Are we silly for not wearing body protectors EVERY time we ride?

Tilda said:
The Point 2 only needs to be used with a BP for XC the man at Point 2 told me this when I had mine fitted. Obviously it is better to use both but the reason I went for the Point 2 is a know that when its hot in the summer I would be tempted not to wear my BP cos it makes me too hot where as the vest is really light.
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Cannot agree with that advice, what if you fell off with just the vest and for some reason it did not inflate? XC is not the only environment people fall off.....
 
alpha1 said:
I was reading a previous thread and someone mentioned they wore their body protector everytime they rode.

I personally, like many others, dont wear mine other than when going XC but are we silly for not wearing them all the time?

Horse riding is supposed to be the most dangerous sport there is, so do you think that we should take more precautions, especially ones like wearing body protectors every time we ride?
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I used to wear mine everytime I jumped but I only wear it now if I jump fixed obstacles i.e. cross country. I also wear on fun rides with a skull cap and a medical arm band.
 
Absolutely hate wearing mine! At uni we have to wear it when we jump and I just find it really restricting and unable to move with the horse and sort of react quickly when its just too bulky!
I always wear it cross country though! I think its quite dangerous to do it without.
Also, I started backing my horse without it and came off twice without any damage but after that I wore it every time I rode him, until i turned him away and will be wearing it every time i back in the future.
I really dont see any point in wearing it flatting. hats fair play but what are you likely to land on doing flat work other than fence of arena? actually I have done 3 times but again only bit i damaged was lower back which isnt protected by bp. well not mine anyway as i have a really long body.
 
tooh actually as well my dad works at a adhesive company and they developed this material that was really flexible(and bouncy too, had lots of fun with that! :P ) which they were thinking of using to develop into BP but then decided to go in a different direction with it but that would be way better if it moulded to the shape of your body. I wouldnt mind wearing it at all then!
 
allymum68 said:
Cannot agree with that advice, what if you fell off with just the vest and for some reason it did not inflate? XC is not the only environment people fall off.....
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wearing a BP under it doesnt change its ability to inflate or not. The point 2 offers protection in its own right but obv when combined with a BP the protection is better - the problem for XC is that at the moment the point 2 is not BETA tested and BE rules state a BP of level 3 BETA2000 must be worn. Id also imagine there would be probs with penetration from studs etc and thus a greater risk if no BP under it?
 
I do having had a nasty fall from my mare when breaking her in. have ridden for yrs, done pony club tests etc and used to ride bareback loads, hunted etc and they were not heard of then but now i think i am older have to go to work to pay bills and keep a roof over my head and pay for horses and even the quietest horse can be spooked evn if just plodding round field.
 
alpha1 said:
I was reading a previous thread and someone mentioned they wore their body protector everytime they rode.

I personally, like many others, dont wear mine other than when going XC but are we silly for not wearing them all the time?

Horse riding is supposed to be the most dangerous sport there is, so do you think that we should take more precautions, especially ones like wearing body protectors every time we ride?
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No you are not silly for not wearing your body protectors at all times, it is purely down to choice we take a calculated risk every time we get on a horse but you don't need a suit of armour to do it safely. I didn't even wear a hat when I was a child but I wear one now.. If I am jumping or riding a horse that is a bit volatile then I may wear a body protector and I certainly would if I did any cross country but not when schooling at home.... Incidentally I thought skiing was far more dangerouns than horse riding...

cheers....

Dizz4
 
I am not convinced whether they help or hinder but I wear mine all the time unless I am schooling or doing a dressage test on a bouncy surface! Last time I fell off my BP injured me!
It was a bit too long as a few people have described (just hit the back of the saddle occasionally when dobbin bucked!). But lots of people had said 'that covers a lot of your back it will be safe'... I had jumped a rather large spread and horsey landed at full velocity, did a little buck, I came flying off in stuntman rolling style, my arm took the full force of fall and elbow went into side of BP which bent the BP into my side! Right into my diaphragm. I laid gasping on the floor and cannot remember the next half an hour.
Thank god I was at an RC rally with my friend who drove us home. They had to load my horse for me etc cos I didn;t know where I was. I can't imagine what disasters would have occurred had that all happened out hacking!

