As part of Helmet Awareness Month, Zack’s Tack is offering 10{4d0cf3c46f5bd86e1fe8c846c8d91ec014a8eb8b0509bba78f4be9efc91a5c03} to 50{4d0cf3c46f5bd86e1fe8c846c8d91ec014a8eb8b0509bba78f4be9efc91a5c03} off all helmets. That’s all of our Penta, LAS and GPA helmets.
This Helmet Awareness Month promo comes just in time for those that ride at the Royal Selangor Polo Club, where use of skid lids will finally become mandatory.
Some polo players will be buying riding helmets for the first time, having only ever had polo helmets. They do look different to polo helmets, but thankfully riding helmets also have more ventilation.
Better ventilation is not the only difference. With FEI legislating helmet use, equestrian helmets have been evolving since the mid 90′s, while polo helmets seem stuck in the past.
The first thing to understand is that not all helmets are safety helmets.
Polo helmets with the traditional 2-point chin strap as shown here (pic right), would never pass any kind of safety certification test, because of its 2-point chin strap. This type of helmet can come off your head far too easily.
Yes, the helmet that so many of you use to protect your head while galloping flat out on a polo field actually isn’t safe. In fact, it is likely that the 3-point riding helmet you use when exercising your horse is far safer than your 2-point polo helmet.
That is why I use a LAS polo helmet. My Italian made helmet has a 3-point harness and, in addition, has passed European safety certification standards. It also has flexible neck protection. You can see what my LAS helmet looks like here. Pretty cool, if I do say so myself.
I also have a more traditional looking Argentinian polo helmet that hasn’t got a safety standard certification, but at least I got mine with a 3-point harness, so it isn’t going to roll off my head if I hit the deck.
Talking about crashes, did you know that the integrity of your helmet is compromised once it has taken a hard blow? Yes, you should retire your helmet if it has already served its purpose. It may not stand up to doing it twice.
Nowadays, the FEI insists on helmets being used at all times on a horse – even in the training arenas. You can’t even take your helmet off during a victory gallop – if you do, you get an immediate yellow card. All the FEI rules can be found here www.fei.org
A summary covering the general and sport specific rules can be found here www.fei.org/rules/general/faqs-rules
Not surprisingly more and more polo players overseas are shifting to playing polo in riding helmets. It makes sense to use the safest helmet you can use.
Riding helmets may not have the large peak that used to distinguish polo helmets, but some players like Raul Laplacette (pic right) prefer helmets with no peak at all.
Polo is incredibly far behind in terms of rules on use of helmets, but there really isn’t any reason why you should wait for legislation to make a change when it concerns your own safety.
With the Zack’s Tack sale, now is a great time to make that change for the safest.
