In honor of Helmet Awareness Week we will be sharing valuable information about helmets with all of you all week! Today, we cover how to care for your helmet!

Here are 7 tips for you to keep your equestrian riding helmet clean and in good shape when not riding.

• Keep your helmet in a place with a moderate temperature – this means not too hot or too cold as extreme heat or cold can impact the integrity of the shock-absorbing properties of your helmet. Be careful about leaving your helmet at your barn, if there are rapid temperature fluctuations your helmet may become damaged.
• If the inside of your riding helmet gets wet, allow it to air dry rather than applying a heat source. While applying heat might allow your helmet to dry quickly, this too can damage the integrity of your helmet.
• Replace your helmet after a fall in which your riding helmet touches the ground, even if the helmet itself appear undamaged. Helmets are designed in a way that you may not be able to see internal damage.
• Replace your helmet at least every 5 years. Over time, helmets may degrade and may no longer provide the same level of protection of a new helmet. In addition to this, helmet technology is improving rather rapidly so it’s always important to make sure you have the latest advances in helmet protection.
• Avoid applying bug spray to the inside or outside of your helmet. These chemicals can damage the helmet.
• Try keeping your helmet is a protective helmet bag. This will prolong the life of the helmet and keep it looking new.
• You should clean your helmet weekly with a cleaner or deodorizer to keep it fresh. Dover stocks a wide variety of riding helmet cleaners that help keep your helmet clean, remove dirt and hair grease from the interior of your helmet, and kill bacteria. Remember to always use a cleaner that is specifically designed for helmets. If your cleaner isn’t designed for helmets there is a chance you may damage the interior of your helmet.

For more tips on riding helmet storage and cleaning check out this article in the Dover Saddlery library http://www.doversaddlery.com/dover-library/a/444/
Check back in tomorrow for some more information!

In honor of Helmet Awareness Week we will be sharing valuable information about helmets with all of you all week! The first installment covers how to properly fit your riding helmet.

Does your riding helmet fit well?

A well-fitting riding helmet should fit snugly and not rock from side to side or from front to back. As helmets age they may not fit as well and may need to be replaced. Alternatively you could consider a helmet replacement liner. The first step to make sure that you get a helmet that fits is to measure your head correctly!

A little while ago we actually put together a post on How to Measure your Head for a Helmet. Follow these guidelines to measure your own head or ask a friend to help or go into any Dover Saddlery store for a helmet fitting. After you know your correct size you can have fun choosing a new riding helmet from the huge selection at Dover Saddlery.

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