When I began riding again as an adult I took up dressage. As Iprogressed I began to look at the future, when I would wear a top hatand a shadbelly (tail coat) for shows, but I knew that top hats did notprotect the head and I would NOT ride without a helmet. Velvet helmetscan be worn at the upper levels of dressage--when you would normallywear a top hat--though I felt the uneducated might see the wearing of ahelmet as a sign of an unruly horse. Of course, that's not what a helmet means, but I know human nature and I didn't want to be looked down upon by those who don't have the sense to safeguard their heads, also. But where could I find a protective top hat? I hadn't seen one, anywhere. Then I saw a saddle seat derby made to be worn over a helmet, and it looked pretty good. I called Troxel, the derby/helmet maker, to see when the top hat/helmet would be ready for market. After all, if they had something for saddle seat riders, they must have plans for something for dressage riders. Unfortunately, Troxel said no interest had been shown in a top hat/helmet and they had no plans to design one.
So, that left me having to get one made for me. And I did. It's a fur felt top hat that fits over a skullcap helmet. The helmet is by Troxel and meets ASTM standards. A woman in FL is wearing a similar tophat/helmet at the upper levels of dressage, though I haven't seen hers. When I got the first prototype top hat/helmet, I thought it looked too much like a derby, so I asked to have the brim narrowed, and sent it to a hatmaker in LA to have the upper corners made more square.
An article on the top hat/helmet development is scheduled to be in DRESSAGE TODAY soon. If you are interested in getting one of your own, call Troxel and tell them what you want. Troxel is planning on offering the top hat/helmet, but I'm not sure how you need to proceed to get one. Just call them: if enough people show interest, they might have one you can buy right off the shelf.
The horse I'm riding is Athene CDP, my 4 year old Lusitano filly, just started this summer. She came to me as a yearling from Owl's Nest Farm near Houston.
