My First Horseback Riding Helmet: One K Defender – Suede Helmet
When buying your first helmet, you don’t have to buy the most expensive one out there. Just because it’s expensive, doesn’t mean it’s the best one for you. My trainer Heather took me down to Tack Shack in Ocala, FL to purchase my first helmet (and boots, but that will be a separate post ?).
When I was saving for this helmet, Heather recommended I put aside at least $200 for my first helmet. She said the best bang for my buck as a beginner rider was either a One K helmet or a decent priced IRH. When I would ride at the barn I would always use an IRH so I wasn’t unfamiliar with the fit. However, when I got to Tack Shack, the One K was much more in my price range.
Lesson Learned: Put aside $250 for a helmet rather than $200. I spent more money than planned overall that day #horselife haha! However, I didn’t expect my helmet to be $259. So, if you’re new to riding and are saving for certain essentials, for your first helmet I would put at least that much aside. If you are a huge IRH lover, I would put aside more because theirs were a bit higher priced and some of the One K’s were too depending on what you were looking at.
When picking the perfect helmet, I was looking for two things:
1. Comfort
2. Usability
I wanted something that would be comfortable to wear; something that wouldn’t rub against my forehead (since I had that happen once). I also wanted something that I could use at my riding lessons and also at the show since I wasn’t going to be able to shell out over $500 for two separate helmets (maybe one day ha!).
To make sure that your helmet is comfortable, you also have to have the right fit. If you plan on showing and you’re older like myself, you will have to wear your hair up in the helmet. I was happy to have Heather and the store associate at Tack Shack to help me size and find the perfect helmet according to my head shape and hair length. I decided on the XL (no my head isn’t huge haha) One K Defender Suede Helmet in black.
Most helmets come in either a suede or matte finish. I chose the suede finish because I would avoid any accidental scratch marks that could show on a matte finish which wouldn’t look good at a horse show. Now, if you like the matte finish, go for it! Matte finish helmets don’t necessarily scratch all the time. Every horse item lasts longer with the right care. So, as long as you’re not throwing your helmet down on the ground and dropping it all over the place you should be fine.
Lesson learned: Be aware of your hair length when you try on your helmet and make sure to try on your helmet with your hair inside of it. As most of you all saw, I had super long hair in most of my photos up until recently. When I purchased my helmet, I had 12 inches more hair. I planned on only getting a trim but that changed once I got to the salon! If you know you’re going to get a drastic haircut soon, be sure to let your trainer/store associate who’s helping you know that, as you would need a smaller size helmet. If you ever had a similar situation like I did though, there is an easy fix. You can get a different size helmet liner in some helmets and luckily One K has that option as well. So, since my hair is shorter, instead of having the XL lining inside, I can easily purchase a L lining, switch out the XL and it will have a better fit for my head until my hair grows out long again! Please verify what size you would need if you are able to do this since I’m not the expert on sizing!
