HAMPTON

We do deliver internationally, shipping costs, VAT and any duties payable, will be quoted and charged per order. Please feel free to contact us regarding a quote.

A courier fee of R200 will be charged for all domestic orders.

PLEASE REGISTER YOUR HELMET TO ACTIVATE YOUR GUARANTEE

Products are guaranteed by the manufacturer (CHARLES OWEN) for a period of 12 months from the date of purchase and will, during this period, be repaired or replaced (with the same or similar model), at the discretion of CHARLES OWEN, free of charge, if there is any defect due to faulty materials or workmanship.

This guarantee does not cover defects arising from accidental damage, misuse or wear and tear, and is available only to the original purchaser of the product if the guarantee is registered within 30 days of purchase. Charges may be made for repairs if the product is not registered.

Any person claiming under this guarantee should return the product, with proof of purchase, to the retailer at which it was purchased, quoting a brief description of the nature of the fault.

Any product or defective part which has been replaced by the company shall become the property of the company. The guarantee does not affect any Statutory Rights of the consumer.

SHOWJUMPING

Riders must wear correctly secured helmets that meet ONE of the following safety standards –

PAS 015 or VG1

ASTM F1163:2004

SNELL E2001

AS/NZS 3838 2003

HACKING

Riders must wear correctly secured helmets that meet ONE of the following safety standards –

PAS 015 or VG1

ASTM F1163:2004

SNELL E2001

AS/NZS 3838 2003

SHOWING & HUNTING

Riders must wear correctly secured helmets that meet ONE of the following safety standards –

PAS 015 or VG1

ASTM F1163:2004

SNELL E2001

AS/NZS 3838 2003

Colours allowed – Black, navy or brown depending on show jacket colour.

RIDING HELMET SAFETY STANDARDS

• Helmet safety is controlled through equestrian standards and certifications. Standards are lists of tests and checks created by a group of biomechanical engineers with pass or fail criteria.
• All riding helmet manufacturers have to produce helmets to meet one of three international equestrian safety standards or marks: PAS015:2011, VG1 01.040 2014-12 and ASTM F1163:2015. Some may even produce helmets to meet all of them, as they do at Charles Owen.
• Each standard stringently tests different impacts and accident scenarios involving a horse, so the more the better. Cycling and motorbike helmets do not offer the same level of protection and are unsuitable for horse riding.
• Riding bodies enforce minimum standards so it’s important you choose the best riding helmet that is approved for your discipline.

IMPORTANCE OF MULTIPLE STANDARDS

• While some standards look closely at preventing the most severe types of head injuries a rider may experience, others protect from the more commonplace.
• No one standard can accurately predict the specific type of accident or fall a rider may experience as there are too many variables to take into account: if the fall is on concrete, grass or in an arena; whether the rider is kicked when he or she falls; whether the horse is wearing studs/caulks; or if a horse falls on the rider, causing a crush injury.

• Therefore, a helmet that meets multiple standards has been proven to provide the most comprehensive protection and cover a wider range of the potential accident scenarios a rider might experience.

SAFETY STANDARD CRITERIA AND TESTING

• When determining helmet safety and assessing if a helmet will pass, each of the individual standards have their own criteria and tests that place more or less emphasis on different helmets and various types of injuries.
• For example, they will examine how much of the head a helmet covers, how a rider falls and onto what type of surface, how a helmet moves, and how severe an injury riders can expect to receive from that fall.
• Safety testing is conducted to ensure that helmets meet one or more international equestrian safety standards.
• The amount of times a batch of riding helmets is tested varies between the different certifications.
• Helmets are traditionally tested by measuring the peak acceleration of a helmeted steel head form falling onto a flat steel surface from a specified height.
• Other tests include a drop onto a steel edge or, in the case of the SNELL E2016 test, a drop onto a metal ball. Some standards also measure crush resistance, stability and field of vision.
• For leading manufacturers, these tests are only the start of analyzing how a helmet will perform in the real world.
• At Charles Owen’s design headquarters in the UK, advanced computer simulation is used to understand how to maximise the dissipation of energy from an impact by using complex combinations of cutting edge materials to ensure even more comprehensive protection in each helmet produced.
• The BSI Kitemark (PAS015 and VG1) checks one of every 200 helmets from a batch of 800 to 3,200 before they will issue an approval label. If the helmets do not pass the standard, then the entire batch must be destroyed.

CHARLES OWEN SAFETY STANDARDS

• Nearly all of Charles Owen helmets are triple standard: PAS015, VG1 and ASTM.
• This allows the helmets to deal with a higher number of situations, as the more standards awarded to a helmet the more they are tested in a greater variety of situations than a single or two standard helmet.
• Charles Owen created the first 4 standard helmet in the 4Star which added SNELL to the other 3.
• The SNELL E2016 is a more ‘extreme’ standard for riders looking for the upmost protection.
• The key differences in testing that sets SNELL apart include a higher drop onto a flat surface, a drop onto a metal ball instead of a sharp metal edge, and a measure of crush resistance that uses greater force.

