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Get instruction
This page explains what governing bodies, standards bodies and veterinary bodies publish. It is not a substitute for instruction from a qualified coach or riding school, and it does not replace medical or veterinary advice.
What a helmet can and cannot do
Nothing on this page says a helmet is certified, safe or accepted at any competition. The body's current rules, the hat tag where it uses one, and the officials at the event decide. US Equestrian's posted list states that no headgear can prevent serious injury or death in certain circumstances, and Equestrian Canada says helmets protect against many head injuries but do not prevent concussion, because they cannot stop the brain moving inside the skull. Charles Owen, a maker, says in its user guide that its helmets are not designed to protect against crushing by a horse.
One large US trauma study shows how much head injuries weigh among riding deaths. Mutore and colleagues (Trauma Surgery and Acute Care Open, 2021) studied 24,791 adults in US trauma-centre records from 2007 to 2016; of the 320 who died, head and neck injuries accounted for about 74.8 percent of the deaths. A suspected head injury needs medical care.
The standards on the label
| Standard | Written by | What our sources say |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM F1163 | ASTM International (US) | F1163-23 listed as current. Its scope covers how well a helmet reduces head acceleration on a flat anvil and an "equestrian hazard anvil", after hot, cold, ambient and water conditioning. Bodies also cite F1163-04a, -13 and -15. |
| PAS 015:2011 | BSI (UK) | Published 1 July 2011. BSI lists it as withdrawn on 3 January 2025, yet the FEI, Equestrian Australia and the UK 2026 rule still accept it. For competition, the bodies' lists are the rule. |
| EN 1384:2023 | CEN (Europe) | Announced 18 December 2023 and cited in the EU Official Journal on 11 December 2023. CEN says it adds hazard anvil tests and raises shock absorption and strength requirements. The 2012 edition's reference was withdrawn on 13 October 2014. |
| VG1 01.040 2014-12 | EU test houses and notified bodies | An interim specification written after the 2014 withdrawal so CE certification could continue. The FEI lists it together with EN 1384:2017. |
| Snell E2016, E2021 | Snell Memorial Foundation (US) | E2021 testing began in July 2021; E2016-labelled production had to stop by 30 September 2022. |
| AS/NZS 3838:2006 | Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand | Accepted by the FEI for 2026 only. |
No source we found says whether EN 1384:2023 includes a rotational impact test, so we make no claim either way. The helmet standards page has the detail.
Quality marks
The FEI defines quality testing as monitoring a product's ongoing quality against the original standard, and its 2026 list requires a quality testing marking as well as a standard. Its examples are the BSI Kitemark, the Inspec IC "Certified" mark, SAI Global, SEI and Snell, and it says the list is not limited to these. The FEI says Snell already combines the standard with follow-up testing, so no extra mark is needed. US Equestrian names SEI for ASTM helmets and BSI or IC for PAS 015 and VG1. Equestrian Australia says the CE mark is not a quality mark in the sense its rules mean.
Each body's rule, with dates
The FEI list (published 1 July 2025, effective 1 January 2026) is read here as reproduced in Equestrian Australia's 2026 jumping rules and a copy hosted by an Australian campdraft body, because the FEI's own site refused our requests.
| Body | Rule |
|---|---|
| FEI, 2026 | Any one of PAS 015 2011 and updates, Snell E2021 or E2016, EN 1384:2023, ASTM F1163:23, ASTM F1163:2015, VG1 with EN 1384:2017, or AS/NZ 3838 (2006). Snell E2001, ARB HS 2012, ASTM F1163:2004a and F1163-13 not accepted. |
| FEI, 2027 | PAS 015, Snell E2016 or E2021, EN 1384:2023 and ASTM F1163:23 fully accepted. ASTM F1163:2015 only with one of the four other than ASTM F1163:23; VG1 with EN 1384:2017 only with one of the four. AS/NZ 3838 dropped. |
| FEI, from 1 January 2028 | At least two of the four, with a quality mark on at least one. |
| Equestrian Australia (4 February 2026) | FEI dates at FEI events. In national competition the 2027 conditions run to 31 December 2028 and the two-standard rule starts on 1 January 2029. On 22 April 2026 EA said ASTM F1163:2015 and VG1 are not accepted on their own after 31 December 2026, nor AS/NZS 3838 from that date. |
| US Equestrian (rule GR801 at hunter, jumper and hunter/jumper competitions, and at dressage competitions through rule DR120.1.1 of the 1 May 2026 dressage booklet; list effective 1 August 2023) | At least one of ASTM F1163-04a (2011 or later) through SEI, PAS 015:2011 or later through BSI or IC, VG1 01.040 2014-12 or later through BSI or IC, or Snell 2016 or later, with quality testing. EN 1384:2023 and AS/NZS 3838 are not named on it; our sources do not say whether US Equestrian treats EN 1384:2023 as a later edition under its VG1 entry, so EN 1384:2023 under US Equestrian is not confirmed. |
| UK: BRC, British Eventing, The Pony Club (2026) | PAS 015 2011, VG1 and EN 1384:2023 with a Kitemark or Inspec IC mark; ASTM F1163 (2015 or 2023) with SEI; Snell E2016 or 2021 with its label and number; AS/NZS 3838 (2006 onwards) with SAI Global. One shared pink tag. |
US Equestrian's rule change 030-22 showed an effective date of 1 December 2023; US Eventing reported on 26 July 2023 that the Board moved it to 1 August 2023, and the posted list carries that date. We found no USEF document adopting the FEI's 2026 to 2028 phase-in for national competition.
