Equestrian Helmet Safety Standards: What the Ratings Actually Mean

The certification labels inside an equestrian helmet are not interchangeable. Each standard sets its own test protocol, its own impact scenarios, its own energy thresholds and its own requirements for the retention system. A helmet that carries one certification may not carry another, and the difference is not arbitrary. It reflects a genuine difference in what the helmet has been built and tested to withstand.

The serious rider should understand what they are wearing and why. A handful of standards account for most of the labels a rider will encounter, and they are distinct standards rather than several names for the same thing. More than one of them is accepted for competition in the United States, which is the part most riders have wrong.

ASTM F1163 verified by SEI: the American standard

ASTM F1163 is the primary standard for equestrian helmets in the United States, verified independently by the Safety Equipment Institute, or SEI. It tests impact attenuation, the helmet's ability to absorb energy on impact, along with retention system performance under specified force. Testing is carried out at multiple impact points and under conditioning extremes.

ASTM F1163 verified by SEI is accepted by both USEF and USPC, and it is the standard most American riders will see. The two write their lists differently. USEF sets an edition floor: ASTM F1163-04a, 2011 or later, certified through SEI. USPC names two specific editions: F1163-15 or F1163-23, with the SEI mark, under USPC Policy #0810, revised October 2025. So the edition on the label matters, and a helmet can satisfy one organization and not the other. USEF publishes its list on its own website rather than in the rulebook, so it can change without a rule change. Read that list, and the USPC helmet policy, before you buy.

EN 1384: the European standard

EN 1384 is the European equestrian helmet standard, and a label will usually carry it with a year. The current edition is EN 1384:2023. Helmets on sale may still carry an earlier edition, such as EN 1384:2017. It sets its own impact and retention requirements and is widely accepted across European governing bodies. In the United States the two organizations differ on it. USPC accepts EN 1384 when the helmet carries a BSI Kitemark or an IC mark. EN 1384 does not appear on USEF's published list of accepted standards.

VG1 01.040 2014-12: a separate interim standard

VG1, written in full as VG1 01.040 2014-12, is a separate interim European standard. It is not another name for EN 1384 and the two should not be treated as interchangeable. It appears on its own and alongside other marks on helmets built for the European and international market.

PAS 015:2011: a further British standard

PAS 015:2011 is a separate British standard, published as a Publicly Available Specification. It sets out its own impact, penetration and crush requirements. The two organizations state the certification mark differently. USEF accepts it when the helmet is certified through BSI or IC. USPC names PAS 015-2011 with the BSI Kitemark.

How they fit together

A single helmet may carry several of these certifications at once, because a manufacturer may submit the same model for testing under more than one standard. A label reading EN 1384:2017, ASTM F1163-23, VG1 01.040 2014-12 and PAS 015:2011 is describing four separate certifications, not one standard written four ways. That example is illustrative only. Read the label on the helmet in front of you as a list, then check two things: that at least one standard on it is accepted by the organization you ride under, and that the edition printed beside it clears that organization's requirement.

The standards do not test the same things, which is the argument for a helmet that carries more than one. A helmet certified to several standards has been tested to several protocols. That is a statement about testing, not a promise of better protection in any particular fall. No certification predicts the outcome of an individual accident.

What the organizations actually accept

USEF's published list, approved by its Board in June 2023, updated that July and effective August 1, 2023, holds four: ASTM F1163-04a, 2011 or later, certified through SEI; PAS 015-2011 or later, certified through BSI or IC; VG1 01.040 2014-12 or later, certified through BSI or IC; and Snell 2016 or later. USEF's list describes Snell as tested by an ISO accredited lab. Snell runs its own certification program. The Snell Memorial Foundation tests samples before a helmet is sold, then buys certified helmets from retail stock and tests them again. Each USEF entry is an edition floor, not a single edition. The helmet must also carry the matching quality testing label, because the rule requires the quality control mark as well as the standard. This is the general rule for licensed competitions. Read the rules for the division you enter, because a discipline may carry requirements of its own.

USPC accepts six, under Policy #0810: ASTM F1163-15 or ASTM F1163-23 with the SEI mark, Snell E2021, PAS 015-2011 with the BSI Kitemark, AS/NZS 3838 with the SAI Global mark, VG1 01.040 2014-12 with the BSI Kitemark or IC mark, and EN 1384 with the BSI Kitemark or IC mark. Note that the Snell edition USPC names is not the one USEF names. USPC also directs members to that policy, rather than to any general summary including its own, for what is required at an event.

So a helmet that carries no ASTM mark at all can still be entirely legal, and a rider who believes ASTM with SEI is the only route is ruling out helmets the organization would accept. What matters is that the helmet carries an accepted certification, that the edition clears the requirement, that the quality testing label is present, and that the helmet fits.

MIPS: technology, not certification

MIPS, the Multi-Directional Impact Protection System, is a technology rather than a certification. A helmet fitted with it contains a low-friction layer between the helmet and the head. Mips states that the layer allows ten to fifteen millimeters of movement in multiple directions on certain angled impacts, intended to help reduce rotational force to the head. It does not replace any certification, and no standard requires it. It is an additional feature that may be present within a certified helmet, and a reasonable one to prioritize when buying new. A helmet advertised on MIPS alone, with no standard named, has told you nothing about certification.

Fit: the variable certification cannot replace

A certified helmet fitted incorrectly gives substantially less protection than its certification suggests. Certification testing is performed on properly fitted forms. A helmet that sits too high, rolls forward on impact, or has a retention system that does not hold position under force will not perform to its standard. Assess fit with the harness fastened and the helmet in riding position, not simply placed on the head at rest. USEF's own guidance is that correct fit and correct harness adjustment are essential to performance, and that no headgear can prevent serious injury in every circumstance. Choose a helmet that carries an accepted certification and fits securely. Neither one substitutes for the other.

Replacement

Follow the manufacturer's instructions after a fall or any impact to the helmet, even when nothing looks damaged. Manufacturers commonly direct that a helmet be replaced, or returned to them for inspection, because the protective liner absorbs energy by compressing and construction differs between models. Damage is not always visible from the outside.

Otherwise, replace it on the manufacturer's stated replacement schedule, which is published in the documentation and often printed inside the shell along with the date of manufacture. The interval is set by the maker rather than by one universal rule, so read the one that came with your helmet rather than relying on a figure quoted at the barn.

Every helmet in The Protected Rider carries a certification accepted for competition, and each product page names the standard it holds and the body that certified it.

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