Body protector or air vest?

[Surbie]

I'm getting a bit confused with all the choice on the market. I need to replace my body protector and my lovely non-horsey friends have suggested they want to club together to get me an air vest. They've been too expensive for me to consider before, so I know nothing about them.

My riding is mostly hacking, occasional dressage, fun rides which I'd like to build to a bit of endurance and very low-level jumps on the fun rides (think 40cm!). I don't really jump otherwise.

I've had a couple of nasty falls, and I am definitely of an age not to bounce so am interested to know what current thoughts are. Is it an either/or?

 

[Skib]

It isnt either or in Eventing where the bp is compulsory as an air jacket may fail to inflate.

That is why I hack in a bp and havent added the air jacket to it. But the advantage of the air jacket is that is can protect more of your body than a bp. It can inflate round your neck and also round your hips.

My OH wore an air jacket over his bp towards the end of his riding life as his spine is knobbly and had suffered in a recent fall where his vertebrae went though gaps in his race safe bp.

His air jacket was expensive and is hanging up unused at the moment as my share is on a yard where they dislike air jackets and my falling off rate on their safest sweetest horse is almost at nil.

 

[JoA]

I wear a hitair vest. I've had a couple of very nasty falls and find the air vest much more comfortable to wear. I accept there MAY be a chance of it failing but.....
On the occasions it has been needed it has been a godsend. Personal preferences, but mine would always be the air vest.

 

[dixie]

I always wear an air jacket riding now and feel odd without it.
It’s more comfortable than a BP. However if you come off mid ride you’ll need to finish the ride with it deflated !
And you need to remember to detach it when dismounting.

Other than that I’d choose an air jacket over a BP. I use a Helite gilet - you can’t really tell it’s an air jacket until you close and looking for it.
Plus it can zip into my show jacket when needed and will stretch over my BP, if I need both.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Both is the gold standard.

An air jacket is much less restrictive, but you do have to remember to clip it on as soon as you've mounted and unclip it before you dismount *coughs *. If you get decked when mounting and before you clip in it's no help.

A BP is more restrictive, but once it's on it's on.

If you go on riding holidays, day treks, etc, air jackets may not be allowed so you'd still need a BP as back up to an air vest.

I have both. I'm wearing just my Hit Air in my avatar. I also have a Racesafe Provent BP which is much more comfortable than the old style BPs.

 

[ycbm]

You

I always wear an air jacket riding now and feel odd without it.
It’s more comfortable than a BP. However if you come off mid ride you’ll need to finish the ride with it deflated !
And you need to remember to detach it when dismounting.

Other than that I’d choose an air jacket over a BP. I use a Helite gilet - you can’t really tell it’s an air jacket until you close and looking for it.
Plus it can zip into my show jacket when needed and will stretch over my BP, if I need both.

I used to carry a spare cannister in a pocket I sewed to my jumping cloth so that I could carry on hedge hopping if I fell off hunting. On a P2 the key is in a keeper by the trigger.

 

[ycbm]

I'm getting a bit confused with all the choice on the market. I need to replace my body protector and my lovely non-horsey friends have suggested they want to club together to get me an air vest. They've been too expensive for me to consider before, so I know nothing about them.

My riding is mostly hacking, occasional dressage, fun rides which I'd like to build to a bit of endurance and very low-level jumps on the fun rides (think 40cm!). I don't really jump otherwise.

I've had a couple of nasty falls, and I am definitely of an age not to bounce so am interested to know what current thoughts are. Is it an either/or?

I have a Racesafe for clinics because some people don't want you to wear an air jacket because of the pop. Other than that I never get on without my P2 and it's saved me from injury several times, I believe.

I wouldn't ever voluntarily choose to use the Racesafe rather than the P2.

 

[Sossigpoker]

A body protector is just a piece of foam and is designed to protect against injuries leading to bruising (I.e minor injuries ).
An air jacket will provide far greater protection and wearing both would be the gold standard.
I only wear my air jacket though and have done so ever since I broke my back (while wearing a body protector)

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I have a hit air jacket and ride in it every time I ride. Its saved me a few times. I find a bp too restricting and hot!!

 

[MereChristmas]

I always ride in my P2. I have bought a new Racesafe for the Camp next week because camp / yard rules are that a bp must be worn on the XC course. I shall wear both for XC. Once I’m ‘doing’ I forget about them.

