Riding helmets, airbags, leg protection, stirrups, and riding boots. We took a closer look at the equipment when the world's best riders met in Aachen – and what their choices say about safety, function, and performance at the highest level.
The World Championship in Aachen is over, but the equipment we saw on and around the competition arenas is much more enduring than the results list.
Steve Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme became world champions in jumping, Thibeau Spits and Impress-K van’t Kattenheye Z took silver, and Harry Charles and LT Holst Freda secured bronze. But when we at Svensk Ridsport follow a championship, we don't just look at who stands highest on the podium.
We also look at the details.
Which riding helmets do the riders choose? How common have airbags become? What is on the horses' legs? Which stirrups are visible – and what features seem to recur when the equipment must function at the absolute highest level?
The short answer is clear: fit, safety, low weight, freedom of movement, grip, and reliable function are evident in the elite's equipment.
Of course, sponsorship agreements also exist at the absolute top of equestrian sports. Therefore, we find it more interesting to look at why a certain type of equipment works rather than just noting which brand a rider wears.
Here are some of the product choices and technical solutions we looked at after Aachen.
Which riding helmets do elite riders use?
One of the clearest developments on international competition arenas is how advanced the riding helmet has become.
KASK on World Championship silver medalist Thibeau Spits
Thibeau Spits, who took individual World Championship silver in Aachen, has had a sponsorship collaboration with KASK Equestrian since 2025.
KASK is a good example of how modern premium helmets combine several functions. Star Lady, for instance, has a self-adjusting Fit System, ventilation, and a multi-density shell, while KASK works with its own WG11 test for rotational forces.
Samshield 2.0 – fit and ventilation in focus
Samshield is another brand that is strongly established at the international top level.
Samshield 2.0 is developed with a focus on fit, comfort, and airflow. The model features a six-point ventilation system, memory foam, and a removable liner that allows for further customization of the feel.
Our takeaway from the elite's helmet choices
There is no riding helmet that is best for everyone.
The most important thing is that the helmet fits your head shape, sits stably, and feels right even after extended use. A technically advanced helmet can only do its job fully if the fit is correct.
At Svensk Ridsport: Samshield 2.0, KASK Star Lady, KASK Kooki, and other riding helmets for different head shapes, needs, and price ranges.
Spotted at Aachen
Which riding helmets do elite riders use?
At the elite level, helmet choice is not just about safety certification. Fit, stability, ventilation, weight, and the ability to adjust the helmet to the head shape are crucial for comfort during long competition days and performance when it really matters.
Airbag for Riding – Increasingly Common Even at the Highest Level
The airbag vest is perhaps one of the most noticeable changes in rider safety equipment in recent years.
What previously might have felt like an extra layer of safety equipment is now increasingly seen even in international show jumping.
A clear example is German Sophie Hinners, who was part of the German gold team in Aachen. Freejump lists both Freejump Airbag and Soft’Up Classic+ as part of her equipment.
This says something about the development.
When safety equipment becomes more streamlined, closer to the body, and easier to integrate with regular riding and competition clothing, it also becomes easier to use it every day.
What Does an Airbag Vest Do?
An airbag for riding is designed to activate in the event of a fall and provide extra protection around parts of the upper body. The Freejump Airbag, for example, is specifically developed for equestrian sports and protects, among other things, the back, lower back, pelvis, and rib cage.
It is also important to choose the right size, the right cartridge, and use the airbag according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Our Takeaway from Aachen
The trend is increasingly towards safety products that should not require a choice between protection and freedom of movement.
For us, this is one of the most interesting trends in modern riding equipment.
At Svensk Ridsport: Freejump Airbag, Helite Airbag, and Equiline Belair as well as cartridges and accessories for each system.
increasingly common even at the highest level
Airbags at the World Championship
When safety equipment becomes more flexible, closer fitting, and easier to integrate with regular riding and competition clothing, it also becomes easier to use every day.
Leg protection for show jumping horses – lighter, ventilated, and anatomical
Take a closer look at the horses' legs on an international jumping course and there is much technology to discover.
Modern tendon boots and leg protection for jumping often combine several functions: shock absorption, low weight, ventilation, anatomical fit, and materials that protect without restricting the horse's movements.
Veredus Carbon Gel Vento and Marcus Ehning
Veredus is one of the clearest examples of product development close to international top sport.
Carbon Gel Vento has been tested with, among others, Marcus Ehning, who was also part of the German team that won the World Championship gold in Aachen.
