Our big stable burned to the ground last week and with it, 57 years of accumulated tack and riding gear, including 4 good velvet covered riding helmets. (No horses hurt) I tend to be a bit traditional and only wear plain black!! I started looking for replacements and I can’t find velvet covered safety helmets anywhere!! Everything is modern looking stuff with/without bling and painted ponies!! Need affordable for pleasure riding and hunting!! Thanks.
The Charles Owen Hampton helmet is pretty darn traditional looking–it’s even velvet. The Charles Owen GR8s come in plain black microfiber–not 100% traditional but plain black and conservative.
Other than that, not sure I’ve seen many other velvet helmets for sale. Some of the newer helmets are really nice–after switching to a helmet with vents I don’t think I could go back!
CO has the Hampton, also the Wellington Classic, H2000, and Ayr8 Classic all in velvet. International has one or two models in velvet and/or velveteen.
I really like the CO Ayr8 Classic, because I also really prefer a velvet formal helmet. It’s nice because it is ventilated, but the mesh over the vents is velvet and it has the proper ribbon pointed up in the back (if you hunt and are not staff). I’m also biased because it fits my head very well. It has been very popular at the store I work at, especially for foxhunters visiting from southern states that stay warmer year round than Virginia.
The Charles Owen hat with the most traditional look (deep in the back) is the Rider 2000; http://www.charlesowen.com/us/products/vtn+rider+2000
I also use a Charles Owen. But because work I with racehorses also I have the jockey model. Bought a black velvet like cover for it. I have other colors that I use for day to day riding so as to keep my black one looking nice.
I really like the look of the one Equibrit linked to. One of these days I will get one. Every since the economic melt down I haven’t had the time to hunt nearly as much as I would like to, used to.
Thanks all. I think I’ll stay with the conventional black velvet “look”!! I’ll check out the suggested models.
I am partial to IRH helmets, as they fit my head well and are very reasonably priced. For velvet, check out the IRH Medalist: http://irhhelmets.com/-IRH-Riding-Helmet-ID-106864.html ($72 at Adams: http://www.adamshorsesupplies.com/irh-medalist-helmet-200835?fee=1&fep=20745&gclid=CjwKEAiAluG1BRDrvsqCtYWk81gSJACZ2BCeX3v6h5QFznvkcTGpZ0UCrYcqd1cL2nPulNc5zazhYxoCY-Pw_wcB)
So sorry about your barn. 
I can’t imagine the stress, even though no horses were hurt, thank goodness.
Could I ask an additional question? I would really like to find a replacement for my black velvet helmet that has a beige/neutral harness and chinstrap rather than black. My search of the major tack stores shows very few. I did see the AYR8 but it’s a bit on the high side. Are there other brands or specific websites that I should try?
[QUOTE=Merry Fox;8520994]
Could I ask an additional question? I would really like to find a replacement for my black velvet helmet that has a beige/neutral harness and chinstrap rather than black. My search of the major tack stores shows very few. I did see the AYR8 but it’s a bit on the high side. Are there other brands or specific websites that I should try?[/QUOTE]
http://www.doversaddlery.com/the-hampton-by-charles-owen/p/X1-36173/
Merry Fox we order helmets with tan harnesses all the time for our fox hunting clients! They are all Charles Owen, The Hampton and the Ayr8 Classic both are available that way! You can always PM me if you need anymore info!
The Wellington Classic is also available with a tan harness.
[QUOTE=Libby2563;8520394]
I am partial to IRH helmets, as they fit my head well and are very reasonably priced. For velvet, check out the IRH Medalist: http://irhhelmets.com/-IRH-Riding-Helmet-ID-106864.html ($72 at Adams: http://www.adamshorsesupplies.com/irh-medalist-helmet-200835?fee=1&fep=20745&gclid=CjwKEAiAluG1BRDrvsqCtYWk81gSJACZ2BCeX3v6h5QFznvkcTGpZ0UCrYcqd1cL2nPulNc5zazhYxoCY-Pw_wcB)
So sorry about your barn. I can’t imagine the stress, even though no horses were hurt, thank goodness.[/QUOTE]
Thanks so much!! I’m in the process of filing the insurance claim and itemizing EVERYTHING!! It is mind boggling what you have that you take for granted!! I keep reaching for things…knowing exactly where they were…Not now!!! The mess is slowly going away. A scrap dealer is taking out several loads of steel sheeting every day and of course…the wood is all gone!! The burn wood junk is still a foot deep everywhere, but a backhoe is coming to dig a deep hole for that to be buried. Thank GOD…no horses have to be buried!!
And I am favoring the IRH Medalist!!
Charles Owen JR8
Since we’re on helmets of quality… I just received my CO JR8(it looks so sleek!) in a size bigger then I wear, I bought it that way thinking it would allow me to wear my hair up—wrong! it’s so tight! anyone else who has this helmet, or a similar model, do these wear out/stretch in terms of padding? When I move the helmet, it wiggles my eyebrows and doesn’t give me a headache when worn for awhile… I have not ridden in it yet because I am scared to take the tags off. I can’t find out how to post a thread, so do any of you know the answer to this? and I do think this would also be helpful to the one who did start this thread just to know aspects of different helmets… so I’m not too far off hopefully? anyway, thanks
Dressage Extensions has the Hampton models (in a few colors) on sale right now. All have the tan chin strap.
http://www.dressageextensions.com/c+owen-hampton-helmet/p/69453/
George Morris also came out with a line of helmets, i really wanted to love it, but the helmet didn’t fit my head shape at all (and ran comically small).
Good grief - loosing your barn is just awful! I can not even begin to imagine how bad that must be But wishing you well and a quick recovery and maybe a lovely new barn with all mod cons. Including a new black velvet hat.
[QUOTE=Willesdon;8526081]
Good grief - loosing your barn is just awful! I can not even begin to imagine how bad that must be But wishing you well and a quick recovery and maybe a lovely new barn with all mod cons. Including a new black velvet hat.[/QUOT
Thank you! I’m starting to buy up the necessities for Mid Winter in Oklahoma!! Other things will come later. Scrape metal guys took the last of the metal away today!! They have been hauling for almost two weeks. (over 10,000 sf of metal)!!Fire was 2 weeks ago today. Backhoe is coming in am to bury the charred remains of the building and everything in it…NO HORSES!!
I hope that you will manage to build a new stable.