 

[Pippin and Poppy]

I recently bought a hit-air jacket. It is so comfortable. I also think it gives better neck and pelvis protection than any of bps I looked at.
The body protector I bought some years ago is an airowear. I felt really unsafe mounted in the bp: I have a Trekker Talent saddle, (deep seat, high cantle and high hoop at the pommel). The saddle is great - except for the getting off!
In the bp I literally felt stuck on top!

 

[Surbie]

Thank you for all the replies - lots of food for thought. I feel like a turtle in my current BP and the thought of something more sleek is very tempting!

 

[Nasicus]

Is there not one out recently that combines the two? I seem to recall reading about it, but it being rather pricey.

 

[Rusky]

I'm getting a bit confused with all the choice on the market. I need to replace my body protector and my lovely non-horsey friends have suggested they want to club together to get me an air vest. They've been too expensive for me to consider before, so I know nothing about them.

My riding is mostly hacking, occasional dressage, fun rides which I'd like to build to a bit of endurance and very low-level jumps on the fun rides (think 40cm!). I don't really jump otherwise.

I've had a couple of nasty falls, and I am definitely of an age not to bounce so am interested to know what current thoughts are. Is it an either/or?

I was advised that you need both. I have a usual body protector and a Hit Air jacket too. Hit Air has gone off once when I fell off and only damage done was my horse kicked out in fright and caught my arm!

 

[ycbm]

I was advised that you need both. I have a usual body protector and a Hit Air jacket too. Hit Air has gone off once when I fell off and only damage done was my horse kicked out in fright and caught my arm!

You "need" what protection you want. Both is the maximum protection but most people don't want to ride in both except to event. Given a choice between one or the other I'm among the many who think the air jacket offers the better protection.
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[The Xmas Furry]

You "need" what protection you want. Both is the maximum protection but most people don't want to ride in both except to event. Given a choice between one or the other I'm among the many who think the air jacket offers the better protection.
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Unless you are competing under BRC, PC or BE rules over fixed fences, in which case a rider must have a BP, an air vest is optional.

 

[Auslander]

My beef with air jackets worn alone is that they won't help you out if you were to have a rotational fall, or any fall where horse and rider go down together - so you're essentially unprotected, even though you think you're being sensible by wearing one.
Positives though - they're easier to wear, so people are more likely to wear one than they are a body protector, and some protection is better than no protection at all.
That said, I don't wear either - although I'm thinking about one of the hybrid ones, as I am not getting any younger, and I know I wouldn't bounce if I were to fall off nowadays

 

[ycbm]

It would be an uncomon fall where the bag didn't trigger at all, and I don't think body protectors do much against a full horse crush, (everyone who has died in a rotational BE in the last 30 years was wearing one) only Exo cages will do that.
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[JoA]

Re a fall together (Auslander).... my horse spooked and fell over sideways on the road. I went down with him and in a split second thought my leg would be trapped. However, there was still enough of a distance between us for my Hitair to go off and thankfully he didn't land on my leg. We both ended up thrashing around on the road but I was uninjured. Turtle up, but uninjured. I hate to think what a mess I'd have been in without. So despite the fact we appeared to go down together, there was enough momentum to separate us for the Hitair to go off and protect me. So, yes, I always wear mine.

 

[PeterNatt]

Most Equestrian Body Protectors comply with a standard such as EN13158, there are however no recognised standards for Equestrian Air Jackets. Where a Body Protector is mandatory Air Jackets may be worn but this must be in addition to a Body Protector. In the absence of a recognised test and standard for Air Jackets it is impossible to determine their protective properties.

 

[Birker2020]

I'm getting a bit confused with all the choice on the market. I need to replace my body protector and my lovely non-horsey friends have suggested they want to club together to get me an air vest. They've been too expensive for me to consider before, so I know nothing about them.

My riding is mostly hacking, occasional dressage, fun rides which I'd like to build to a bit of endurance and very low-level jumps on the fun rides (think 40cm!). I don't really jump otherwise.

I've had a couple of nasty falls, and I am definitely of an age not to bounce so am interested to know what current thoughts are. Is it an either/or?

I have an air jacket. IMHO they can save your life and help tremendously in the event of a fall.

