When was the last time you bought a new helmet?

Helmets are perishable. They look pretty rugged but after a few years they start to deteriorate. You wear them (hopefully) every time you ride and they get hot and sweaty. You might leave one in the trunk of your car where it's baked by the sun, or maybe you've dropped your helmet on the barn floor.

Most of us know that you should replace your helmet if you've had a fall where you hit your head. But did you know that helmet manufacturers recommend that you replace your helmet at least every five years?

Why you should replace your helmet.

Helmets protect your head in two ways: the hard shell keeps hard objects from penetrating and the inside foam padding absorbs some of the force from an impact, cushioning your brain.

When you hit your head the outer shell can crack and the foam padding condenses and becomes less effective. Now, you don't need to replace your helmet every time you drop it (thank goodness!). An empty helmet that hits the floor is unlikely crush the protective foam liner although it may crack the outer protective shell. Rather, it is when your helmet suffers a severe blow when your head is inside it! Obviously, this can happen when you fall but another common way for a helmet to be damaged is when riders are hit by their horse's heads. It's not unusual for those blows to cause a concussion.

Damage to a helmet even after a fall is not always evident. The compression of the liner most frequently occurs at point where the liner touches the shell so you would need to take the helmet apart to asses any damage. Luckily many helmet manufacturers offer a replacement policy for helmets damaged in accidents: you send them the helmet and your reciept of purchase and they replace your helmet for a nominal fee. I imagine that for them, getting those damaged helmets back is a useful way to conduct research.

Even if your helmet still looks like new, over time the helmet's protective properties diminish. The materials used break down when they come into contact with heat, hair oils, and sweat. Eventually the foam becomes brittle and no longer protects your head.

Helmets all have a manufacturing date on the inside label and it's a good idea to check yours periodically. Over the summer I realized that my helmets were approaching their expiration dates. I haven't been in any falls but I'm pretty sure they been dropped a few times. I've also noticed that my schooling helmet just hasn't been fitting all that well.

Helmets don't have to be expensive. ASTM/SEI approved helmets are available for less that $50. But they do have to fit. When I started looking for a new foxhunting helmet I went into the SmartPak store to try some on and discovered that there was only ONE traditional velvet helmet fit me properly. Of course it was the $320 Charles Owen Wellington!

Today however, I hit the jackpot. I found the Charles Owen in the clearance section at SmartPak. Who cares if it has last season's harness? I also found a Charles Owen Skullcap at the same time and snatched that one up, too.

Timing was good. Early in the day I was riding with a friend of mine who took a fall over a fence. She was okay and took most of the fall on her hip but her head hit the dirt too and it reminded me that if someone asked you if you'd spend $50 to avoid that concussion, we'd all say yes.

So today I retired my old foxhunting helmet and my schooling helmet. Let's just hope that the next time I need to replace them is five years from today!