Air jackets

I've got a high viz one. I wore it about 5 times and have never ridden again. I'm just trying to motivate myself to sell it now I dont ride. I hate selling things, but seems like there might be a market for it reading this thread! :biggrin3:
 
ycbm said:
Failure to inflate is very rare and the only cases I know of were where someone was using the wrong canister or the early screw fixing worked loose (that's now a clip on a P2).

A standard body protector will do little to protect from crush injury in a rotational fall. An air jacket, however, disperses the impact and can offer a lot of protection.

Keep up with the times PD, you're showing your age in your continued hostility to air jackets :)

Have you lost your apostrophe button :D ?
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That is total rubbish please explain to me how an air jacket inflates without the rider leaving the saddle im intrigued .or does the rider pull the lanyard on their own . You obviously also are aware of the physics of a BP and how they dissipate the pressures involved. I know which I would rather have on if a horse came over with me.
I am not anti air jackets but they have their limitations and that is the reason they cannot get BETA approval. Dont fool yourself that an air jacket gives you the same protection as a BP . Air jackets save bruises, BPs save lives., Ask safety at BE as P2 were given the oportunity to prove what they were marketiong and declined to take part.

YCBM you can wear what you like but do not come on a forum and suggest that air jackets are better than BPs from a safety point of view as they clearly arent or have they suddenly received a BETA rating.
 
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Auslander said:
i think that was me, rather than the OP. I think of them as being reserved for use when eventing/racing, and hadn't cottoned on that people wear them for hacking. I stand by my opinion, which is that they are supposed to be used with a BP (I was told this by a nurse who works in racing) but I wasn't up for getting into an argument.

I guess anything that gives people confidence whilst hacking/schooling has to be a good thing.
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The technology is from motorbikes and not designed to be used with a body protector, at least with the one I have anyway
 
Leo Walker said:
The technology is from motorbikes and not designed to be used with a body protector, at least with the one I have anyway
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The original technology came from motorbikes, but equine air jackets are not the same. They absolutely ARE designed to be used with a body protector underneath! I've conceded that people do wear them without - but even the companies making them state that they should be used over a body protector for ultimate protection
 
If hi viz is velcro presumably one could wear it over the top as it would just split?

Apparently there are some Motorbike ones with accelerometers in now so detachment is not required. I think that has both advantages and disadvantages and I'd wonder if they could get the sensitivity right for an unpredictable beast ;)

I don't quite understand why we say they are designed to be worn with a body protector underneath when a body protector doesn't alter how they function at all? it of course adds protection but sometimes you just want a bit of help not the ultimate protection. The same reason level 1 bp's still exist I presume.
 
ester said:
If hi viz is velcro presumably one could wear it over the top as it would just split?

Apparently there are some Motorbike ones with accelerometers in now so detachment is not required. I think that has both advantages and disadvantages and I'd wonder if they could get the sensitivity right for an unpredictable beast ;)

I don't quite understand why we say they are designed to be worn with a body protector underneath when a body protector doesn't alter how they function at all? it of course adds protection but sometimes you just want a bit of help not the ultimate protection. The same reason level 1 bp's still exist I presume.
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I believe in racing level 1 is the requirement.
 
dixie said:
I have a Helite. I've got the gilet, normal jacket and show jacket - they are inter changeable.
I'm very pleased with all three and they've worked very well when I've fallen. The sound I find isn't an issue.
Hardly anyone notices that they are air jackets actually. Even when I fell off in the jumping ring I gather people didn't realise the noise was my jacket.
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Slightly off on a tangent but do the Helites fit ok over a BP? I like how discreet the Helites are as I'm vain, but it worries me that one that fits on its own for everyday would be too tight over a BP for XC? I'd probably just get the gilet. It's a shame Helite don't offer a hi-viz gilet or I'd probably get that and a navy jacket.
 
Auslander said:
The original technology came from motorbikes, but equine air jackets are not the same. They absolutely ARE designed to be used with a body protector underneath! I've conceded that people do wear them without - but even the companies making them state that they should be used over a body protector for ultimate protection
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They are exactly the same, well mine is. Its dual purpose and has attachments for bikes and horses which is why I bought it. Mine is neither of the 2 makes mentioned in this post though.
 
ester said:
It's kind of why I would be interested if/when I get a new beast. Riding in a BP can hurt/causes me other issues so this might be something rather than nothing!
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must admit I have been thinking of one for hacking-I loathe BPs, not found one yet that I want to ride in (and I've tried 5) but now I have a tiny pony so might not bother :p
 
There's a woman who hunts with us who falls off pretty regularly. She wears a black air jacket over her black coat.

