I mean, for me it’s not but whatever floats your boat I guess.
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Haha this forum sure has taken a turn but I’ll weigh in here - back in my day (ha!) juniors were allowed to show the hunter under saddle and hack in a hunt cap and were only required to wear a helmet for the “real” O/F classes. I have no idea how my ER doctor father allowed that one but my junior mount at the time was as fancy, push-button, and quiet as they came. We were at a show that required helmets for all juniors when mounted, regardless of class, when my horse pulled his suspensory in the HUS and came down on top of me on the flat. Its the only time I ever hit dirt the entire 8 years I owned him and it happened to be the only time (up to that point) I was wearing an ASTM-approved helmet when riding him on the flat.
So, OP, you’ve obviously learned by now that there is no magic to tucking your long hair in a helmet and it sounds like your trainer is a lovely woman who will listen to you when you tell her no, you won’t be doing that. Horseback riding taught me a lot of things but the assertiveness I learned is what I credit with taking me the farthest in life.
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I hope your pony was ok after that fall. That’s gotta be traumatic for you from both the fall and the injury. :(. But there’s some sound advice in there and I hope it doesn’t fall on deaf ears.
It’s helmet awareness week and most approved helmets (including many MIPS helmets) are 15-20% off. Now would be a great time to find a new, safe. well fitting and good looking helmet that your noggin and your trainer can live with.
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“Hunter hair” has been around for at least 50 years. I don’t agree with it, but I think calling it a fad ignores that it’s actually a deeply ingrained norm in the hunter and eq rings and has been for decades. Like, string girths are a fad right now. Wide noseband bridles, maybe. 50+ years of one hairstyle is going to be a bit trickier to dissuade people from than your typical show ring trend.
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Thanks, but I think my current helmet will work fine, it has stopped hurting when I wear it and i don’t even notice my hair being in it anymore
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I really wish h/j world wasn’t sticklers for the hair net. It does ruin the fit and can be dangerous.
Have you tried other brands? I found the Charles Owen to be too narrow for me. I have a round head. The Samshield made me look like an astronaut. The OneK helmets fit me awesome and are a more affordable higher end brand.
Round head here… tried the GPA Little Lady and lovvvvvved it. I have a One K and I’ve had Charles Owens before this… but the Little Lady has been the best fit I’ve had in a long time. Don’t be afraid to go to a bigger size. Apparently my noggin is a 58cm (7 1/4). I rock the Medium in the One-K, but the 7 1/4 was an incredible fit… doesn’t move and stays put. Fits low and correct without feeling like it will pop off. Give it a try! I do feel like when I look at it off my head like I’m about to play a black ops game of polo or go on a very dark safari… but safety is paramount and people have said it looks great… so I’m all for it.
Thanks for the suggestion, but we realized that the ladies at the tack shop just did my hair wrong and it fits pretty well 
I wore it for a 2hr show practice and I barely noticed it was there
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Nice and helpful are not mutually exclusive, meaning they can happen at the same time, but don’t have to always overlap.
Something that is helpful: advice on not wearing your hair in your helmet to prevent traumatic brain injury risk, does not have to be NICE.
Your trainer prioritizing an unsafe practice, in this case, *hair in helmet" for an IEA show at 18 inches or flatting is widely accepted as completely inappropriate from a professional and safety standpoint. We don’t have to be nice when an adult is encouraging a widely known unsafe practice for a very insignificant reason (low level IEA showing).
As a junior, I’ll let you have that this is your favorite trainer. Doesn’t mean she is perfect or always appropriate. Most of us have been riding for longer than you’ve been alive, and some of us longer than your parents have been alive. If many of us are commenting that something is inappropriate when it comes to safety – it is likely true.
Good luck at the show. I recommend discussing with your parents the safety risks and I am sure a parent will be able to facilitate a safe decision.
FYI - I have long wavy hair that goes past my mid-back. I braid it and tuck it into the back of my sports bra as I hate when it smacks me in the back at the canter/ over fences. Occasionally I will braid it wet and wear it in a low bun, dressage style. Many a USET clinicians have complimented my bun for elegance and safety after I dismount and take down my super long lion’s mane hair.
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My first show went really well!! I got two 1sts, a 2nd, and a 4th. My helmet didn’t bother me very much at all, and I really enjoyed the show experience. Tysm for your advice and help, everyone!
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