Bethany Lee, hunter rider and founder of My Equestrian Style, was blessed with a thick head of beautiful auburn hair, but she says her long, lustrous locks prove challenging to wrangle under traditional hairnets.

“Whether I was schooling, showing or doing photo shoots, I got so sick of the hairnet blob that just flops around in your ponytail when you leave it out of your helmet or even when you have your hair in your helmet,” she said. “That blob always seems to make its way out of your helmet and is so distracting to your ride. So, I decided to create my own hairnet design to deal with this problem and that looks so much cleaner.”

Hunter rider and founder of My Equestrian Style Bethany Lee, who trains with Geoffrey Hesslink at Hesslink Williams farm in Wellington, Florida, created an innovative hairnet design to reduce bulk and produce a more polished look. ©Alana Harrison

Lee’s patented Ellsworth hairnet includes a traditional opening around the forehead but also features an elastic hole at the back that acts as a hair tie and hairnet all in one to eliminate the dreaded blob. She notes that the opening with the slightly rougher elastic lining goes over your forehead, while the smoother elastic-lined hole acts as the hair tie.

“I put the rougher elastic opening over my forehand, while holding the smooth elastic hole at the base of my neck to pull my ponytail through. I then use my other hand to wrap my ponytail as many times as is comfortable for you,” Lee explained. “I like mine pretty tight, so I wrap it at least three times. But I also have a lot of hair. Once I do that, I adjust the hairnet around my forehand and ears—and voilà ! I can put my helmet on and no hairnet or blob in sight.” (See the video below for Lee’s live demo on how use her Ellsworth hairnets.)

In addition to the traditional opening around the forehead, the Ellsworth hairnet also features an elastic hole at the back that acts as a hair tie and hairnet all in one to eliminate the dreaded blob. ©Alana Harrison

She prefers to wear her ponytail out of her helmet when schooling but also demonstrates how you can use the hairnet to keep your hair up for showing. “Just like you would with any other hairnet, you simply flip your ponytail up over your head and then put your helmet on,” she said. “Once you know how to put the Ellsworth hairnet on, it’s truly revolutionary and looks so much better.”

If you’re one of the few riders who haven’t yet discovered these gems, Lee’s Ellsworth hairnets are sold at wide range of equestrian retailers. They come in packs of two and are available in auburn, dark brown, medium brown, warm blond, platinum blond and black.

Ellsworth Hairnet Demo

Here, you can watch Bethany Lee demonstrating how to use her Ellsworth hairnets.