Are safety hats on the way for the showing world?
The FEI brought in new rules last January making it compulsory for safety headgear to be worn by all competitors when mounted at an event.
However, a major showing body’s announcement that hats with chinstraps would become compulsory has been met with such criticism from riders that it has been forced to reconsider its decision.
Is it time that the showing world came up to date with modern safety standards or should health and safety be a matter of personal choice?
For a full report on the debate surrounding the new regulation don’t miss this week’s Horse & Hound — out today (21 November)
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Sophia Heath joined Horse & Hound in July 2013 having previously worked for the Daily Telegraph's Olympics website, CNN International and Omnisport. A Durham graduate with a Masters in journalism from City University, Sophia has evented, showjumped and hunted. Sophia left Horse & Hound in early 2015 to join an international boating website.