US Patent 6983488 Equestrian helmet with faceguard

A helmet, such as for equestrian sports, includes an outer shell formed by an upper dome and a lower ring attached to a bottom edge of the upper dome by screws. The assembled arrangement is particularly strong but is adapted to facilitate molding and further has a traditional equestrian helmet appearance. A removable faceguard includes legs shaped to upwardly fit into downwardly-open cavities formed within the ring, and includes latches pivoted to the legs for snap-attachment to lateral surfaces within the cavities. The latches are made of a material optimized for durability and resiliency, and are preferably of a material different than the faceguard itself.