Solutions for hot heads?

This time not talking about hot heads in the equine sense but the rider. I rarely post about products per se, but I am thinking it's about time to discuss head sweating and riding hats! 

I have always been a big head sweater... Lovely. Otherwise, I feel I am not a very sweaty person, the exception being wearing body protectors...! But when faced with the reality of having to wear a riding hat on most days, I am aware how my hair is always wet when taking the hat off. Even just after around 30 min of riding.

I have been in search of the ideal riding hat ever since. I have, somehow, ended up buying Champion riding hats. It wasn't a conscientious choice to start with, anything with sufficient safety grading, good fit and reasonably classic look were the criteria. When I began riding, after a very long break, my childhood safety riding hat, complete with a chin guard (early 90s!) was no longer a viable option. I very quickly wanted to buy my own hat as I didn't want to wear the riding school pots, with dirty in-lining and many sweaty heads having been through them, any more times than I possibly had to. So after about third lesson and not even 100% sure if I was going to make riding a permanent 'thing' again –although was helplessly re-bitten by the bug from the 'first' lesson – I went to the shop at the yard and bought a hat for myself.

I ended up buying this one, Champion Junior hat (CPX-3000). 

I thought I wanted something classic with a velvet top, as that had been the height of sophistication in the 90s when I first learned to ride. But I very soon noticed the lack of air vents in this model. Absolutely soaking wet after most lessons and it did look a little potty-like on my head... And it is a junior riding hat...

No, Rainbow hasn't suddenly changed colour; this is Sampson, a horse I loaned before I found Rainbow. He is lovely too!

I kept seeing other people wearing a slightly more streamlined looking hat – with air vents! I had to investigate... 

Costing almost double to the previous hat, at around £90, I bought this Champion Ventair hat last summer. I had heard good things about its ventilation qualities. It also has a slightly lower profile at the top, so looks better overall. Because I had always imagined all riding hats to be black, I wanted to push the boat out and go mad, choosing navy blue! I like navy blue and like it also on Rainbow, saddle cloths and numnahs... Plus many of my riding clothes are navy blue, including my show jacket. 

I still very much like this hat, but now that summer has arrived I am again reminded that its air vents are not quite as efficient as I would like them to be in the warmer weather. Then the inside padding, especially over the forehead, is very plush and comfortable but boy does it suck in moisture. I often have to air the hat after riding and – as I often store it in the box by R's stable – I have to leave the hat on its head in the box so that it dries at least a bit until I need to use it again. And more than often when I return to it the next day it's still moist, if not wet... Ugh. But for winter and colder weather, as well as competitions, it's still very much a hat to wear.

My latest acquisition is Champion Air Tech hat, which I happened to see on some online shop and was instantly taken by its apparent lightweight style as well as the promise of even more ventilation! I don't have a chance to go to stores on a regular basis, so decided to order this one online. Choosing the size is easier than with other hats as this one has only sizes Small, Medium and Large; but it comes with an adjustable head sizing ring which makes it fit an array of head sizes.  

The hat slightly reminds me of cycling helmets with its air grills and plastic casing. It's very light as well. The inside is comfortable but harder than e.g. Ventair – but it's still very comfortable in my opinion. And I like the head adjuster. 

I used it for the first time yesterday as went on a hack with D and Z. We trotted a lot and even cantered, so the hack was active in its pace, I would say. It was also sunny, so it was quite warm. I was soaking wet under my body protector, as I always am, when we got back. But, lo and behold: my hair was dry! The hat had done its job brilliantly and even the moisture on the forehead strip disappeared very quickly after removing the hat. The strip was never wet, like with my previous hats, just little bit moist as it should be after a good hour's brisk hack. Very pleased. So for all those hot heads out there, I think a new breed of riding hats have finally landed.