When to Replace a Riding Helmet, and Whether Kids Need a Body Protector or Air Vest

When to replace a riding helmet: the short answer

When to replace a riding helmet? After any fall or accident in which it takes a knock, even if it looks perfect, and otherwise about every 3 to 5 years depending on how often you ride. That's the guidance from helmet maker Charles Owen, and Saddle Up SAFELY, a rider-safety program led by UK HealthCare at the University of Kentucky, adds that a helmet can be damaged on the inside after a fall even when nothing shows. The foam inside crushes on impact and wears out with age and use.

The question is back in people's feeds. On 21 September the British Horseracing Authority reminded everyone riding out to wear a helmet and a body protector, and air vests keep multiplying, from a $399 US launch bundle to a 2026 Horse & Hound roundup of ten models. This guide covers what to replace, what the labels mean, how a child's helmet should fit and when a body protector or air vest makes sense.

Why a helmet that looks fine may be finished

A riding helmet protects you with a liner of crushable foam under a hard shell. The foam squashes to absorb the energy of a hit and doesn't fully spring back, so the next impact in the same spot gets less protection.

A 2019 lab study in the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation tested seven helmet models commonly used by US jockeys. After one impact to the crown, the foam liner was 5% to 39% thinner; after four impacts, 33% to 70% thinner. The authors' advice was simple: replace a helmet after a head impact.

Plenty of riders don't. In a study of 357 college riders published in late 2024, more than half had fallen off in the past year, and 78% said they would not replace their helmet after every fall.

Replace it now if…

• It hit the ground, a rail, a wall or the horse during a fall.
• It was dropped hard, or dropped again and again, on a hard floor. BETA, the British equestrian trade association, says to throw out any hat that takes a severe impact, even from repeated drops onto a hard surface.
• It's more than 3 to 5 years old, or you can't find a date inside.
• The shell is cracked or dented, the liner is crumbling, or the harness is frayed or loose.
• It's secondhand and nobody knows its history.
• The label is missing, or it meets an outdated standard. US Pony Clubs says helmets marked with an ASTM version older than F1163-15, or with Snell E2016, are out of date and shouldn't be used.

If the rider hit their head, the helmet is the smaller worry. Stop for the day and get a medical check before riding again; our safety guide covers the basics.

ASTM/SEI riding helmets and other labels: what "certified" means

Look inside the helmet for two things: the standard it was tested to and a quality mark showing that the maker keeps testing production batches. In the US that usually means ASTM F1163 plus a Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) sticker, which is what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for kids.

At US Equestrian (USEF) licensed shows, anyone mounted anywhere on the grounds must wear a properly fastened helmet that meets USEF's accepted standards and carries the testing tag or label, unless a division's own rules say otherwise. Adults may take it off only to accept prizes or for the national anthem, and must buckle up again before the lap of honor. At FEI events worldwide, helmets must meet the FEI's published list of international standards.

Two more things worth knowing:

• Bike and ski helmets don't count. USEF makes riders, and parents of junior riders, responsible for choosing headgear made for equestrian use.
• A fancier helmet isn't automatically safer. The 2024 college study found similar self-reported head-injury rates across helmet brands, and between helmets with and without MIPS, a rotational-impact liner. A current certification and a good fit come first.

Kids' riding helmet fit: a 6-step check

Children's heads grow and hairstyles change, so check fit every few months, not just at the store. Saddle Up SAFELY suggests every three months, because straps stretch and padding settles. USEF's standards sheet says to have a helmet fitted in person by someone qualified and to avoid buying online, even if you've owned the same model before.

1. Measure. Wrap a soft tape around the widest part of the head, about a finger's width (3/4 inch) above the eyebrows.
2. Keep hair low. A low braid or ponytail, never a bun on top that pushes the helmet up.
3. Sit it level. The front edge should sit low on the forehead, somewhere between a quarter inch and an inch above the eyebrows depending on the maker's guide, not tipped back.
4. Check it's snug. You want even, firm pressure all around. When the rider shakes their head, the helmet shouldn't slide or rock.
5. Strap it right. If the harness has side straps, they should meet in a V just below each ear and pull the helmet straight down. The chin strap sits under the chin with room for one finger.
6. Wear it five minutes. A faint, even line on the forehead is normal, but sore spots or a headache mean the size or shape is wrong.

Two money traps: don't buy a size up to grow into, and don't accept a hand-me-down with an unknown history. Charles Owen puts it bluntly: a child's helmet has to fit snugly on every ride or it isn't safe.

