Riding gear guides, organised by what the rules ask for.

How we recommend

Our picks are categories of gear, such as riding helmets, body protectors or safety stirrups, never particular models or brands. Each pick says who it may suit and what is worth reading on the label or in the rulebook. We do not publish hands-on reviews, we do not rank individual products, and we do not quote or compare prices. The buttons take you to current listings so you can compare for yourself. Product links are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no cost to you; that never decides which categories we include.

Nothing in these guides says that a product is certified, safe or allowed at a competition. A helmet or body protector is accepted, or not, under a named body's current rules, the hat tag where that body uses one, and the officials at the event. Fitting a helmet, a body protector, boots, stirrups or a saddle is done in person, with a qualified coach, riding school or trained fitter, and these guides do not describe how.

Instruction comes before gear

We looked for a governing body that says in so many words that riding must be learned from qualified instruction, and did not find one. What the bodies publish points the same way. The UK Highway Code (Rule 52) recommends the British Horse Society's Ride Safe Award to inexperienced or returning riders before they ride on roads. US Equestrian suggests that families new to riding look for a trainer certified through programmes such as those of the USDF, the USEA, the USHJA, the American Riding Instructors Association or the Certified Horsemanship Association, and says those listings are not endorsements. This site does not recommend any riding school, yard or coach.

Four things these guides keep repeating

• Rules change by date, and differ by body. The FEI's helmet list changes on 1 January 2027 and again on 1 January 2028. Equestrian Australia, US Equestrian and the UK bodies each publish their own lists. The helmet standards checker compares a label with a body's list for a chosen date.
• No helmet or protector prevents every injury. US Equestrian's posted helmet list says no headgear can prevent serious injury or death in certain circumstances, and the BHS says no hat can protect every rider in every situation. BETA's swing ticket says its body protector standard is not a guarantee of safety.
• Lifespan figures differ. The FEI's 2026 list recommends replacing headgear every three to five years depending on use; US Equestrian's 2017 guidance says after five years of regular use. BETA says body protectors should be replaced at least every three to five years. Each figure is that body's statement.
• Second-hand protective gear is discouraged. The BHS advises against second-hand hats, The Pony Club strongly discourages buying them, and BETA advises against second-hand body protectors of unknown history.

Where to start

• New to riding? The beginner riding gear guide sets out what the bodies ask of riders' heads, feet and hands, and why choosing and fitting are left to a coach or a trained fitter.
• Head protection? The riding helmet guide explains each standard, the quality marks, and each body's rule with its dates.
• Cross country or general riding? The body protector guide covers EN 13158, the BETA 2018 levels and labels, and where air vests fit in.
• Feet and hands? See riding boots, riding gloves and safety stirrups, each with the FEI and national rules that apply.
• Looking after a horse? The grooming kit guide explains why we do not reproduce shop kit lists, and what welfare and veterinary bodies do publish.
• Buying for a rider? The gift guide sticks mostly to items that do not have to be fitted to a rider or a horse.

How we handle claims

Governing bodies, standards bodies, welfare charities, veterinary bodies and researchers are our primary sources. Where a maker describes its own products, we label it as a claim. Where sources disagree, as they do on helmet replacement intervals, on Snell E2016 helmets and on magnetic stirrups, we give each version and who says it. The FEI's own rules site refused our requests, so FEI rules are read as reproduced in Equestrian Australia's 2026 rulebooks and in other bodies' copies, and each guide says so. Everything here is summarised as of October 2026; the body's current rulebook and its officials take precedence over this summary.