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hurlinghampolo.com
TA L K
Following a few serious and fatal accidents
involving head injuries, the HPA has taken
a stance and changed the ruling on helmet
regulations. Introducing a minimum standard
for polo helmets, it is following the lead of
the British Horseracing Authority, which
introduced a new standard in January 2017.
As a retailer and supporter of polo, from
2018 onwards, Polo Splice is obliged to sell
a credible polo helmet that meets all the
standards required by the HPA [see box on
the right for a list of the type approvals that
Greg Glue, director of player and horse equipment purveyors Polo Splice, explains the
new rules regarding helmets and looks at the newest models on the market
S E A L O F A P P R O V A L
meet the new requirements]. After a
confusing start, and many rumours, this
is the situation as we see it:
You can still wear your old/new Charles
Owen, Young Riders, Rider 2000, Palermo or
Edition helmet – as long as this was
purchased after 1998 with PAS015-1998 and
meets the type approval standards –
together with a three-point harness.
Alternatively, you can enhance your
safety (and aesthetics) by purchasing one of
the higher-specification helmets that have
recently come onto the market, which offer
superior protection and also give players the
option to personalise their helmet with
bespoke design details.
The Armis polo helmet meets all
standards and features a carbon fibre shell
and a rotational slam inner shell, which
revolves slightly on impact. It comes in
black, white or grey, with the option of a
bespoke design at extra cost.
The second new helmet on the market is
the Instinct Polo helmet, which also meets