If a chin strap comes undone during a lesson or class, stop and buckle it before going on. Our parents and teachers hub has more beginner basics.

Air vest vs body protector: what each one does

A body protector is a foam vest that protects all the time, soaking up energy from falls, kicks and being stepped on. In the UK, look for a BETA 2018 Level 3 label; BETA says its 2018 standard meets the European standard, EN 13158.

Since January 2024, British Eventing, British Riding Clubs and the UK Pony Club no longer accept the older 2009 label. BETA rates Level 3 as suitable for general riding, competitions including eventing, and working with horses. In the US, USEF recommends vests that meet ASTM F1937 or carry SEI certification.

An air vest (or air jacket) has airbags and a lanyard clipped to the saddle. In a fall the lanyard pulls tight like a rip cord, fires a CO₂ cartridge and inflates the vest, in about a tenth of a second for many models. It only fires if the rider comes far enough away from the saddle, so in some falls, such as when horse and rider go down together, it may not inflate in time. BETA notes air vests work well in flat falls but give limited protection, if any, against sharp objects or a direct kick.

There's no compulsory European standard for equestrian air vests yet. Many current models, including ARRO's new vest, are tested to France's NF S72-800:2022, and BETA says a European standard is being written. Horse & Hound's 2026 picks ran from about £299 to £599, and ARRO's new US launch bundle is $399 with three CO₂ canisters.

The research is still unsettled. Researchers at the University of Sydney looked at FEI eventing falls from 2015 to 2017 (1,819 riders who fell wearing air jackets, 1,486 who fell without one) and found air-jacket wearers had 1.7 times the odds of a serious or fatal injury. The data couldn't explain why, and it doesn't prove the vests cause harm.

The authors called for more research. In the meantime, BETA's advice is to wear an air vest over a body protector, not in place of one.

When to use each: kids, beginners and eventers

• Every ride, every rider: a certified, fitted, fastened helmet, including adults and "just a walk."
• Beginner lessons on the flat: a body protector is optional but worth considering. The AAP says protective vests can reduce the impact of a fall, especially for inexperienced riders. Spain's 2026 pony show-jumping rules leave the back protector up to parents and recommend it weigh no more than 2% of the child's body weight: about 600 g (1.3 lb) for a 30 kg (66 lb) child.
• Cross-country and eventing: a body protector is compulsory under FEI rules, which require one for cross-country, including schooling over cross-country fences, don't count back-only protectors and recommend air vests. USEF eventing rules require a body protector for cross-country and its warm-up, with any air vest worn over it, not instead of it; in the dressage and show-jumping phases an air vest may be worn on its own. British Eventing requires a BETA 2018 Level 3 body protector.
• Show jumping and dressage: where a body protector isn't required, an air vest can be worn on its own, though BETA recommends a body protector under any air vest.
• Racing yards and riding out: a helmet and body protector, the exact kit the BHA reminded riders about this week.

Can kids wear an air vest?

Yes, if the vest suits their size. Brands including Helite, Freejump and Racesafe make children's sizes, but check the maker's minimum rider weight: ARRO's new vest, for example, is only for riders of at least 40 kg (88 lb) on horses at least 150 cm at the withers, because a lighter rider may not pull the trigger hard enough. Have it fitted by a trained retailer so the lanyard is set correctly, add a body protector underneath, and teach your child to unclip the lanyard before dismounting, or the vest will fire. Spain's pony rules already require that setup: with an air jacket, the protector goes underneath and nothing is worn on top.

For a small child on a lead-line pony, a well-fitted helmet, boots with a heel and a calm pony matter far more than an air vest. Our kids section is a good place to start.

What to do this week, and what to watch

1. Round up every helmet from the car, the tack trunk and the closet, and find the label and date inside each one.
2. Retire anything that took a hit, is past 3–5 years or came with no history.
3. Book an in-person fitting at a tack shop, and bring the rider with their hair done the way they ride.
4. Check body protectors for dents, a 2018 Level 3 label and a snug fit over the ribs and back.
5. Air vest owners: keep a spare cartridge, replace it after every deployment, and wash only the removable cover as the maker directs. Equiline America posted a how-to on X on 19 September.
6. Before a show, read your organization's rules: USEF, Pony Club, British Eventing or your national federation.

What to watch: BETA says a European standard for equestrian air vests is being written, which should make labels easier to compare. ARRO says small and large sizes of its new vest are due later in 2026. For the rest of your kit, see our tack and equipment guide and getting started page.