Can I use a bike helmet for horseback riding?

For riding, use a helmet certified to a riding standard, not a bike helmet. A bike helmet is a good helmet for cycling. It is certified to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's bicycle standard (16 CFR Part 1203), and that standard is not on the list of certifications US Equestrian accepts for riders.

It's a fair question, because a bike helmet looks like a helmet. The catch is that the two are built and tested for different kinds of falls, and the places you ride (barns, lessons, shows, Pony Club) will ask for the riding certification. If you're a parent or new rider sorting through the words on the tag, our barn words glossary explains ASTM, SEI and MIPS in plain English.

The big difference is what each helmet is hit against in testing. Riding helmets certified to ASTM F1163 are tested on a flat surface and on a sharp-edged "hazard anvil" that stands in for things like a hoof, a rail or a fence post. Bike helmets certified to the CPSC standard are tested on a flat surface, a rounded dome and a curb edge.

Plenty is the same. Both kinds are tested hot, cold and wet, and both share the same force limit. The bike standard's flat-surface drop is slightly higher. In other words, neither is a "better" helmet in the abstract. Each is checked against the hazards its sport is likely to throw at it.

It does, and researchers have started rating riding helmets on their own system because of it. The Virginia Tech Helmet Lab studied real riding footage and found that the back of the head matters more in riding than in most sports. The lab also measured how firm sand, dirt and grass footing is at equestrian venues so its test surfaces match where riders actually land.

Because those ratings are built for riding, a Virginia Tech star rating compares riding helmets with each other, and the scores can't be compared with bike helmet ratings. You can see how the helmets we carry score on our helmet ratings page.

Almost certainly not. US Equestrian accepts four helmet certifications in licensed competition: ASTM F1163 (certified through SEI), PAS 015, VG1 and Snell. A bike helmet is certified to a different standard, the CPSC bicycle standard, which isn't on that list. Pony Club and eventing venues follow the same rule, and most barns require a certified riding helmet for lessons, schooling and hacking.

If you're just starting lessons, ask the barn what it requires before you buy anything. Many lesson programs keep loaner helmets for first-time riders.

It isn't only a show rule. US Pony Club requires a properly fitted, securely fastened helmet at any mounted activity except vaulting, and lists the certifications it accepts in its safety policy.

Neither of those is what separates the two. Both riding and bike standards test that the harness holds and that the helmet doesn't roll off the head. So choose on fit, not on how many straps you can count.

Puncture resistance is the other mix-up. Neither the American riding standard (ASTM F1163) nor the bicycle standard tests for penetration. If that matters to you, Snell, VG1 and PAS 015 do include a penetration test.

No. Riding helmets can be certified to several standards, and US Pony Club says some older versions should no longer be used. The four US Equestrian accepts in licensed competition are ASTM F1163 (through SEI), PAS 015, VG1 and Snell. Pony Club's guide to the standards explains how they differ and which versions are current.

Look at the version, not just the name. Pony Club says a helmet certified to an ASTM standard older than F1163-15 should not be used, and it describes Snell E2016 as out of date. It also notes that VG1 has been replaced by the European standard EN 1384, and that helmets marked with either VG1 01.040 2014-12 or EN 1384 are considered good choices. Competition rules can differ from Pony Club's, so check the current text for your event.

Where do you find it? Pony Club advises checking the certification label, which is usually inside the helmet or on the tag. If you're shopping, our helmet ratings page and riding helmet buyer's guide put the certifications and the independent Virginia Tech ratings in one place.

Check four things: the certification, the helmet's history, its age and the fit. Do it for every helmet in the tack room.

A note on age: the date stamped inside a helmet is the manufacture date, not the day you bought it. Write your purchase date inside next to the stamp. Troxel recommends replacing a helmet at least every five years from the date of purchase. Our helmet replacement guide has the full picture on falls, drops and age.

On fit, our helmet guide says a correctly fitted helmet should feel snug without pressure points and should not rock forward, backward or side to side, and that head shape matters as well as size. Troxel's kids' guide says to buy a helmet that fits properly now, not a loose one to grow into. If you're measuring your head for the first time, see how to measure your head for a riding helmet.

• Look for an accepted certification tag (ASTM F1163/SEI, PAS 015, VG1 or Snell).
• Ask whether the helmet has ever hit the ground hard. Helmets are designed to protect through one impact. Troxel says its helmet is "only designed for ONE impact."
• Note the purchase date, not just the stamped date.
• Confirm the fit: the helmet sits level, doesn't rock front to back, and the harness is snug under the jaw.

Certification is the floor, and some riders look further. Snell is described by US Pony Club as the most rigorous of the common standards, and E2021 is its current equestrian version. Compared with ASTM F1163 it has a higher flat-anvil drop, a penetration test, a lateral crush test and a tighter force limit. It replaces E2016, which US Pony Club considers out of date.

MIPS is a feature some helmets add to address angled impacts. Virginia Tech's star ratings are one way to compare riding helmets with each other. Start at our Helmet Center to browse by type (schooling, show, skull cap, youth and more), or see all riding helmets.