Air jackets and confidence

Yup.

I'm riding two green horses in one at the moment. I don't feel remotely as if I'm going to hit the deck (that's done it 😂 !) but it gives me confidence and green horses pick up the rider's confidence.
 
Braver probably the wrong word, but maybe a little more confident.

I wear them on the rare occasion I ride unknown horses and I also wear them during gallop work as I have an irrational fear of coming off at speed!
 
I wear mine for everything and the once or twice I’ve forgotten to put it on its felt driving without a seatbelt-it just doesn’t feel right

Does it make me feel safer/braver? Possibly. I would say it quells the voice in the back of your mind saying what if?

Though I am more than aware it will not prevent all injuries
 
That’s really interesting. I bought one a couple of years ago and haven’t used it. Time to get it serviced and in use!
 
Tbh I think wearing an air jacket made me lose my nerve. Having only ever ridden with any sort of body protection whilst across country, I decided to wear one for riding my new youngster. Ironically the rigmarole of putting it on made me think there was more to be scared of than there was - but I’m a bit weird anyhow.
 
I use mine for hacking. My pony has given me no reason to use one, but I have confidence issues out hacking, and knowing I've got the protection makes me feel braver and more secure. I barely notice I'm wearing it, but it's comforting to know it's there, especially when I'm alone.
 
blitznbobs said:
Tbh I think wearing an air jacket made me lose my nerve. Having only ever ridden with any sort of body protection whilst across country, I decided to wear one for riding my new youngster. Ironically the rigmarole of putting it on made me think there was more to be scared of than there was - but I’m a bit weird anyhow.
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The guy who backed a very sharp three year old for me would have agreed with you.

He said he did not wear a body protector because it would put the idea in his head and the horse's that he might need one.

It was a good point, I thought.
 
after I came off my horse and really hurt my back, I asked for a Hit Air for my birthday. It certainly helped me get my confidence back and I feel I'm tempting fate if I don't wear it for some reason.

Not long after I got it, I nearly went out the side door when horse spooked but the thought of it getting muddy (it's a Hi Viz one), made me hang on harder!
 
I've been told I ride more positively without mine, I guess I am more determined to stay in the plate and not get hurt!! I still wear it though, as I don't bounce at all any more.
 
I have used one previously but my new horse would, I think, react to the sound, so I just wear a body protector.

My other horse that I used one on had been with me longer before I wore one, it exploded once, and he just jumped on the spot. I think her reaction to life is currently not as secure, it will change, but that is where she is.

I only used to wear a body protector for XC, but after a SJ fall that was awful on my back I started to use one for jumping too. Well, not every time, but at least for anything new or bigger than usual.

With this horse I also wear one for hacking most of the time as she did not go hacking before. That falls into the something new category.
 
I wear mine every time I ride, it definitely helps my confidence. I'd had a few crashing falls off my previous horse. Mentally it's no different to me to fastening my seat belt before I drive my car, I don't do that and then think 'OMG I might crash today'. I mount the horse, click the air jacket connector in place, then pretty much forget it's on until it's time to dismount. Though if my horse has a 'moment', (she's had a fair few physical issues which have taken some unravelling), it's reassuring to remember that it's there whilst I deal with the 'moment' :).
 
I bought mine prior to backing my young horse, I felt it gave me more confidence as i knew I was more protected with it. I look back at photos of me riding new horses with only a hat on and I look naked! :D
 
I reluctantly got my air jacket under pressure from husband after an accident. I put off putting it on for a while but now I wear it every single ride. I remember thinking 'I dont really need to put it on today' as was having a flatwork lesson on what is a usually straightforward horse, but put it on anyway and thank god I did as horse had a melt down and I ended up on the rails of the school. Since then I always ride in it as you never know what might happen and it is hardly an imposition to put it on.

As to the original question of confidence, yes certainly. Today for example, I was getting on a fresh horse that hasn't been ridden for a week thanks to snow and I thought ah well, if he bucks me off, at least I have my air jacket on and wasn't worried at all. He was fine, this horse really does feed off how I am feeling so I think the air jacket makes a big difference to our partnership.
 
My other half bought me a Helite body warmer style one- I REALLY didn't want to wear one BUT my jump instructor said I now ride far more confidently because of it. I can feel it behind my neck, it just makes me feel secure
 
I'd dearly love to wear one, but as somebody who frequently sets off with the handbrake on, and the disk lock on a motorcycle (CLUNK! Followed by falling over...) I don't think I could cover the cost of all the canisters! (or convince my horse I wasn't going to explode every time I dismounted).
 
Floxie said:
I'd dearly love to wear one, but as somebody who frequently sets off with the handbrake on, and the disk lock on a motorcycle (CLUNK! Followed by falling over...) I don't think I could cover the cost of all the canisters! (or convince my horse I wasn't going to explode every time I dismounted).
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This gets better with practise. I unclip when I take my gloves off before dismounting. It has so far become second nature.
 
Red-1 said:
I only used to wear a body protector for XC, but after a SJ fall that was awful on my back I started to use one for jumping too. Well, not every time, but at least for anything new or bigger than usual.

With this horse I also wear one for hacking most of the time as she did not go hacking before. That falls into the something new category.
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Accidents don’t only happen at new experiences or over big jumps.