I have now got a new SMALLER bp - a cheap L3 Harry Hall one - £55 in Go Outdoors sale! Bargain. It JUST fits me so will not end up in my stomach. It may not protect my lower back as much, it won't stop me breaking my arm again or hurting my backside but I do wear it every time I ride.

Please check your BP fits properly!!!!!!
 
Till this year I always wore my BP, and once when a young horse did a bronco with me and threw me into an arena wall I'm sure it saved me from bad damage to my back. As it was I broke my arm badly, but I felt lucky it wasn't worse!

Then, last october, when I happened to not be wearing it my cob had a rotational fall over a showjump. I was thrown off, and rolled clear and my horse made a concerted effort not to roll towards me though he may not have squished me even if he had.
I wonder, if I had been wearing my BP if I would have been able to roll so much, and consequently if my cob may have rolled onto me.

Not sure, but I will be making an effort to get back into the habit of riding with my BP.
It fits me really well, and I don't think it constricts me when riding. I love it, it is a Racesafe and I don't think I'll ever go back to the BPs which are two "panels" which velcro over the shoulder and at the front.
 
i wear my racesafe one always for hacking and any kind of jumping, i dont wear it schooling in the indoor school, but only because it catches on my the back of my dressage saddle and tips me forward, otherwise i would, i got a long backed one and i think i should of just gone for regular, the racesafe one are extreamly comfy, to be honest you dont really know its there.

2 of my worst falls have been out hacking, walking along minding my own business and boom next minuted chucked sideways into a jagged wall, extreamly winded and i know for sure i would of had broken ribs if it was not for my body protector, as even with it on it was very painful!! There was no reason either as to why she did it, somethign just gave her a real fright out of nowhere.

I think anyone who hacks without one is silly..! Esp on roads, you might know your horse but you dont know what a driver might do!! i have even had a near miss with a cyclist, he came flying round corner in woods and near hit into my horse, could of been nasty if he had not of took action and hit himself into a tree!

You can't know what might be round the corner..!

I dont think they should just be saved for XC, even showjumping a refusal and you thrown into a wooden pole or wing, can result in broken ribs or worse - your back.
 
Local pony club show, standing watching at the far corner of the main arena. 11 year old girl is doing the pairs (second) on fatish, reliable little cob (about 13.3hh) and is cantering towards the last fence, in front of me, which is about 2 foot, completely innocuous upright. All the pony sees is the corner with the other pony waiting in it, fails to take off and trips over the fence. This is completely out of character. The pony falls, but due to inexperienced rider has no impulsion, and the fall is almost in slow motion. Child is therefore not thrown clear, but falls underneath, and the pony rolls forwards over her. Neurotic (you might think) parents have trussed Ella up in the best body protector and hat they could find and insisted she wears it. Suffice to say the air ambulance was called, and she was unconcious for a very long time. She survived with a considerable head injury, from which she has now recovered fully. Ask yourself what would have happened if she had refused to wear her body protector like all the 14 year olds that day?
 
No

I very rarely wear mine, only for cross country really. I have been riding for many years so obviously have fallen off a few times but have very rarely hurt myself. Only one time when I fell off showjumping did I regret not wearing a body protector as my horse stood on the middle of my chest (I slipped round under his neck as he was cantering off so he had no choice but to canter over me!) Fractured a few ribs but am still here to tell the tale! I am a little more carefull now, was being quite risky that day, jumping a particularly large fence off a dodgy angle, I now am more conservative when jumping at least when I'm on my own anyway (which I usually am).

Will now go and read rest of thread and see how many people disagree with me!
 
I never ever ride without one - had a fall couple mths ago - got slammed into the side of the arena fence which broke on impact - back took full force of the fall - appart from some bad bruising to one of my arms all that was hurt was my pride - reckon it would have been a different story if I hadn't been wearing one!
 
I wish I had been wearing mine when I had my first bad fall. It was the one time I didn't wear it for some reason and I fell off in a very silly way and landed flat on my back. I was badly winded and bruised my vertebrae and to this day it gives me trouble. I really should wear my body protector more often but I find it uncomfortable and cumbersome, it's kind of old and chunky and very stiff. I do wear it for any form of jumping though but that is because it makes me feel more confident!

