Seems to be the consensus that hair up in your helmet is not safe. Long flowing locks are not for me, or most probably.
What is the solution for the hunter ring?
[QUOTE=Flypony;9031988]
Seems to be the consensus that hair up in your helmet is not safe. Long flowing locks are not for me, or most probably.
What is the solution for the hunter ring?[/QUOTE]
Interesting. Depending how long your hair is I would put it in a single braid. You could put it under your jacket I guess if you did not want it to show.
I just make a pony or a braid for jumping. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone tuck hair under their helmet here (S. Africa), but we don’t have hunters, just showjumping.
Huh, OP? Hair up in your helmet is not safe? Did a study just come out? “Hunter hair” up in the helmet is def the only look in the American hunter/eq rings… In jumpers and internationally, anything goes. I personally have very thin hair and always wear it up… I doubt it makes a difference!
It would make a difference if you have long thick hair as it would compromise the fit of the helmet.
I plait mine and then roll it into a tight bun sitting below my helmet.
I have long thick hair. I put it up under my helmet by making a low pony tail and flipping it up so the pony is laying flat on top of my head. When going to buy a helmet you need to try it on with the way you wear your hair while riding/showing. This will allow you to get a helmet that will fit properly with your hair underneath it.
Oops sorry… I thought I had edited my post but it apparently didn’t go through. Many to end my post with :
"I doubt it makes a difference for me personally with my wimpy thin hair! But I can see how it would change fit for somebody with thick hair. But why are you saying that the 'consensus that hair up in your helmet is not safe '? "
Apologies! Too little sleep…
EDIT: *Meant to end my post with:
Sheesh… time for coffee lol.
This is an upcoming topic for discussion since helmets are designed to fit the rider’s head. Anything that comes between the head and the helmet (other than normal hair flat against the head) alters the fit and can lead to the head being injured during a fall. “Hunter hair” alters the fit of the helmet whether you have thick or thin hair since the helmet is not directly against the head anymore. That small deviation in fit can allow for concussion injuries to become more significant. Not that any studies have been done that I know about, but it is an issue that neurosurgeons are aware of, and probably helmet companies as well.
It’s important to note that helmets do not prevent concussions. They were never designed to prevent concussions, and it is impossible to do so with an object on the outside of the head. It is arguable if they help to reduce the severity of a concussion or not.
As you know, the brain is suspended in fluid inside the skull, with space between it and the skull walls. Concussions are caused by “sloshing” that occurs when the head hits an object at a high speed, causing the brain to slam into the side of the skull. Nothing on the outside of the head can prevent this. The purpose of a helmet is to protect the skull from fractures, bruising, and other external injuries.
The company my dad works for is currently working on an item that will help prevent concussions.
http://www.fox19.com/clip/13018506/q-collar-battling-brain-and-head-injuries?utm_content=buffer74ae2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
I am constantly pestering them to extend the trials to equestrians - they’re testing with like all other sports right now (football, lacrosse, volleyball, etc.)
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/high-school/ohio-high-school/2016/01/08/football-teams-help-concussion-study/78511374/
My hair is thin and never longer than shoulder length. I just put the hairnet over it all and then knot the net so that it pulls the hair up to just underneath the edge of my helmet. No hair is stuffed under my helmet but it looks similar to hunter hair. I guess if you have very long or thick hair that won’t work, unless you are willing to cut it.
I’m a heathen and just ride with it in a ponytail out of my helmet. I don’t like keeping it short, and I have way too much hair to put it in my helmet safely. Turns out, a ponytail or braid on my back doesn’t change the way I ride or my horse moves 
I’ve seen people at the unrated shows in my area do a discreet bun in a snood that matches the helmet or jacket (no bling), and from far away it’s not super obvious. I don’t love the look but I recognize that there are lots of opinions about the safety of hair in the helmet.
It DOES bother me when the bun causes the helmet to tip forward, as I’ve spotted occasionally. That strikes me as more dangerous than having your hair up.
