Safety & Bits

Q: How often should you replace a riding hat?

{"type"=>"root", "children"=>[{"type"=>"paragraph", "children"=>[{"type"=>"text", "value"=>"Replace your riding hat straight away after any fall or impact, even if you can't see damage, because the protective foam compresses once and doesn't recover. Without a fall, most manufacturers suggest replacing it around every five years, as the materials degrade with sweat, sunlight and age. Check the date label inside the shell and swap sooner if the fit has loosened."}]}]}

Q: Do I need a Level 3 body protector?

{"type"=>"root", "children"=>[{"type"=>"paragraph", "children"=>[{"type"=>"text", "value"=>"You need a BETA 2018 Level 3 body protector for British Eventing cross-country and for most Pony Club and riding club cross-country classes. Level 3 gives the highest level of protection in the BETA standard, and many riders choose it for hacking and schooling too. Level 2 and Level 1 protectors offer less coverage and suit lower-risk riding or specific professional use."}]}]}

Q: What riding hat standards are accepted in UK competitions?

{"type"=>"root", "children"=>[{"type"=>"paragraph", "children"=>[{"type"=>"text", "value"=>"Most UK governing bodies accept riding hats tested to PAS 015:2011, VG1 01.040 2014-12, ASTM F1163 (2015 onwards) or Snell E2016, provided they also carry a quality mark such as the BSI Kitemark. Rules differ slightly between British Eventing, British Showjumping, British Dressage and the Pony Club, so check your organisation's current hat rules before a competition."}]}]}

Q: What bit should I use on my horse?

{"type"=>"root", "children"=>[{"type"=>"paragraph", "children"=>[{"type"=>"text", "value"=>"Most horses go well in a simple snaffle, such as a loose ring or eggbutt with a double-jointed mouthpiece, and it's the usual starting point for schooling or a young horse. Measure your horse's mouth first so the bit fits without pinching. If your horse leans, fusses or opens its mouth, a bit fitter can help you choose a different mouthpiece before you move to a stronger bit."}]}]}

Q: Are safety stirrups safer than normal stirrup irons?

{"type"=>"root", "children"=>[{"type"=>"paragraph", "children"=>[{"type"=>"text", "value"=>"Safety stirrups lower the risk of your foot getting trapped in a fall, which is the main danger a standard stirrup iron carries. Designs release the foot in different ways: some have a rubber band or hinged outer branch, others use flexible arms. Freejump makes a popular flexible model. Standard irons remain common in competition, so check your discipline's rules before switching."}]}]}

Shop Equestrian Safety Equipment and Horse Bits

Our equestrian safety equipment range covers the kit you rely on when something goes wrong in the saddle: riding hats, body protectors and safety stirrups, alongside horse bits for schooling, hacking and competition. You'll find Charles Owen and LeMieux riding hats, Racesafe body protectors, Freejump and LeMieux stirrup irons, plus bits from Neue Schule and Sprenger. Hat silks and covers from Aubrion and LeMieux finish the look.

Over 300 products sit in this collection, from first pony bits to BETA Level 3 protectors for cross-country. Popular hat sizes sell through quickly, so check your size before the season starts.

Sizes: child to adult riding hats and body protectors, pony to full size bits
Colours: black and navy hats, silks in seasonal and team colours
Product types: riding hats, hat silks, body protectors, stirrup irons and horse bits
Use cases: hacking, schooling, cross-country, showjumping and dressage

Load More Products

Choosing Equestrian Safety Equipment and Horse Bits

Brands Behind Our Riding Hats, Protectors and Bits

Charles Owen has made riding hats in Britain for over a century, and its EQX line brings the same testing standards to a lower price. LeMieux adds the Verv and Vexa riding hats and a wide stirrup range. Racesafe builds body protectors for jockeys and event riders, with BETA 2018 Level 3 models in the range. For horse bits, Neue Schule designs and manufactures in the UK, while Sprenger engineers German bits in its own Sensogan alloy. Korsteel covers the everyday stainless steel patterns at a lower price.

What You'll Find in the Range

The collection groups equestrian safety equipment and bits by job:

Kitemarked riding hats and skull caps for adults and children
Hat silks and covers in plain and team colours
BETA 2018 Level 3 body protectors for eventing and hacking
Junior body protectors sized for young riders
Safety stirrups with flexible branches or quick-release sides
Aluminium and stainless steel stirrup irons for jumping and dressage
Loose ring and eggbutt snaffles for everyday schooling
Pelhams, gags and double bridle bits for competition

Browse by Category

Head straight to the section you need:

Chosen by Riders, Stocked in the UK

Our UK buying team picks each brand for fit, testing and how riders rate it after a season of use. We stock riding hats that meet current UK competition standards and body protectors certified to BETA 2018, so you can buy for a rally or an event without second-guessing the label. For bits, we focus on brands that publish their mouthpiece measurements and materials, which makes it easier to compare a Neue Schule with a Sprenger before you order.

Order Your Equestrian Safety Equipment

Orders over £49 ship free to UK addresses, and we dispatch in-stock items fast so new kit arrives before your next ride. If you're unsure about a hat size or bit width, contact our team and we'll help you choose before you order.

Shop Riding Hats, Bits and Protectors

Sprenger Flexcite Stirrups Silver/Black 4¾" with textured, shock-absorbing footbeds.

Stirrup Irons Stirrup Irons

Black Charles Owen YR8 helmet with chin strap and small front visor.

Riding Hats Riding Hats

Neue Schule Verbindend Loose Ring: a dressage-legal Salox Gold bit with central joint.

Bits Bits

The Racesafe Motion 3 Adults Body Protector Black features a front zip and multi-foam grid padding.

Body Protectors Body Protectors

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should you replace a riding hat?

Replace your riding hat straight away after any fall or impact, even if you can't see damage, because the protective foam compresses once and doesn't recover. Without a fall, most manufacturers suggest replacing it around every five years, as the materials degrade with sweat, sunlight and age. Check the date label inside the shell and swap sooner if the fit has loosened.

Do I need a Level 3 body protector?

You need a BETA 2018 Level 3 body protector for British Eventing cross-country and for most Pony Club and riding club cross-country classes. Level 3 gives the highest level of protection in the BETA standard, and many riders choose it for hacking and schooling too. Level 2 and Level 1 protectors offer less coverage and suit lower-risk riding or specific professional use.

What riding hat standards are accepted in UK competitions?

Most UK governing bodies accept riding hats tested to PAS 015:2011, VG1 01.040 2014-12, ASTM F1163 (2015 onwards) or Snell E2016, provided they also carry a quality mark such as the BSI Kitemark. Rules differ slightly between British Eventing, British Showjumping, British Dressage and the Pony Club, so check your organisation's current hat rules before a competition.

What bit should I use on my horse?

Most horses go well in a simple snaffle, such as a loose ring or eggbutt with a double-jointed mouthpiece, and it's the usual starting point for schooling or a young horse. Measure your horse's mouth first so the bit fits without pinching. If your horse leans, fusses or opens its mouth, a bit fitter can help you choose a different mouthpiece before you move to a stronger bit.

Are safety stirrups safer than normal stirrup irons?

Safety stirrups lower the risk of your foot getting trapped in a fall, which is the main danger a standard stirrup iron carries. Designs release the foot in different ways: some have a rubber band or hinged outer branch, others use flexible arms. Freejump makes a popular flexible model. Standard irons remain common in competition, so check your discipline's rules before switching.

Not found what you need

try searching our shop

Currency