body protectors out hunting

[harleyandjasmine]

who wears one ?
i just thought it would be interesting to see who does and who doesn't and why ?
personally i wear one as i feel much safer out hunting then i would without

 

[Bozzy]

I do, I bought a black one especially to go over my jacket. Personally don't think it's worth going without in my case, I've never had easy horses!!

 

[Boxers]

My daughter wears one - in fact she wears it every time she rides - hunting or schooling or whatever.

It goes over her hacking jacket.

Her friend wears hers under her hacking jacket and it makes her look bulky - but she's still better protected than without it.

 

[kirstyhen]

I don't, cant stand them, im sure they are very good and save people from serious injuries (i will always wear one XC) but when i fell off wearing one it caused me too pull every muscle possible as i hit the ground rigid! I also dont think id of fallen if i hadnt had it on, it didnt allow me to react with my horses spook. Im sure if i had a more expensive one i wouldnt hate it as much, but mine cost enough in my opinion!!!
Plus i dont jump that much out hunting. However i know many people wouldnt be without them and im never going to tell someone they shouldt, theyve probably ot more sense than me.

 

[Starbucks]

No, and i never would. Partly because I don't think it's looks as nice but mainly because I couldn't cope with being so uncomfortable all day! I don't like wearing one XC for a few minutes so I couldn't cope all day in one.

Also, I'm not sure what they would save you from. I don't think a BP would save your life, for example, they wouldn't save you from a rotational fall. They might save you from a broken rib if you got kicked/fell on a stone etc. but I am willing to take the risk.

I feel strongly about wearing a skull cap while hunting though and I think people who wear a patey or even a normal hat are kidding themselves that they are as safe. In my first days hunting when I was about 6 or 7 a ladies horse bolted past us down a lane - her horse fell on the road and she was killed because her patey came off. After that everyone in the hunt wore skull caps - but the old fashioned ways seem to be coming back and I think it is very sad.

 

[only_me]

i wear mine when hunting, but mine is comfortable and goes over my jacket. dont care about style as id rather be safe than sorry i jump a lot out hunting - its the main reason that i go!

 

[hotellie]

i wear one...luckily i find my new one very comfortable but i hate wearing it still as it looks horrendous but at least then my mother thinks i am making an effort to be safer(whether it works or not) and then i can jujmp all the big hedges without her worrying! ( well worrying less)

 

[LindaW]

I wear one for xc but not for hunting, it wouldn't fit over my hunt coat, and it wouldn't fit under. If I got one big enough to fit over, I don't think I'd be able to move!

I am having a problem finding a skull cap to fit atm, must have a funny shaped head!

 

[LizzieJ]

No, and i never would. Partly because I don't think it's looks as nice but mainly because I couldn't cope with being so uncomfortable all day! I don't like wearing one XC for a few minutes so I couldn't cope all day in one.

Also, I'm not sure what they would save you from. I don't think a BP would save your life, for example, they wouldn't save you from a rotational fall. They might save you from a broken rib if you got kicked/fell on a stone etc. but I am willing to take the risk.

I feel strongly about wearing a skull cap while hunting though and I think people who wear a patey or even a normal hat are kidding themselves that they are as safe. In my first days hunting when I was about 6 or 7 a ladies horse bolted past us down a lane - her horse fell on the road and she was killed because her patey came off. After that everyone in the hunt wore skull caps - but the old fashioned ways seem to be coming back and I think it is very sad.

Totally agree with all this. I would never wear a BP unless I have to, they make me more likely to fall off anyway. I always wear a skull cap though - as a kid we had a year of bad head injuries out hunting here and for years everyone wore skull caps but like your lot, the pateys are coming back in again :crazy:

 

[Starbucks]

It's totally CRAZY I think. I've had a few head injuries in my time, both riding and not riding and I would never even consider wearing anything but the best on my head.

 

[Skhosu]

As a doctors daughter I know the benefits of wearing a BP, its not a great deal but something.
I wore one hunting the baby the first time (fell off the second time-go figure!).

 

[CastleMouse]

I have NEVER worn a body protector out hunting...

 

[Hels_Bels]

I always wear mine out hunting and nealry everytime i ride, had a few nasty falls without one, now i usually always were them. feel alot safer with one on! mines really comfortable!

 

[KatB]

Nope. Did for a while when riding a 17.2hh thing when I was 13, but then stopped wearing it and stayed on alot more. Go figure! I do like mine now, but just dont think it looks smart enough to do anything than XC in....

 

[RunToEarth]

No, I hate having to wear them at XC events, I can't see how they would prevent a serious injury and they do bugger all for your neck. I'm quite happy with long stirrups and a stock, I think they are ugly and extremely uncomfortable, I feel top heavy when I wear mine!!

 

[Orangehorse]

I wouldn't wear one out hunting because I think they are so uncomfortable. I did wear one the first few times I took my youngster out on a hack, or to a pleasure ride, or anything new and exciting.

I have doubts about them anyway - I know they often save people from bruising, etc. but sometimes I look at children in a BP and they look as though they are in suit of armour -rigid and uncomfortable. It seems that every time a child fell off in my local PC they would break something, which never seemed to happen in the past.

I see that the enquiry into safety in eventing is looking to see if wear a BP is actually a contributing factor to the fatal accidents in some peculiar way.