What I don't understand is that once she has fallen off, and her thing has inflated, she gets back on. It deflates, she doesn't have a spare canister, and there is every likelihood that she will fall off again.

Now THAT I don't get!
 
Leo Walker said:
They are exactly the same, well mine is. Its dual purpose and has attachments for bikes and horses which is why I bought it. Mine is neither of the 2 makes mentioned in this post though.
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I'd have said different points of attachment made them different but let's not argue the semantics. Saying they aren't designed to be used with body protectors though - implies that using them with one isn't recommended. That's a little bit confusing when the FEI/BE etc all say that they cannot be used without one.
 
I think what most people are saying is that they are designed to be worn with or without body protectors and it's personal choice unless you're going XC when they must be worn over. The main risks the BP covers that an air jacket doesn't are protruding implements and a horse fall when the rider may not have left the saddle so the inflation isn't triggered.
 
Ah maybe that is where the confusion/argument has come in.

I can totally get that they were designed to be worn with a bp, ie the use of a BP is in no way integral to them functioning as a single entity.

That is very different to saying that they aren't designed with wearing a BP in mind though, or that they affect how a BP functions?

spacefaer- one less set of bruises perhaps worth it ;)
 
annagain said:
Slightly off on a tangent but do the Helites fit ok over a BP? I like how discreet the Helites are as I'm vain, but it worries me that one that fits on its own for everyday would be too tight over a BP for XC? I'd probably just get the gilet. It's a shame Helite don't offer a hi-viz gilet or I'd probably get that and a navy jacket.
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Mine does. I did get a large though (I expect the Medium would have fitted as well but possibly not over the BP) but it fits me nicely as a general gilet and it also stretches over my BP. It has gone off in both instances and has worked fine.
 
spacefaer said:
There's a woman who hunts with us who falls off pretty regularly. She wears a black air jacket over her black coat.

What I don't understand is that once she has fallen off, and her thing has inflated, she gets back on. It deflates, she doesn't have a spare canister, and there is every likelihood that she will fall off again.

Now THAT I don't get!
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I'm with you on this - similarly, people at BE who fall off, remove air jacket, then get back on and keep going.

If I had an air jacket, my reasoning for wearing an air jacket wouldn't suddenly disappear should I fall off. In fact, it would likely be reinforced :)
 
ester said:
Apparently there are some Motorbike ones with accelerometers in now so detachment is not required. I think that has both advantages and disadvantages and I'd wonder if they could get the sensitivity right for an unpredictable beast ;)
.
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Have you ever seen a Moto GP bike 'buck'?!? They are faster and more unpredictable than any of our beasties! Their airbags are built into the riders leathers and have the sensor within them so they have no fixing to the bike.

https://www.facebook.com/MotoGP/?fref=ts

That link doesn't take you to the video :/

For my 2 pennies, I love my Hit Air only issue I have is the shop who fitted it recommended a size bigger than I should have but I have fallen off half a dozen times and it still works fine, it's just irritating in Summer when it's a bit flappy due to less clothing
 
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I wear my hit air every time I ride now. It fits easily over a polo shirt or over a jacket. I've got a black one, the hit air rep herself advised aginst a hi viz one as they get so grubby, but I wear my usual hi viz underneath it.

Of course it would be safer to wear it over a BP, as per BE rules, but BPs are so hot and uncomfortable that I don't. I'd stop riding altogether rather than wear a BP every ride.
 
IC know I very much haven't :D I was just thinking from a rotational point of view but that obviously unintended inflations are an issue if competing at a high level.
 
spacefaer said:
There's a woman who hunts with us who falls off pretty regularly. She wears a black air jacket over her black coat.

What I don't understand is that once she has fallen off, and her thing has inflated, she gets back on. It deflates, she doesn't have a spare canister, and there is every likelihood that she will fall off again.

Now THAT I don't get!
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If your seatbelt broke driving home, would you get out and walk?


For Popsdosh:

[video=youtube_share;e7vy78XgcLU]https://youtu.be/e7vy78XgcLU[/video]
 
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Personally I'd get off (well - not get back on!) and walk. I won't get on any horse no matter how safe without it on. When daughter exploded twice in one lesson last week she walked the horse until I got the replacement canister in the jacket and it put back together. I can do it in under 4 minutes including walking to the trailer to get the spare! If I was hunting (ha ha ha as if I ever would risk that!) I'd have spares and the kit to change it with me!
 
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