I do think if I had a comfier, better fitting one then I would wear it more often, if not all the time. The horse I ride is well behaved but can have the occasional spook and also sometimes when he's not paying attention in walk he trips which would be a very silly way to fall! I've been looking at the Outlyne but trying to save money at the moment and considering I already have one I don't feel I need another one right now.
 
Captain Bridget said:
...I really should wear my body protector more often but I find it uncomfortable and cumbersome, it's kind of old and chunky and very stiff. I do wear it for any form of jumping though but that is because it makes me feel more confident!

I do think if I had a comfier, better fitting one then I would wear it more often, if not all the time. The horse I ride is well behaved but can have the occasional spook and also sometimes when he's not paying attention in walk he trips which would be a very silly way to fall! I've been looking at the Outlyne but trying to save money at the moment and considering I already have one I don't feel I need another one right now.
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CB - I was pretty much the same, and rarely wore my old BP as it was cumbersome and uncomfortable, and forever catching on my saddle. When I started doing fairly regular fun rides I wanted one which was more comfortable as I thought that if I'm sitting oddly I'm much more likely to fall off so not much good overall...

I bought the Ladies Outlyne and it is one of the best things I've bought - comfy from the start and once I'm strapped in I forget I'm wearing it, even if it's hot. I did however take my saddle with me to get it fitted as whatever the measurements say, I knew that I wouldn't wear it if it caught on my saddle!

I really would recommend the Outlyne - so comfy and a great fit, even though I'm a bit busty. Have fallen off in it a couple of times, and whilst I know it only gives so much protection, I felt rather smug when I got teased for wearing my swot vest by a mountain biker in a country park... I fell off in canter and felt absolutely fine apart from the sand in odd places - whereas the cyclist fell off at a similar speed and needed picking up in a car... :)
 
I never really thought about it until I fell and broke my back!!!

Iv now got a life which envolved everyday pain.

It's not worth the risk I now wear a body protector plus point 2 everytime I get on a horse.

Afterall the next fall could finish my back off
 
I have to say i have got into a habit of wearing mine, just like wearing my hat. However, it is very confotable and fits perfectly!

I took my friends bomb proof 24yr old saint cob out for hack. Girlies laughed i wore my body protector!

Well we were strolling along on a hack and said horse tripped quite badly which i sat. As he recovered he tripped again, going right down and i went straight over his head and landed flat on my back, he then dragged me a short distance! I am still suffering a year later with pain.... god knows what injuries i would of had without it. This is probably one of my worst falls but from the most reliable horse i know!

So, i ALWAYS wear it. Unless im doing a dressage test only because my show jacket just wont fit right underneath it.
 
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I learned my lesson the other day - it was windy weather and it was a choice between staying in my nice warm coat or getting out of it and putting on my BP. I chose to stay warm, horse decided that a buck and a bolt after NEARLY completing a canter exercise was in order (coz I made her work hard - she wanted revenge! :p) and I think you can guess the rest. Wasn't at all hurt in all honesty but serves me right so wanting to keep warm :o

I suppose as well I am a bit stupid when it comes to riding my share horse - he is VERY sensitive and 9/10 I dont wear a BP *touches wood that it will never result in a fall*!
 
I haven't got one either. Had one bought for me as a kid, when I started learning to jump. Used it a handful of times and it was sold on. IME, they're too restrictive - you're more likely to be able to absorb bouncing horses without one on, hence I don't wear one. That, and the fact that every injury I've sustained from horses has been in areas that wouldn't have been covered by a BP anyway!
 
I wear one everytime i ride now that i have a comfy one. I bought a racesafe one last year and is fits like a glove. I have a bad back so i need to protect it. I used to try to ride in my old one but it was so stiff that if my horse started to throw himself around i couldn't go with him so i just didn't use it even though i really wanted to. It was also a bit too long so caught on the back of my saddle so i was always slightly tipped forward to prevent it, not good when riding a youngster.
 
I wear mine for any jumping or fast work I'm doing. Will wear it hacking too if know I'll be going across fields. When I was younger, wore it for flat, but don't flat with one now. Did see somebody wearing one at a dressage competition, and nobody batted an eyelid or commented (not that I noticed anyway). IIRC, they did rather well in their class.
 
I don't even own one, I should though. I've fallen ALOT but nothing bad and always jumped back up, I probably won't wear one until I have a bad accident unfortunately.
 
