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Safety Vest?

2K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  jinxremoving 
#1 ·
well, the boyfriend saw what i do for a living for real for the the first time the other day.

No, i dont sit on the pretty horsie and trot around like so, like when im on miss anne.

No, i dont just sit out the little skitters to the side like toby has when hes nervous or decides hes done working.

and no, i dont just brush and coo and braid and bathe.

yes, i hold on and ride it out while a 900 lb animal is trying his ****dest to unseat me. yes, i challenge the beast challenging me in the roundpen, and yes, sometime i hit the dirt. hard.


well, what does mr. concerned go out and do? hes currently researching which vest would be most effective at keeping me in one undamaged piece. which im expected to wear when theres a chance i may be in "the line of danger" lol helmets, yea. airbag vest? ummm....

Hit Air Airbag Vests and Jackets: Hit Air airbag Vest MC-2

heres my questions..has anybody ridden in a safety vest and had it help? i know the bullriders do it, i know when i was younger a couple of the moms went safety aware and some of my friends had them..but ive never worn one.
are they comfortable? can you two point and half seat in them? will they withstand a decent kick to the chest as well as a good fall?

im halfway between its a good idea and how the heck am i gonna be an effective rider with THAT strapped to me?!
 
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#2 ·
Well, as the top eventers wear them without it effecting their riding, I would reckon you will be okay.

I am unsure about those vests, but normal vests do state they do not protect against broken bones and worse, but against bruising. I fell in front of a horse, horse jumped me but clipped the back of my shoulder. Dislocated it, my AC and fractured my humerus. I have also hit a tree and fractured ribs. However, I am firm in the belief if I didn't have it on, it would have been a lot worse.

Honestly, you are always going to be in danger with riding. But if you are knowingly getting on an *** of a horse, make the risk as less as possible that you will end up on a slab with your chest open. JMO.
 
#4 ·
ill be wearing it when ive got a horse in for breaking or retraining, or when ive got a problem horse in, and probably for trail breaking too.

probably not on horses ive been on for a month or two who have no consistant buck, rear, bronc issues. and most likely not really ever on my mare.

im just curious as ive never ridden in one...
 
#5 ·
They have been praised as saving many eventers from serious injury, UK rider Laura Collett goes as far as saying her air vest saved her life when her horse fell on her and they certainly don't hinder their riding ability so if you are riding in potentially dangerous situations you should probably think about getting one
 
#6 ·
I donated a kidney a few months ago, and in order to appease my family, I promised I'd wear a vest each and every time I ride, for the rest of my life.... I was SURE I'd hate it, but I actually don't mind it at all. I didn't get the hit-air one, since I ride bareback more often than not, and didn't want to fuss with the clip in the mane, etc. I ended up getting the Tipperary eventer vest, and I really like it. Now, I DID notice that this summer, I'd end up soaked with sweat underneath of it, (like drenched shirt soaked), so sometimes I just toss it on over my bra! I don't notice any restriction on my range of movement, and its less obtrusive than I thought it'd be when I first tried it on.
 
#7 ·
I ride in an Airowear Outlyne vest and love it!

http://www.airowear.co.uk/en/product/women-outlyne/

It's extremely comfortable and I don't find it restrictive at all, even when I'm jumping and doing gymnastics. Molds to the body as it heats up and let me tell you, does it ever heat up! It's been super cold here lately, sweater weather, and I've been drenched riding in my vest with just a thin dress shirt on underneath. I'm probably not going to be able to wear it in the summer. :(

I've already hit the dirt once with it on and never felt anything. It doesn't offer any neck protection like some of the inflatable vests, but I feel pretty comfortable in this taking falls. If you are really inclined to feel protected get a normal vest with an inflatable vest over top. Some eventers do that but the added weight would likely bug me.

Edit:

Forgot to mention, that even wearing the extra long size in the Airowear Outlyne, I can still two point and sit deep without the back ever touching the saddle. That was something I was very worried about and must have measured myself 100x to make sure I was ordering the right size.
 
#11 ·
I am the only rider at my jumper barn that wears a vest. Most are opposed to them, some are curious... a few plan on getting one like myself. I could go with/without a vest but knowing I have some added protection makes me feel better, especially when schooling over new jumps.
 
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