The braid down the back of the jacket sounds like an ok compromise.
I will note that I’ve basically never seen someone wear a bun or braid at the rated shows, even in my fairly casual area. Not saying you couldn’t or shouldn’t, just noting that it will stick out if you care about that sort of thing.
I wear my hair up, over my ears, and in a hairnet for every ride, home or away. My shoulder-length hair is fastened in a ponytail at the nape of my neck, with the ends fanned out quite flat against my head, inside my helmet. The thickness of the fanned-out ponytail is negligible and seems not to dramatically impact the fit of my helmet.
[QUOTE=mmeqcenter;9032420]
It’s important to note that helmets do not prevent concussions. They were never designed to prevent concussions, and it is impossible to do so with an object on the outside of the head. It is arguable if they help to reduce the severity of a concussion or not.
As you know, the brain is suspended in fluid inside the skull, with space between it and the skull walls. Concussions are caused by “sloshing” that occurs when the head hits an object at a high speed, causing the brain to slam into the side of the skull. Nothing on the outside of the head can prevent this. The purpose of a helmet is to protect the skull from fractures, bruising, and other external injuries.
The company my dad works for is currently working on an item that will help prevent concussions.
http://www.fox19.com/clip/13018506/q-collar-battling-brain-and-head-injuries?utm_content=buffer74ae2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
I am constantly pestering them to extend the trials to equestrians - they’re testing with like all other sports right now (football, lacrosse, volleyball, etc.)
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/high-school/ohio-high-school/2016/01/08/football-teams-help-concussion-study/78511374/[/QUOTE]
This is amazing! What a game changer it could be if it really works. Seems small enough it could fit right under the collar of a show shirt. They definitely need to extend it to equestrians. Though equestrian head injuries can be much more severe than sports like football. I wonder if it would work well enough to really cause any change in a rider fall
I use the No Knot hairnets and it just smooshes all of my hair evenly over my head, my friends with very long thick hair just pull the hair through the “tube” while it’s all flipped forward, then they just smoosh it all flat across their head. They all say it works way better than a regular hairnets and no more braids or pony tails 
I am with kashmere in the heathen club I guess.
I have very long, very thick hair and USED to wear it up in my helmet, not anymore. It changes the fit too much, regardless of how you put it up or what hairnet you use.
For showing, in the hunters, I will more then likely put it in a bun at the base of my neck with something over it.
Eclipse, I do the same as you. I cannot imagine not having hair up and away!
I have two helmets one for show one for schooling. I ride at a pretty nice barn but all the girls with thick hair wear a snug helmet for schooling with a ponytail. I put mine up in a hairnet for showing. My show helmet is large enough to fit my hair up but small enough to stay snug. That being said it’s kind of an art to get my hair up just right so that the fit of the helmet is perfect, so it takes a few trys but I feel safe and confident by the time I’m done. Helmet staysvery snug on my head, and won’t move if I fall. Don’t know if it’s the safest, but seeing on how I do eq and hunters there isn’t really a better solution.
btswass - I really hope they move along to equestrians for the collar thing, yes. Might be time to talk to the owner again haven’t had an update in a while on the status.
For what it’s worth, I have an adjustable helmet for schooling and often vary from hair up to down. Usually depends on weather. My hair isn’t exceptionally thick, nor is it thin, it’s in the middle, but it is down to almost my butt. Certainly it’s past my waist. It helps me stay much cooler to have it off my neck and back on those hot/humid days. For shows I have a OneK that fits JUST big enough that it’s perfect with my hair in it.
I have this thing about consistency. Wearing a polo? Ponytail, braid, bun, whatever, all looks fine. Wearing a coat? I don’t love a ponytail or braid with it. A coat is formal - put your hair up in your helmet. But I’m kind of odd about these things; I also don’t like the appearance of Kerrits full seat breeches with a show coat either. Looks too strange to me - athletic, modern pants + traditional, formal coat. Eh.