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I'll always wear mine jumping fixed fences but that's about it.

I used to hack out in mine all the time but have stopped in recent months and it doesn't concern me like it used to.

Never wear it for SJ or flatwork as I trust my horse and my balance enough not to have any issues.

It's a personal choice though and arguably if you go down that route of thinking BP's should be worn at all times when mounted then shouldn't hats be worn at all times when handling a horse? Considering most of my lumps, bumps and injuries come when handling my pony on the ground then there is an argument for that also (my pony isn't difficult to handle but does have a knack for hitting you with a cracking headbutt from time to time - the kind that make your teeth rattle)
 
I don't have time to waste healing after a fall nowadays.....I learned my lesson when I was unable to ride for nearly a year after coming off a safe pony in a safe clinic environment and having a compression fracture of a vertebrae.....not nice....so I wear my body protector, helmet and good boots.....as well as watching my horses body language!!
 
The children have to wear them at the riding school where my kids went. I had a nasty fall ended up in hospital and got one. I hate it, so blooming hot in summer, feels very restrictive too(keeps me warm in winter), not to have it on feels free. However I was wearing it when riding and if I had it on when I had my nasty fall I would have definitely not have been so badly hurt.That said my hip was not protected or lower back(& mostly I always ended up on my a...e. I landed on tarmac.I stopped to talk to someone and my horse went into reverse at 100mph! I was upside down and plopped onto tarmac. Old boy was sound as pound it was a stupid one off accident. So my answer is yes(I never wore a riding hat years ago...my sis split hers in two and would be dead with out it). Yes yes yes.
 
I wear mine for jumping but not hacking or schooling the 13.2 who is destined for a child's pony and while green is very safe.

I will wear it all the time on new youngster and I expect I might then get used to wearing it all the time and just continue like I do with a hat.

I don't let my daughter or the girl who rides the 13.2 on without a BP and hat.
 
I must admit my racesafe BP comes out for XC training or competitions or if on youngster out hacking/schooling. It is about changing habits of a lifetime. I am from an era where you schooled with no hat, never wore BP for XC, hi-viz was unheard of, seatbelts were not compulsory in cars and when you rode a bike there were no cycle helmets. What changed days there are now!

More and more folks seem to be using them round here for everyday wear but I have noticed these folks seem to be the happy hackers or endurance riders rather than the competitive riders: eventers, dressage peeps or Sjers. Not sure why that is? Also the lack of hi-viz for hacking out.

Maybe they need to bring out a blingy BP for dressage and SJers!

I am curious with the number of people saying that despite getting their BP fitted, they don't like it or find it uncomfortable or they can't mount with it on?

At the end of the day, it is each individual riders choice what protective wear that they wear and what they do. However, I think anyone in this day and age still not wearing a hat when riding (even in the school dressage peeps!) you are being very stupid and selfish to your family. When you have your brain injury, it will be them who have to look after you.
 
I always wear my body protector as when I was younger my parents told me I was not allowed to ride without one. After riding for about 10 years with one, I don't want the time that I don't wear it to be the time I need it.

Although it doesn't protect against broken bones it will minimise bruising, surely you want as little pain as possible. I think mine was most effective when you have those falls jumping and you land on the jumps, that must hurt so much more without a body protector.

Most of my near falls have been hacking around the land at work, on safe horses and beginners cobs, normally when people say to me, 'You don't need a body protector on that horse!'

Not only do they protect against bruising, but a prime example of it quite possibly saving a life is with a friend of mine. When she was jumping she fell off into a metal jump cup, it tore through her body protector and and she had a small gash on her chest. Imagine how bad that could have been if she hadn't been wearing her body protector! I know that isn't that likely a situation, but hacking you might fall against something sharp, I figure why take the risk! :D

As long as it fits right and you don't scrunch it up somewhere cold, they fit nicely. As soon as mine warms up I barely notice it!

(its also a great extra layer when its cold! :p )
 
Well Since I did my back in I wear mine although now I need a new one as my old one doesnt fit anymore, I was given a back brace by the hosp that sorted my back but its more like a reinforced body sock and yes supposrts my back and is quite comfy but I would trust it to stop much really.

I really want a racesafe and an airjacket though :D
 
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