 

[Birker2020]

My beef with air jackets worn alone is that they won't help you out if you were to have a rotational fall, or any fall where horse and rider go down together - so you're essentially unprotected, even though you think you're being sensible by wearing one.
Positives though - they're easier to wear, so people are more likely to wear one than they are a body protector, and some protection is better than no protection at all.
That said, I don't wear either - although I'm thinking about one of the hybrid ones, as I am not getting any younger, and I know I wouldn't bounce if I were to fall off nowadays

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[Auslander]

Re a fall together (Auslander).... my horse spooked and fell over sideways on the road. I went down with him and in a split second thought my leg would be trapped. However, there was still enough of a distance between us for my Hitair to go off and thankfully he didn't land on my leg. We both ended up thrashing around on the road but I was uninjured. Turtle up, but uninjured. I hate to think what a mess I'd have been in without. So despite the fact we appeared to go down together, there was enough momentum to separate us for the Hitair to go off and protect me. So, yes, I always wear mine.

I was thinking about this overnight, and I probably was a bit hasty. When Alf and I fell over on the road, I landed far away enough for an air jacket to have been deployed - whether it would have deployed quickly enough, as we hit the deck together, I'll never know.

I don't want to get into an argument with anybody about air jackets, as i'm not anti them at all. I think my feelings are best summed up by the analogy that a body protector is like a seatbelt, and an air jacket is like an airbag. The airbags offer really great extra protection if an accident happens, but you wouldn't drive without a seatbelt, just because you have airbags fitted.

 

[ycbm]

Most Equestrian Body Protectors comply with a standard such as EN13158, there are however no recognised standards for Equestrian Air Jackets. Where a Body Protector is mandatory Air Jackets may be worn but this must be in addition to a Body Protector. In the absence of a recognised test and standard for Air Jackets it is impossible to determine their protective properties.

Nevertheless, air jackets are worn worldwide by horse and motorbike riders (the P2 originated as an air jacket for the Japanese Police, I believe) with many reporting how beneficial they are. Most high level eventers wear them and their is is recommended by the FEI.

As someone who has jumped to my feet unhurt and not even winded from some nasty falls in an air jacket , I find your claim that it's impossible to determine their protective properties without a recognised test quite funny.



ETA you are also out of date, Peter, the air jacket standard for horse riding is Satra M38 and there is another for motor bikes. The P2 has both.
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[Bernster]

I have an old P2 but I think I’m going to get a newer model. Is there one that is like a body protector and air vest in one? I feel like I’ve seen one and it looks more streamlined than using the two separately.

I fell on my side/ribs recently, wearing the racesafe - the stitching has popped and the foam looks a bit damaged so I assume I’ll need a new one of those anyway. I think if I’d have had an air vest it might have helped even more as I landed with a real thud (def dont bounce like I used to!).

 

[PeterNatt]

ycbm I am afraid that you are incorrect the European Standard for Body Protectors is EN13158.
Satra M38 is SATRA's own internal test for air vets but it s not a European Standard just a test that they have developed for the purpose of testing air vests.
A European Test for Air Jackets would be of a far wider scope and also enable all manufacturers of Air Jackets to have them tested against that standard to demonstrate that they comply with that standard.

 

[ycbm]

ycbm I am afraid that you are incorrect the European Standard for Body Protectors is EN13158.
Satra M38 is SATRA's own internal test for air vets but it s not a European Standard just a test that they have developed for the purpose of testing air vests.
A European Test for Air Jackets would be of a far wider scope and also enable all manufacturers of Air Jackets to have them tested against that standard to demonstrate that they comply with that standard.

Peter you said no standards existed for Air Jackets and you are not correct in that.
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[The Xmas Furry]

Peter you said no standards existed for Air Jackets and you are not correct in that.
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Being picky (so joining in lol) there are no UK safety standards as yet for air vests that are used for equestrian or motorcycle racing.

 

[PeterNatt]

ycbm There iareno European or International Standards for Equestrian Air Jackets. The SATRA test is purely a test which they have developed for Air Jackets but is not a European Standard.

 

[ycbm]

Peter you did not say there were no European standards in your first post you said there were no standards.

There are.

What point are you trying to make? That the thousands of bikers and riders around the world who wear air jackets shouldn't because there's no European Standard?

That the FEI should withdraw their recommendation that they are worn on international cross country courses because there's no European standard?

Do you even wear one yourself?
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