Where the bodies disagree
- Snell E2016: the US Pony Club's safety committee (September 2024) says E2016 helmets are out of date and should not be used; the FEI, Equestrian Australia and the UK 2026 rule accept them.
- Older ASTM editions: the US Pony Club lists only F1163-15 and F1163-23 for its helmet policies, while US Equestrian's list still names F1163-04a (2011 or later).
- VG1 and AS/NZS 3838 after 2026: the UK 2026 rule accepts both alone; the FEI restricts VG1 in 2027 and drops AS/NZ 3838. We found no UK rule for 2027.
For cross country, the British Riding Clubs 2026 hat rules allow only a peakless "jockey skull" with smooth front protrusions of no more than 5 mm, and The Pony Club bans hat cameras because they may affect how a hat performs in a fall.
Tags
A tag is an official's check of the label, not of the hat. The Pony Club says tagging does not mean anyone has checked fit or condition, and the BRC rules say a hat whose internal labels have been removed will not be tagged. Equestrian Australia is moving from yellow to green tags, with only green accepted from 1 January 2029. The tags and quality marks page explains both schemes.
When to replace: the statements differ
- FEI (2026 list): every three to five years depending on use, and immediately after a significant impact even with no visible damage.
- British Eventing (BE Prepared) and The Pony Club (2026): typically three to five years; BE adds any fall where the head hits the ground, a fence, a horse or a solid object, and missing or unreadable safety labels.
- US Equestrian (2017): after any fall where the head hits the ground or a severe blow, and after five years of regular use.
- Charles Owen (maker claim): three to five years under normal use, and modern helmets do not deteriorate in storage.
Regulators have also recalled helmets: the US CPSC in February 2023 over a model that failed the impact requirements of ASTM F1163-15, and Ireland's CCPC in June 2026 over a strap that could slip and reduce stability. The recalls page lists them.
Our picks by category
Riding helmets
Read the label for the standards, their editions and the quality mark, then compare it with the list of the body you ride under, for the date you will ride. From 2028 the FEI wants two of four standards on one helmet, and Equestrian Australia from 2029 nationally. The BHS recommends fitting by a BETA-trained fitter and advises against second-hand hats. Acceptance on the day is for the body's rules, the tag and the officials.
Best for: Every rider, for every ride
Skull caps and covers
The British Riding Clubs 2026 hat rules and The Pony Club require a peakless jockey skull for cross country, with front protrusions of no more than 5 mm; the BRC rules allow a removable cover with a light flexible peak. A skull cap still has to carry an accepted standard and mark to be tagged.
Best for: Riders going cross country under British Riding Clubs or Pony Club rules
Sources
- US Equestrian, Dressage Attire and Equipment booklet (1 May 2026), rule DR120.1.1
- FEI, Accepted Testing Standards for Protective Headgear, effective 1 January 2026 (copy hosted by an Australian campdraft body; the FEI's own page could not be opened)
- Equestrian Australia, National Jumping Rules 2026 (reproducing the FEI Jumping Rules and headgear list)
- ASTM International, F1163-23 (store listing and scope)
- BSI Knowledge, PAS 015:2011 Helmets for equestrian use
- Commission Implementing Decision 2014/714/EU (EN 1384:2012 reference withdrawn)
- CEN-CENELEC, EN 1384:2023 equestrian helmets (18 December 2023)
- NFU, European riding helmet standard withdrawn (December 2014)
- Snell Memorial Foundation, Heads Up newsletter 76 (2021)
- US Equestrian, list of applicable international testing standards for protective headgear (effective 1 August 2023)
- US Equestrian, rule change 030-22 GR801 helmet certification
- US Eventing, USEF Board approves amendment to protective headgear rule (26 July 2023)
- US Pony Club, equestrian helmet safety standards (13 September 2024)
- Equestrian Australia, Progressive Change to Helmet Standards (4 February 2026)
- Equestrian Australia, Accepted Helmet Standards for EA National Competition (February 2026)
- Equestrian Australia, Health Safety and Welfare Update (22 April 2026)
- British Riding Clubs, Hat Rules 2026 (BHS-hosted)
- The Pony Club (UK), Hat Rule, no changes for 2026
- The British Horse Society, hats and helmets (reviewed 2 January 2026)
- British Eventing, BE Prepared: when to replace your helmet and body protector
- US Equestrian, top tips for helmet care (Glenye Cain Oakford, 6 March 2017)
- Charles Owen, helmet user guide (maker)
- Healio, head and neck injuries leading cause of mortality in equestrian-related trauma (on Mutore et al., Trauma Surgery and Acute Care Open 2021)
- Equestrian Canada, concussion protocol FAQ
- US CPSC, recall 23-116 equestrian helmets (9 February 2023)
- Ireland CCPC, horse riding helmet recall notice (9 June 2026)