CHARLES OWEN

In today's fast moving world, the pressures to do more with less in less time inevitably leads to compromise. As any good horseperson will tell you, there are no short cuts to exceptional standards and in order to reach those peaks of success you have to carve your own path. "Nobody else does it like that" has got to be the commonest phrase spoken about Charles Owen. Maybe that is exactly the reason for our success. Designing and building products for an ever expanding group of sons and daughters, aunties and uncles, demanding something special, demands that good is not good enough.

Charles Owen, more than any company in its field, is progressive in its desire for a safer world. Its design engineers have been involved with helmet standards since 1953. We currently represent the UK on the European Standards and is an active member of the American Standards for the Testing of Materials the major equestrian standard developer in the US. We were a founder member of the British Horse Society Accident Database and work with the leading researchers in the field. Charles Owen rolled out an education program in conjunction with Headway, the British Brain Injury Organisation and the American Brain Trauma Foundation. A major programme of working with top riders in each discipline ensure that our products are not just tested by laboratory dummies. Perhaps the most significant effort is educating both helmet sellers and wearers in maximising the safety of helmets through correct fitting. Laboratory dummies cannot represent the true diversity of the human race and it is is well recognised that a helmet that does not fit can lead to fatal consequences. There is still widespread ignorance even amongst helmet designers and it is a serious concern with all safety professionals in our sport. Programmes run by Charles Owen include seminars, training clinics and expert help, which is available at a increasing number of international horse events. Production of our core products is carried out in our own production facilities. This is becoming increasingly uncommon as the desire for easy profit demands outsourcing and the consequent lack of control.