You're currently on:
Selection Guide
All manufacturers of riding helmets face the issue of combining safety with style. Although stylish, the thin walled riding helmets of the past offered little in the way of impact protection. For a riding helmet to protect delicate brain tissue it must be able to absorb force from an impact. To achieve this, a riding helmet must have a thick energy absorbing liner.
Checking Standards Approval
Firstly check that the riding helmet preferably complies with New Zealand/Australian Standard AS/NZS 3838. You can determine this by the permanent fixed label inside the riding helmet. If the label identifies the manufactures license number, this is further assurance the riding helmet has been manufactured under an independently audited product compliance programme.
The joint New Zealand/Australian Standard is AS/NZS 3838 (Helmets for Horse Riding and Horse Related Activities). This Standard is written specifically with Australasian riders in mind and considers the environment in this part of the world.
The following Safety Source range of riding helmets is manufactured and certified to either AS/NZS 3838 and/or PAS015.
• Onyx
• Aintree Eventer
• Cool Rider
• Dublin Velvet
The following Standards are also accepted by NZPCA for Pony Club activities.
All riders are required to wear a properly fitting, securely fastened, correctly maintained riding helmet meeting one of the following standards while mounted:
FOR ALL MOUNTED ACTIVITES AT PONY CLUB
• AS/NZS 3838 (joint Australian/New Zealand standard)
• PAS 015 (British standard)
• BSEN 1384 (joint British/European standard)
• EN1384 (European standard)
• ASTM F1163 (American standard)
International Quality Standards
Another indication that when you buy Onyx and Aintree is that Safety Source is registered to ISO 9001 for the manufacture and supply of equestrian safety helmets. This provides a formal recognition that Safety Source has systems in place to ensure consistent quality.
Additional Selection Points
Look for designs that offer sizes in incremental steps or have an adjustable harness to assist in getting the best fit.
Do not purchase a riding helmet with the intention of the rider growing into the helmet, this is potentially dangerous.
In most riding helmets is white or black expanded polystyrene foam (known as the impact absorption or EPS liner) that sits between the shell and sewn comfort liner that provides the bulk of protection against impacts. Check to see if the impact absorption liner extends right to the very edges of the shell. While this is not mandatory in some safety standards, it does give added protection.
