Beginner riding gear: what the bodies ask for, and what is left to your coach.

Start with the school, not the shop

This guide does not say how to choose a size, fit a helmet or adjust a body protector; those are learned in person. The BHS recommends that hats be fitted by a BETA-trained fitter, and a coach or riding school is where a new rider learns what to wear and why. The BHS states that all riding schools must be licensed, fully insured and up to date with DBS checks. In England, Darlington Borough Council's guidance explains that hiring out horses for riding or instruction as a business needs a local-authority licence under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018. This site does not recommend any school or coach.

Why the gear matters at all comes from the injury data. Thomas and colleagues (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2006) estimated from US emergency department records for 2001 to 2003 that about two-thirds of people treated for horse-related injuries were mounted at the time, that being thrown or falling was the commonest way mounted riders were hurt, and that the head and neck were the most often injured region, at 23.2 percent. In a University of Calgary study announced in 2007, only 9 percent of severely injured riders interviewed had been wearing helmets. A suspected injury after a fall or kick needs medical care. The injury data page has more.

Head: what the bodies and the law say

• The BHS (January 2026) says riding hats reduce the risk of head injury but no hat can protect every rider in every situation, and that riders should wear a fitted, fastened hat every time they ride. It recommends a hat to an accepted standard with a quality assurance mark, such as the BSI Kitemark or the SEI mark, and advises against second-hand hats.
• UK roads. The Horses (Protective Headgear for Young Riders) Act 1990 makes it an offence to cause or permit a child under 14 to ride on a road without approved headgear. Highway Code Rule 49 repeats that children under 14 must wear a compliant, fastened helmet on the road, advises other riders to do the same, and exempts a Sikh child wearing a turban.
• Florida. The 2009 Florida bill SB 68, the Nicole Hornstein Act, requires riders under 16 to wear a fitted, secured helmet meeting current ASTM standards on public roads, rights of way, public trails, parks and other public property. We read the bill text, not the statute as enacted.
• Pony Club (UK, 2026). Members must always wear a protective hat when mounted, with the chinstrap fastened, and The Pony Club strongly discourages buying second-hand hats.

Sources disagree on how far the law goes. In search summaries we could not open fully, Countryfile says riders are required by law to wear a riding hat, while the BHS, as quoted by Horse & Hound, says hat wearing is not a general legal requirement and the UK legal duty applies to under-14s on roads. The statute and the Highway Code text above support the narrower reading. Competition rules are a separate layer, set by each body; the helmet guide covers them.

Feet, legs and hands

The rule that comes up most often is the heel. The FEI Eventing Rules (2026, as reproduced by Equestrian Australia) require cross-country boots to have a well-defined heel, which the rule says is to stop the foot slipping through the stirrup. US Equestrian's GR801.9, quoted in its 2026 dressage booklet, requires boots or shoes worn while riding anywhere on the grounds to have a distinguishable heel.

Several rulebooks allow short boots at lower levels. US Equestrian's dressage booklet (1 May 2026) allows paddock or jodhpur boots with matching half-chaps or garters at Fourth Level and below, and lets riders wear white, light or dark breeches or jodhpurs, but not bright colours or patterns. Equestrian Australia's national eventing rules (2026) let juniors compete in jodhpurs and short boots, and make gloves optional at CCN1* and below. The boots guide and gloves guide give the full rules.

Body protectors

The rules we found make body protectors compulsory mainly for cross country, not for every ride. For riding in general, the BHS (October 2026) recommends BETA Level 3, which BETA describes as appropriate for normal riding, competitions including eventing, and working with horses, and says no body protector can prevent serious injury in every situation. BETA advises against second-hand protectors of unknown history. The body protector guide sets out the levels and each body's rule.

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