 

[Asimmons]

Pateys are bad news though very beautiful. I hunted in mine until I got jumped off over some rails, lannded on the brim and knocked myself out. When I came too, I didn't remember the word for a horse and couldn't remember that I had a son, let alone where I had left him for the afternoon. It was about six weeks before my brain's scrambled filing system functioned again. Now I do everything in one of those mega Lucinda Green crash hats that Ruth Friend and Lucy Wiegersma rode in for a while. Based on a bobsleigh helmet, they are super comfortable and protect the vulnerable temple area...BUT folk do look at me as if I'm a weirdo and Lucinda admitted that vanity had got the better of her and she didn't wear it as she should. You only have one head!! Protect it! Zebra Products. REALLY safe...you can get a silk over them , too , and hear what people saylike.."What's she got on her head?" or "Where's the motorbike?"!!)
Back protectors? Wouldn't go xc without my Rodney Powell plus shoulders as feel naked without it..BUT I do think they hamper flexibility and, therefore, balance....
The whole safety thing is a minefield. There's no doubt in my mind that choldren would be well served by the old style pony club instruction which included bareback sessions and lots of work without stirrups..now H and S and risk assessments and all that has led to over-protected small jockeys with scant experience of self-preservation...unless they are lucky enough to hunt, of course!

 

[RunToEarth]

My mum always rode in a Patey, including hunting and TCing before they upped the safety precautions. She fell off numerous times, sometimes worse than others and that hat never parted company with her head. I fell off my horse 2years ago to the day in a bog standard velveted scull, and it fell into a million pieces, I was in hospital with concussion over night from tippling off my horse schooling!! If I could afford a Patey with my social habits, I would buy one.

 

[wombat]

i wear mine when out hunting and jumping.. if i had not had mine on when i had that fall with my pony out hunting i would have more than likey broken my ribs.. i even had a big black brouse .. i was cheacked out by my doctor, and he said the same...

 

[Starbucks]

It's not really anything to go by that your mum never died wearing a patey - the point is that I for one was present when someone did!! I'm sure if she could speak to us now she'd advise to wear something different!!

The hat you were wearing when you fell off before the team chase was a regular hat with a peak wasn't it?? That would not be permitted XC and so does not have the same safety as a skull cap.

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't want to risk my life - or even worse being a vegetable, just for the sake of looking good, or old fashioned IMHO.

 

[Solstar]

i have never worn a bp for hunting.... and loathe wearing one for xc. they are uncomfortable and rigid, and you are actually meant to relax and roll when you fall- how do you do that in a bp?

 

[kirstyhen]

My velvet hat is the exactly the same standard as my skull cap, the only reason its not allowed XC is because it has a fixed peak. As i dont do much jumping out hunting i feel safe enough it it. It also extends lower down the back of my head, so it probably provides more protection there.
I personally dont understand anyone who doesnt wear a stock (or one of those velcro ones which pop open quicker than you can say boo!) out hunting or XC, or wears short sleeves to do XC.

 

[Starbucks]

There must be some reason why they are not allowed XC - what is the fixed peek supposed to do??

I sometimes wear short sleeves for XC (when it's hot!), sleeves might stop me from getting a grazed/cut arm but they are not going to stop any serious injury so I'm willing to take the risk for the sake of being more comfortable.

 

[kirstyhen]

Im not really sure what the fixed peak is supposed to do, bang your head more i suppose, but my velvet hat is definately the same standard as my skull cap.

 

[RunToEarth]

Yes, exactly same standard as a scull cap but the fixed peak on my hat did break my nose, I fell flat on my face and the peak snapped and slid backwards into my face, which is possibly why they are not allowed XC, and shouldn't be allowed at all, [****] thing, most painful horse related injury ever, what good can a fixed peak actually do? Purely asthetic!

 

[CastleMouse]

Last season I used to always wear a velvet hat with a fixed peak out hunting, and one day we were jumping a gate in the bog (yes, I'm serious!) and Castle stumbled on landing and fell down and I went flying over his neck. I landed face first onto a rock, and the peak actually saved me from crushing my nose. If I was wearing a skull cap with a silk that day they then my face would've been slightly f*cked...

 

[only_me]

have broken my nose twice now because of a peaked hat only ever wear it for showing or dressage, and a normal skull hat for everything else!

 

[RunToEarth]

I admit to still wearing mine, mainly because it fits better and as I say is asthetically pleasing, but my god I wish I hadn't been wearing it that day, it ruined my nose, they are so badly designed, I think they should only be allowed in the show ring!

 

[Hersom]

If a body protector is uncomfortable it will be unsafe either because it stops your movements or you get hot and don't concentrate or whatever. Chuck the slabby ones out

Look at the Racesafe range which are made from lots of panels, to allow air movement and are really really light

 

[Vicki1986]

i dont wear a BP for anything other than XC comps where i have to - HOWEVER i am going to buy a racesafe one made up of all the different tiny panels, they looks far more comfy and i think then i will wear it more often.
if i can squeeze it under my jacket i will wear it hunting - i am going to buy one in a gareish colour so if it wont go underneath i wont. they arent very bulky so it should do, although my jacket is a kids one so may pop a few buttons!!

i dont wear a peaked hat for anything other than showing. i wear a skull cap and velvet silk, yes i know it doesnt look as smart but i value my head far too much