I’m really excited to fly to Wellington next month to meet up with my coach and a few other lucky students that are there all winter with their horses. I’m taking my riding stuff with me so I can help exercise the horses while I’m there. Any tips on flying with riding equipment? Mostly wondering about my boots and helmet. Should they go in a suitcase with checked luggage or should I keep them as carry-on? And can you carry on things that bulky? Thanks!
I’ve flown with booths, half chap, and helmet. I kept them in my carry on because I didn’t want my helmet to get dropped or bumped and have its integrity compromised, and if my equipment were to be lost it would be too expensive to replace.
Carry on boots and helmet. I actually have an all in one boot and helmet bag so mine only counted as 1 item.
Tomorrow bright and early I’ll try carrying on a poster tube with a training flag and the handle to a small-tine manure fork (head in checked baggage). If you don’t see anything on tomorrow night’s news about some crazy lady getting arrested ‘for trying to sneak a potential club onto a plane’, then I’ll get back on and tell you if they let me keep them.
haha, good luck HorsesinHaiti!
Maybe I’ll invest in one of those boot and helmet backpacks so I can sneak a book and a few other things in with them! Thanks everyone.
I put boots and helmet in my checked baggage. I stuff my boots with socks, underpants, rolled tanks / tees to keep the boots in shape (cedar trees I thought would be a bit heavy and bulky in the checked) lol. Then I build a little shelter around the helmet and nest in the middle so it won’t get banged up.
I have to admit, I was pretty pleased about my ridiculous method of packing. My carry on is always just my camera and lenses, so I don’t have room for helmets or other things in the carry on bag. Camera stuff (due to investment) takes the front seat over my helmet, sorry helmet! 
Depends on how threatening they might look. I had my spurs in a carry on. The Hindu gate attendant had never see such a thing and made me check them. Let the person behind me carry on his 8" swiss army knife (pre 9-11).
Tuffytown reminds me of a similar anecdote…
Circa 2002, traveling as a family, my dad ended up going through security with a bag containing my boot pulls. He was pulled aside, and explained in great detail to the TSA agent how they were used to clean “debris” out of horses’ hooves after riding. !! Luckily the guy was friendly and had a “huh, you learn something new every day!” attitude about it. My dad was so proud of himself… and so disappointed when I explained what they actually were!
As far as traveling with a boot+helmet backpack, make sure you are not on a smaller plane (e.g., the regional carrier type with 3 seats per row (solo seat|aisle|pair)). Their overhead bins are extremely small and the shape of the bigger Grand Prix/GPA backpacks might not fit in the bin or under the seat, but the items in a flatter, more rectangular bag should still fit.
[QUOTE=Metropolitan;7968043]
As far as traveling with a boot+helmet backpack, make sure you are not on a smaller plane (e.g., the regional carrier type with 3 seats per row (solo seat|aisle|pair)). Their overhead bins are extremely small and the shape of the bigger Grand Prix/GPA backpacks might not fit in the bin or under the seat, but the items in a flatter, more rectangular bag should still fit.[/QUOTE]
You know, you could always WEAR your helmet if it won’t fit in a bin 
Might get you some strange looks, though.
[QUOTE=Dramapony_misty;7968840]
You know, you could always WEAR your helmet if it won’t fit in a bin Might get you some strange looks, though.[/QUOTE]
I’ve got a pretty blingy helmet, not too sure about THAT! Lol.
mjs8, I also have a fair bit of camera equipment that needs to go in my carry on. Think I’ll be checking my boots and helmet. Thanks for the packing tips!
Do not check your helmet, ever. I worked as a baggage handler for 6 years and suitcases get beaten up A LOT by the automated sorting systems. Once we get them then they get packed and stacked in the carts driven out to the plane, loaded into the planes with about as much force as throwing a hay bales, unloaded from the plane and then onto the baggage system again. Sometimes we drop them, sometimes they fall off moving tractors, sometimes the tool box someone checked ends up on top of it on the baggage claim belt, #$%$# happens to those suitcases and I wouldn’t trust a helmet to protect my brain after going through that, even if it was cocooned in soft things.
Carry on only, if you’re flying a tiny commuter jet then take it out if they make you check the bags at the door of the plane. A helmet will fit under the seat or in an overhead on the smallest of planes, just keep a grocery bag to put it in to keep it clean, there’s more puke on those carpets than you’d think.
Thanks, canadianbacon! Good call, I’ll take your advice and not check my helmet.