I came off my horse when she tripped and fell. We were walking along a track. I neither heard nor saw anything to make her fall. I was very glad of my a.j. on that day.
She has never done anything like that since.
 
blitznbobs said:
Tbh I think wearing an air jacket made me lose my nerve. Having only ever ridden with any sort of body protection whilst across country, I decided to wear one for riding my new youngster. Ironically the rigmarole of putting it on made me think there was more to be scared of than there was - but I’m a bit weird anyhow.
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It's not weird - it is a well known phenomenon. Ie the more precautions you take the more the idea of danger presents itself. In CBT they call unnecessary precautions 'Safety Behaviours' for example sitting on an aisle seat at the cinema so you can get out easier - and getting rid of safety behaviours is an important part of treatment because they maintain/increase perceived danger. But it depends on your mindset. If you just put it on routinely like a seat belt or riding hat then that effect is not likely to be triggered. Or if NOT wearing ones freaks you out then wearing one also may make you more confident than feeling vulnerable without one. But it can also make you more nervous. As I only ever wear it XC, I get butterflies as soon as I go near mine! I think I ought to wear it more often so it feels less of a big deal.
 
Just to clarify I don'y think BP are 'unnecessary precautions' just that they can trigger the same increased sense of danger in some people.
 
Ambers Echo said:
It's not weird - it is a well known phenomenon. Ie the more precautions you take the more the idea of danger presents itself. In CBT they call unnecessary precautions 'Safety Behaviours' for example sitting on an aisle seat at the cinema so you can get out easier - and getting rid of safety behaviours is an important part of treatment because they maintain/increase perceived danger. But it depends on your mindset. If you just put it on routinely like a seat belt or riding hat then that effect is not likely to be triggered. Or if NOT wearing ones freaks you out then wearing one also may make you more confident than feeling vulnerable without one. But it can also make you more nervous. As I only ever wear it XC, I get butterflies as soon as I go near mine! I think I ought to wear it more often so it feels less of a big deal.
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I think perhaps you should wear the air jacket more often Ambers Echo.
When putting on an air jacket bacomes as normal as putting on your hat then any apprehension you feel at a competition will be normal and not heightened by wearing the jacket.
I don’t think of it as an air jacket. It is just part of my normal riding clothes.
 
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Meredith said:
Accidents don’t only happen at new experiences or over big jumps.

I came off my horse when she tripped and fell. We were walking along a track. I neither heard nor saw anything to make her fall. I was very glad of my a.j. on that day.
She has never done anything like that since.
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Accidents can happen in the silliest of ways, but it is a case of risk management. If it is a routine thing I do with my horse then I know the most likely actions/reactions, and can manage (not eliminate) the risks, to my satisfaction.

If I worried about the horse repeatedly randomly tripping whilst walking along then I don't think I would ride it at all, or not at least until I had investigated the probable cause and managed that. Not that there is anything wrong with you wearing one, but the OP was asking for different people's perceptions re confidence and mine is obviously different to yours.

Everyone will have different impact factors. For me the line is now drawn at new stuff, XC and bigger fences. In my youth then I only wore one when the rules said so. I used to have a proper velcro bum, now not so much. That is the big impact factor for me, knowing what it felt like to be pretty impervious to falling, and now being a top heavy older rider!

I was much safer IMO when I was a fitter, professional rider, riding 4 hrs plus a day, on a number of horses, some of which were babies or 're-makes' that had gone wrong for other people. Now I feel my weaknesses and manage that risk.
 
I wore mine for awhile after pressure from my family,it definitely made me more nervous - as others have said it seemed to up my awareness of the inherent risk in what I was doing and as my horse is very reactive to sharp and sudden noise it worried me if I came off the noise would send her hurtling off into the distance and possibly trampling me in the process.
 
Red-1 said:
Accidents can happen in the silliest of ways, but it is a case of risk management. If it is a routine thing I do with my horse then I know the most likely actions/reactions, and can manage (not eliminate) the risks, to my satisfaction.

If I worried about the horse repeatedly randomly tripping whilst walking along then I don't think I would ride it at all, or not at least until I had investigated the probable cause and managed that. Not that there is anything wrong with you wearing one, but the OP was asking for different people's perceptions re confidence and mine is obviously different to yours.

Everyone will have different impact factors. For me the line is now drawn at new stuff, XC and bigger fences. In my youth then I only wore one when the rules said so. I used to have a proper velcro bum, now not so much. That is the big impact factor for me, knowing what it felt like to be pretty impervious to falling, and now being a top heavy older rider!

I was much safer IMO when I was a fitter, professional rider, riding 4 hrs plus a day, on a number of horses, some of which were babies or 're-makes' that had gone wrong for other people. Now I feel my weaknesses and manage that risk.
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My post was about the air jacket, not about the horse tripping.
One trip in many years of owning that horse did not mean a full investigation was required.
I do not go to the doctors for every trip or slip.
 
Meredith said:
My post was about the air jacket, not about the horse tripping.
One trip in many years of owning that horse did not mean a full investigation was required.
I do not go to the doctors for every trip or slip.
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Ah, I must misunderstand?

You quoted my post about wearing a body protector for new stuff or bigger jumps, saying you wear one all the time because
Meredith said:
"Accidents don’t only happen at new experiences or over big jumps."
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Your horse once tripped at walk, I thought you were saying that wearing it for big jumps or new stuff was not enough, because you wear it at walk, having had an incident.

I am saying that for a horse slipping once it would not concern me overly (no air jacket or investigation required - well I would check feet/shoeing and saddle fit), but if I had a gut feeling it may happen again I would investigate rather than just wear a jacket, as I thought you were saying you do?

I was just saying that it is about risk management, and everyone's line of where they feel safe will be different. I am not saying your risk management is wrong, it is just different to mine. We all have different experiences. I thought that is what OP was enquiring about.

I'm not sure where the doctor comes into it?
 
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