In Carbon Gel Vento, carbon fiber, shock-absorbing gel, and a double ventilation system are combined. The construction is designed to help transport heat away while an anatomically shaped shell provides the horse's fetlock and knee with freedom of movement.
It is precisely the combination that is interesting.
Not the maximum amount of material – but the right protection in the right place with as little impact on the horse's movement as possible.
Our takeaway from the elite's leg protection
More material does not automatically mean better leg protection.
When we choose tendon boots, we prefer to look at fit, weight, ventilation, shock absorption, and how the protection fits against that particular horse's leg.
At Swedish Equestrian Sport: Veredus Carbon Gel Vento and other tendon boots and leg protection developed for jumping and high stress.
lighter, ventilated, and anatomical
leg protection for the elite
Modern tendon boots and leg protection for jumping often combine several functions: shock absorption, low weight, ventilation, anatomical fit, and materials that protect without restricting the horse's movements.
Safety Stirrups – grip, balance, and stability underfoot
The stirrup may seem like a simple detail.
However, looking at product development in international show jumping, it is now one of the rider's most technical contact points.
Wider footplates, different angles, metal spikes, shock absorption, and openable safety solutions have become increasingly common.
Freejump at the international top level
The Freejump Soft’Up series is used by several international show jumpers. For example, Sophie Hinners uses the Soft’Up Classic+, and Freejump works with a large number of riders at the highest level.
The Soft’Up models combine, among other things, a wide footplate with grip and a flexible outer part designed as part of the stirrup's safety solution.
Flex-On Safe On
Flex-On addresses the same fundamental issues but with a different construction.
Safe On has a wide footplate, the option for Ultra Grip with metal spikes, and shock absorbers under the footplate. The outer safety arm is designed to open under sufficient pressure to help release the foot.
What makes a good stirrup?
For the rider, it is primarily about grip, stability, balance, and safety.
Which model feels best is, however, individual. The position of the foot, riding style, and the type of footplate you are comfortable with affect more than you might initially think.
At Swedish Equestrian Sport: Freejump Soft’Up and Flex-On Safe On are available in several different designs.
Grip, balance, and stability underfoot
Stirrups at the World Championship
Wider footplates, different angles, metal spikes, shock absorption, and openable safety solutions have become increasingly common.
Elite Level Riding Boots – When Fit Should Feel Natural
One of the rider's most important contact points is also one of the most classic: the riding boot.
At the highest level, the boot should provide support without feeling bulky, fit closely to the leg, and create an even contact with the horse and saddle.
Here again, there is a clear connection to the World Championships in Aachen.
Thibeau Spits Rides in Parlanti
World Championship silver medalist Thibeau Spits became a Parlanti ambassador in 2025.
Parlanti has long been well-established in international show jumping, and much of the brand's strength lies in its fit.
For example, the Miami Pro is made of calfskin with an elastic panel at the back and is available in several different combinations of height and calf width. This makes it possible to achieve a much closer individual fit even in a standard boot.
Our Takeaway from Elite Riding Boots
A good riding boot should ideally be something you stop thinking about.
It should provide support, contact, and stability without disrupting movement. Therefore, the right height and calf width are just as important as the brand name on the boot.
At Swedish Equestrian Sport: Parlanti Miami Pro and Denver Pro are available in several different height and calf combinations.
when the fit should feel natural
riding boots at the world championship
At the highest level, the boot should provide support without feeling bulky, fit close to the leg, and create an even contact with the horse and saddle.
What can we learn from the equipment used by the world elite?
Should you buy the same equipment as a world champion?
Not necessarily.
Steve Guerdat's equipment needs to work for Steve Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme. Your equipment needs to work for you and your horse.
What we can learn from the world elite, however, is which qualities continue to be prioritized when the demands are at their highest:
- Proper fit above all else.
- Safety equipment that allows movement.
- Grip and stability at the rider's contact points.
- Low weight and freedom of movement for the horse.
- Ventilation and comfort under high stress.
- Equipment that is well-tested and reliable.
- Function over unnecessary details.
On a World Championship course, there is very little room for equipment that works 'almost'.
That principle is just as relevant at home in the stable.
Equipment developed for riding at the highest level
At Svensk Ridsport, you will find riding helmets from Samshield and KASK, airbags from Freejump, Helite, and Equiline, leg protection from Veredus, safety stirrups from Freejump and Flex-On, and riding boots from Parlanti.
Products that represent much of what we see in modern elite sports: safety, fit, and technical function without compromising the feel of riding.
And perhaps that is precisely where the greatest lesson from Aachen lies.
Not in copying what the world's best use.
But in becoming just as meticulous about why we choose our equipment ourselves.
