful as another lady told me to use double sided sticky tape which sorted that problem out perfectly!

Finally, my tie always used to fly out as well and once someone did make a comment that I should sort my "tail" out. He advised me to use a safety pin or stock pin to keep a tie in place.

Neat and tidy with no flappy bits, that's all!


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## meesha (7 October 2011)

all set for sat, have had to nip back to tack shop twice - once for hair net and next time for hat silk (thought had one at home but it has gone walkabout)! not sure how to put hair net on short hair though ! mine is v short into nape of neck ! If I could just get rid of the butterfly stomach it would be great ! I am not normally a nervous person think its a combo of mostly excitment mixed with slight nerves - will drown it tonight with a few drinks to help me sleep..........


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## bellatrix (7 October 2011)

Silver HS1 with flesh straps. I wear a black velvet over the top.


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## Aleka81 (8 October 2011)

Patey on my own horses and HS1 on the pointers.


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## Ditchjumper2 (8 October 2011)

Patey.......although been on OHs horse last couple of days out and did wear skull cap!


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## Daddy_Long_Legs (10 October 2011)

Patey on something I know and skull cap with navy silk for clients horses/young horses.


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## Ella19 (10 October 2011)

Used to wear Charles Owen xp. Since my accident I now have a Charles Owen pro II skull and kan body protector. Apart from the kids I'm normally in the minority for a skull cap let alone a body protector, but that hat saved my head out hacking and now sporting my second plate, 7 new pins and a bone graft right next to.my main artery, its a kan or my life. I know which I would,choose!


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## Shoei (11 October 2011)

I am a little worried now.  I have always hunted in a traditional as I prefer the look of these to skull caps (plus I never seem to be able to find a silk that looks smart or stays on!).  I am due to upgrade my hat soon and I am now thinking maybe I should go for a skull cap unless anyone knows of any traditionals that are safe to hunt in..... I always thought a fixed peak was supposed to protect you from a broken nose!


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## Addicted to Hunting (11 October 2011)

I wear a velvet John Whitaker for AHing as it's navy and goes with my tweed last year I wore a Jockey Skull with brown velvet though. And full season I have a black CO showjumper as have a black jacket. I prefer the look off these to a skull and thought the peaks were alot better at absorbing the energy now?? Fell of three times last season and was prop the type off fall but head hurt more in the jockey skull and had a lot more off a whiplash feel, i somersaulted in my showjumper and alltho I broke my collar bone, my head felt fine and I did have marks on the hat, same applied wen I rode into a branch head first! The peak also helps keep the rain off a bit!


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## chancing (11 October 2011)

im still umming and aaahing whether to go for a peak or not now then!!


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## LizzieJ (11 October 2011)

If you're only intending on having one hat you won't be able to go cross country in a peaked hat


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## chancing (11 October 2011)

i wont be going xc for a while on chance liz although she did jump today was going to have 2


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## Ella19 (11 October 2011)

The way I look at it is hunting esp drag hunting is very like xc. Now if competing xc you would only be allowed a skull and with good reason, so bar tradition why would you wear something different to hunt in?!


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## Starbucks (11 October 2011)

Skull cap for me.

On one of my first days hunting, I was about 7 and on the lead rein.  We were pottering back down a track to go home and a horse bolted past us.. it slipped and fell on the road at the bottom.  The lady was wearing a patey, it came off and she died. 

I just think if you are going to die riding a horse, hunting must be pretty high risk as things go, and falling on the road quite likely.  I'm happy not to wear any hat in the school, but want to be as protected as poss hunting! Each to their own of course.


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## dominobrown (11 October 2011)

I always wear my champion velvet hat (with flesh coloured harness), they are smart, suitable for showing and show jumping etc and are safe. They are up to safety standards.

I have an old book about hunting turnout and apprantly only hunt staff, farmers and land owners should wear hunting caps (pateys), everyone else shouldn't wear anything, though most hunts don't mind people wearing hunting caps for safety these days (40/50 years ago!). 
Suppose a patey is better than nothing!


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## PorkChop (12 October 2011)

I used to wear a Showjumper with flesh harness, but this year have decided to wear my HS1, haven't hunted for a few years.  To be honest I worry more about slipping on roads than falling off when jumping.


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