Equestrians love horse riding for many different reasons.  Some love the wonderful feeling of freedom that comes from galloping across open fields, whilst others gain tremendous satisfaction and enjoyment from training their horse to competition standard of a certain discipline, such as show jumping, dressage or racing. 

However, whilst we all enjoy being on horseback, most equestrians also take a tumble from time to time.  Falling off occasionally is all part of the exhilarating sport of horse riding and can mean anything from bruises to broken bones.  Because the potential for injury is there, it is important to be equipped to deal with it when riding.

Charles Owen is a company dedicated to providing horse riding safety equipment to equestrians in the UK.  In fact, it is one of the best known amongst the British riding community for its advanced technology riding hats, skulls and body protectors.  Its motto is "Making the world a safer place" and it creates all of its range with this notion in mind.    

Charles Owen has been making safety helmets for many years and for many purposes but by far its most popular kind have been its riding hats.  Since the company came up with its first designs for them in 1957, Charles Owen riding hats have become more and more popular as exceptional protection for when those inevitable falls occur.

Looking after a Charles Owen riding hat
With a lot of riding equipment, such as leather horse tack, you have to look after it in order to get the best performance.  Exactly the same principle applies to your Charles Owen riding hat: keeping it in tip top condition will mean that it will provide the protection you need when you have a fall.

Riding hats are designed to be weaker than your head so that they provide a "crumple zone" on impact.  Charles Owen advises to "not do things to the hat that you would not do to your head" - in other words, be very careful with it.  Dropping your riding hat on the floor will compromise its effectiveness and if this occurs, you are best off replacing it altogether. 

Many of the materials that are used in the making of a Charles Owen riding hat are picked because of the precise qualities of the fabric.  However, this also means that they are fairly delicate and may degrade if not treated properly. 

It is essential that you keep your riding helmet away from extreme heat and solvents that have not been specifically tested on the materials.  Charles Owen advises that cleaning the interior of its riding hats should be undertaken only using its own products, foamed detergents or shampoo and water.  Afterwards, the lining should be vacuumed dry. 

Equestrians who are cleaning the outside of a Charles Owen riding hat should use as little water as possible, as damp can leave it open to mould.  After it is cleaned, it should be left in a dry, warm place but not one which could become excessively hot, such as by a radiator or a fire.  In order to minimise the chance of rusting any of the metal parts of a riding hat, it is advisable to avoid leaving the hat in a plastic bag before fully dry.

If you are wishing to clean mud on your Charles Owen riding helmet, you may well be able to avoid cleaning it altogether.  Simply leave it to dry, then brush off the dried mud.  If the pile of the fabric has been affected, you can restore this by holding the hat above a steaming kettle.

Charles Owen at Dogwood
You can find a wide range of Charles Owen riding hats within the Dogwood collection, most notably the extremely popular GR8 riding hat.  The GR8 is the choice of many professional horse riders, including Louise Saywell, Olivia Wells and Aaron Vale, and is one of the most technologically-advanced low profile helmets in the range.

As well as Charles Owen riding hats, we also offer an extensive range of other horse riding safety equipment and equestrian clothing.   Whether you are after a body protector or some extra grippy Roeckl gloves, you can find all you need within the prestigious Dogwood collection.

If you would like to find out more about Charles Owen riding hats or any other product displayed by Dogwood, please telephone 0845 30 10 365.