THE SAFEST HELMET IS THE ONE THAT BEST FITS YOUR HEAD

• A riding helmet that doesn’t properly fit your head risks coming off in a fall.
• The most important thing when buying a new helmet is to get the correct size and ensure it feels snug.
• Learn how to measure and fit a riding helmet. The best way to ensure the perfect fit is to be professionally fitted.

ONLY WEAR A CERTIFIED EQUESTRIAN HELMET

• Helmets designed for other sports, such as skiing, cycling and motorcycling, do not offer the same type or area of protection that a riding helmet does.
• Riding helmets are certified to much higher equestrian safety standards.
• The more standards a helmet is certified to, the wider range of accident scenarios it protects against.
• 90% of Charles Owen helmets meet three or more international safety standards.
• Check the minimum standards for your riding discipline.

WEAR YOUR HELMET WHILE HANDLING HORSES

• Horses can be unpredictable. You are as much at risk of head injury while handling them on the ground as in the saddle.
• Wearing a helmet while turning horses out, lunging, and grooming provides an extra level of safety for all equestrians.

DON’T BORROW OR LEND HORSE RIDING HELMETS

• Your helmet is designed to mould to your unique head shape.
• If another horse rider wears it, it will change and break in to fit their head.
• Next time you wear it, it may be too loose and come off if you then have a fall.

PUTTING YOUR HAIR UP UNDER YOUR HELMET AFFECTS THE FIT

• If you have long hair and ride with it up only occasionally, you might need a second helmet. Otherwise, your helmet will be too big for your head when your hair is down.
• When you do put your hair up, make sure that the hair tie is low on your head and not inside the helmet to avoid any pressure points.

REPLACE A HELMET AFTER ANY IMPACT

• Every impact, no matter how small, causes the microbubbles in the expanded polystyrene (EPS) layer of the helmet to burst. This is what protects your head the most in the event of a fall.

REPLACE A HELMET AT LEAST EVERY 5 YEARS

• Even if you haven’t had a fall in a helmet, its protective properties degrade over time.
• After five years of life, a riding helmet is no longer deemed safe and should be replaced.

KNOW HOW TO CLEAN YOUR HELMET

• Never put your helmet in the washing machine, and only use cleaning products specifically made for riding helmets.

STORE YOUR HELMET CORRECTLY

• When you’re not riding keep your helmet safe by storing it in a cool dry place, ideally in a special helmet bag.
• If it’s wet after a ride, leave it out to dry fully before putting it away to avoid mould and rust.
• Never leave a riding helmet in a hot car or in direct sunlight. Extreme heat risks melting the high-grade polystyrene layer inside the helmet.
• Likewise, temperatures below -20oC (-68F) will cause damage.

CARE INSTRUCTIONS

• A helmet is designed to be weaker than your head – DO NOT do things to your helmet that you wouldn’t do to your head
• Keeping a riding helmet fresh through regular cleaning will prevent odours and mould developing inside the headband and ultimately prolong the life of your helmet.
• Helmets are fragile and need special care. It’s really important to use cleaning products that are specially formulated for use inside a riding helmet – if you don’t have a specially formulated helmet cleaner, use a GENTLE Fabric Cleaning Foam Spray.
• Never dry clean your helmet, expose it to harsh solvents, or put it in a washing machine!

8 EASY STEPS TO CLEAN A RIDING HELMET

• Spray the Helmet/Fabric Cleaner and Deodoriser onto the helmet headband
• Allow the helmet to sit for two to three minutes. This is important because it gives the cleaner time to work
• Take a damp cloth and gently work the cleaner into the headband in a circular motion. Use the minimum amount of water so that the helmet liner isn’t fully soaked and will be able to dry quickly
• Repeat until all the dirt from the headband has transferred to the cloth
• When cleaning the outside of your helmet – MUD – leave the mud to dry completely
• Brush the mud off using a SHORT PILE, STIFF BRUSH
• To revive the pile of the fabric of your helmet – hold the helmet over steam from a boiling kettle or garment steame
• Brush in small, circular motions

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

• After riding leave your helmet out to dry completely
• DO NOT leave your helmet in direct sunlight
• DO NOT leave your helmet in a hot car
• When not being used store your helmet in the helmet bag that the helmet came in. This will prevent your helmet from being damaged and/or scratched
• When transporting your helmet, keep it in a good quality helmet bag - DO NOT place heavy objects on top of the helmet and try as much as possible to NOT drop the helmet as this could negatively impact the safety efficacy of your helmet