I had very long hair when I was showing (as a teen) so I would braid it and then flip it back up and put a band around it at the neck (kind of like the horses’ braids). It looked OK. I never could keep the stupid hairnets on though, they would crawl back up under the helmet every time!
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Anything that fits my head- I can’t have a ponytail or anything. No bun. It just doesn’t work. Guess I have a weird, fat potato head 
Safety over fashion. Many might have a fit but what is wrong with a bun or braid? It’s a pita to do hunter hair. But it doesn’t much matter as my horse is much more of a jumper anyway!!! 
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I was at a show and was with a small group and one rider took all 10 seconds to do hunter hair. Stuck her ponytail on top of her head, put on the hairnet, put on helmet and pulled the hair down on the sides to cover her ears. I was impressed. When I try to do my hair under a hairnet, I end up using about 10 bobby pins to keep it all in place and then they’re sticking me in the head giving me a headache.
I’ve been doing hunter hair for so long it only takes me about 10 seconds as well. It would actually take me far more time and effort to braid it or put it into a bun.
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Agreed, I do my hair in no time at all. I don’t even have to lean over. I have no idea where I would even start if I had to get it into a bun.
I guess it is what you are used to. I use a hairnet every single ride, but my helmet doesn’t fit with my hair tucked under it; when I try to stuff more of it under there I get a nasty headache. I usually do a bun under a RWR hairnet, but I think it sticks out too much, so I’ve been experimenting. Recently I’ve discovered that if I braid it and do a sort of loose loop with the braid I can get the whole business in a sort of flatter oval shape at the back of my head under the hairnet, and it looks much neater. This takes me under a minute, usually, and I have hair down to my lower back.
Same here. I always wear my hair in a hair net - my hair is (unfortunately) not thick and luxurious like so many fortunate people here and I can easily throw my skimpy ponytail up in the hairnet. Helmet fits great but I can see where someone with lush, thick hair could never pull this off. Still, it’s not fair for those who cannot to continue to argue that it’s not safe or not correct. They have clearly never seen such fine baby thin hair like mine and cannot relate!
And yes, it takes 10 seconds to throw the pony up, secure with a hairnet, and put my helmet on. There is literally nothing to braid or put in a bun (I would need a bun form for that). The old bridesmaid updo makes me cringe - there is literally nothing to put up!
Different strokes for different folks definitely applies here!
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I personally don’t think any particular hairdo should be required, because the human head is a very odd phenomenon. But I do think judges and coaches need to be aware that some ethnicities and hair types cannot safely wear a helmet with their hair stuffed in it. If coaches say, “you need to have your hair in your helmet to look tidy,” that is communicating (however unintentionally) an uncomfortable message to certain riders.
It’s kind of like being told “straight hair is serious hair” (something I heard back in the 90s when going on job interviews). My hair would require me to relax or get blown out it to be straight, and because of working out and being outdoors, it’s not feasible for me to get it straightened all of the time.
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I also have very VERY thin and fine hair and I doubt it’s a safety issue for me to throw my hair up in my helmet. However this trend is completely unfair and discriminatory to those with thick hair/ ethnic hair so I personally refuse to participate. I know it makes me stick out and I know I could easily just stuff it in my helmet but if others can’t then that’s not fair so my hair stays out.
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I have pin straight hair that failed at 80’s puffiness no matter what I tried. I have never heard “straight hair is serious hair”. Ever.
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One could argue that it’s not “fair” that some people are so genetically blessed to have thick hair! Another could argue that it’s not “fair” that some riders have a more statuesque build than others and are more suited for equitation than someone shorter. Still more could argue that it’s not “fair” that some people have more funding than others.
But life just isn’t always “fair.”
I don’t think it’s about being discriminatory - it’s more about people “believing” its discriminatory and not doing what is right for their own personal safety, all the while telling everyone else how unsafe it is even when for some of us, it’s just not. Now, THAT is unfair, too.
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This “trend” has been practiced for decades (and discriminatory? seriously?) and it has never been required so I’m not sure why some are panicking about it now. Do what you want with your hair - no one cares!
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Yes it is. Can every hair type fit stuffed into a helmet? No.
It is for plenty of hunter jumper barns. There was a post here just weeks ago from an IEA kid saying her trainer is making her wear her hair stuffed into her helmet despite it not fitting correctly and making her head hurt. Lots of trainers do that.
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You clearly do not understand the definition of the word “discriminatory”.
Brianne Goutal has been winning at the top shows on the East Coast in the open hunter divisions with her ponytail flinging about behind her while she’s on course. There is no requirement to wear hair up in a helmet in the hunter and jumper divisions. Period. If a trainer requires hair up and someone doesn’t want to wear her hair that way, obviously she needs to find another trainer. People really need to start standing up to trainers they disagree with - not doing so is what has gotten the hunter discipline to the pathetic place it is right now.
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I’d like to jump in as someone with very VERY thick hair. Like, so thick every hairdresser I have ever gone to comments on how thick my hair is.
Up until some point last year I wore my hair up in my helmet religiously. This was not by choice. I have a big head in general, but I used to have to go up multiple sizes to fit my hair in. Life was fine with two of my helmets, but when I purchased a Samshield ShadowMatt my hair kept sliding out! I was absolutely terrified to ride in it. If my hair fell out the helmet looked like I had a large bowl on my head. But according to the rest of the world, the helmet “fit” because I could put my hair in it and it wouldn’t fall off.
Thankfully now I have a helmet that fits my head perfectly, WITHOUT my hair in it. I think I could stuff it in if I really wanted to, but I don’t show and have no need. Looking back, I realize how incredibly dangerous it was to ride in such ill-fitting helmets.
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Yikes! I have a bob that is MAYBE 2" below my hairline when I get it cut, and it drives me nuts if any is below my helmet and not behind my ears. I cannot imagine having hair falling out everywhere!
Having short hair, I do just tuck behind my ears and put my helmet on. DD had long, very thick hair, and either did a pony or braid. She hated hunter hair, and did all she could to avoid it despite a very traditional coach. I think it was part of the reason she loved jumpers!
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Like with safety vests, riders need to be assured that they will not be penalized in hunter classes for wearing their hair out. This should absolutely be an option for equity reasons, meaning, accomodating hair other than white person hair. Until some of the top professionals and the most well-known amateurs and juniors are wearing their hair out, many people will not feel comfortable doing it. I noticed last week at the Capital Challenge that fewer people were wearing their safety vests even. Usually it is about 1/3 of the adult hunters and only a few were wearing them in a given age group.
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Probably because you have pin straight hair. I’m in a conservative profession with naturally curly hair and I’ve heard it many, many times.
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I have thick hair. Everyone always is shocked by how thick my hair is when they touch it. I wear my hair up every ride, not because of looks (though I do think a ponytail looks sloppy in the ring, but a bun looks nice) but because if I don’t I get the WORST knots in my hair. If I put it in a ponytail, I will have to cut the band out of my hair and spend way too much time trying to detangle the dreadlock like thing that has formed in my hair. If I keep it loose, it’s slightly better, but still tangles horribly.
I just buy a helmet large enough to accommodate my hair. It’s really not a big deal. I’ve fallen on my head several times too with my hair up. The only time I actually got a concussion was when I didn’t have my hair up and fell and hit my head.
I’m not saying that it works for everyone, but I think that 99% of people, no matter if their hair is thick or thin, can ride with their hair up in a helmet as long as the helmet is fitted for the purpose.
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