Body Protectors

[Shoei]

Whilst thinking of investing in a new BP I have been looking through old threads to try and get some views and it got me thinking how few people I see wearing BP's whilst out hunting.

I have always worn mine and as it is black I don't think it looks to bad and is really comfy. Am I doing wrong wearing it on the outside? Do people not wear them just beacause they feel that it spoils the look or is there another reason? Are they wearing super slim ones under their jackets? If so I would like one of those as if I were to wear mine under I would resmble the Michelin man. I am just surprised as alot of people I know would not think about doing XC without one but don't wear one to hunt and I have never yet been to a hunt where there isn't any spills!

 

[stacey_lou]

Airowear outline the best BP i have ever worn and owned!

 

[JenHunt]

I think too many people seem to put safety aside for the hunting field! Think how many people still wear a hat that doesn't conform to a safety standard (and as such would be allowed to compete in except dressage). At the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference and knowing your horse etc. I know that doesn't stop accidents, but neither will wearing one.

I personally don't hunt in a BP. I find them ridiculously uncomfy, we don't jump much (and what we jump is small timber not hedges) and I get too hot out hunting without one! Also, in 6 seasons on Ron I have had 4 falls:
1) he fell on the road, walking back to the box, on black ice, and I landed on my feet.
2) he slipped as he rejoined the road (from a track) and tipped me off. I landed on my arse in a puddle.
3) he slipped on landing after a tiny tiny fence, then refused to go straight on and I came out the side door. Landed on my feet.
4) he jinked left after a fence (spooked at nothing) and I plopped off onto my elbow and damaged the ulna nerve.

Not one of those would have been "better" had I been wearing a BP.

 

[Herne]

If you want to wear your body protector, then wear it - and don't worry about people who might look down their noses at you. They are the stupid ones not you - you only get one body, so look after it.

I speak as someone who doesn't wear a body protector or a BS Standard Hat, but that is my choice. I have properly considered the merits of the various options and I have made an informed choice not to wear them - and a damned silly choice it is, too. Wearing proper effective safety clothing is just plain sensible, so if you want to do it, do it, and don't give a stuff about people who say you are "wrong". It is they who are wrong.

People have a misconception that Hunting Dress is set in stone. It isn't. Hunting dress is worn, come rain or shine, sun or snow, two, three or four days a week, so above all else it needs to be practical and it changes, in order to be practical, over the years. The things we wear are worn because, at the time they were introduced they were the best option and over time they are changed as better things come along.

50 years ago, no one except professional Hunt Staff wore "Patey-style” caps. Everyone wore toppers or bowlers. Gradually that changed as people realised that Patey-style was safer - and the front-runners were sniffed at then as people wearing BS-Style caps are sometimes now.

In 50 years time, everyone will wear BS-style caps as the norm and someone in a Patey-style will be as unusual as a top hat is now.

Likewise, the style of coats has changed over the years. My grandfather wore a swallowtail coat, my father wore a coat with massive "skirts" because that was the fashion then, and I wear a coat with modern cut and a Gore-Tex lining - because that is what is practical and sensible now.

In 50 years time, everyone will be wearing body protectors out hunting as standard and will be looking down their noses at the "young upstarts" who are daring to come out hunting in the new anti-gravity vests.

Times change. As long as you make the effort to be smart and well-presented, feel entirely free to move with them.

And I also speak as someone who has been a Master of Foxhounds for 16 seasons and whose father and both Grand-Fathers were also Masters or Chairmen of Foxhounds.

 

[jsr]

I wear mine over my black jacket. Mine is very comfortable and I do alot of XC and obviously have to wear it then so it's not something I think about. Alot don't wear them at my meets but no one cares if you do or don't and no one has mentioned anything about wearing it under my jacket (which I couldn't any way cos it wouldn't fit!).

I only have me to care for all my animals, to pay my mortage and my work wouldn't look to kindly on giving me sick pay because I've got injuried while out hunting!! So I wear it cos the 3 times I've come off doing XC or JumpCross while in it I've not even hurt myself in the slightest..even though 1 time I went over his shoulder and he trod on my back!!

I ride with a 16 year old who this season is wearing her new inflatable because it's 'cool'...so if BP's can gain that reputation then hopefully more people will start to put one on.

Plus once it gets colder it really helps keep the chill off!! Lol!!!

 

[Herne]

Don't do what one idiot did at a cross-country recently and wear the inflatable underneath the body protector. It couldn't inflate outwards, so it inflated inwards. Squidge!

 

[bellatrix]

Have to admit, this made me giggle

When I'm out hunting I wear my Rodney Powell Elite body protector underneath my jacket.

 

[spacefaer]

What Herne said..... couldn't agree more!

There is a woman I've seen hunting regularly who wears a very well fitting navy BP over her navy hunt coat - she looks very smart (and it does help that she's very slim too lol!) She hunts with several very smart packs and she gets a lot of understanding for wearing one, as she broke her back in the past.

I don't wear a body protector for hunting or even for XC schooling. I wear one when it is required - I've even been round hunter trials without one when the rules have not required it. I hunt in my Patey too.

I've only fallen off twice out hunting - the first time, a young horse slipped and fell over on the flat - I broke my cheekbone and eye socket - I managed to find the hardest ground in Gloucestershire in November!

The second time, the horse left his leg jumping a set of post and rails and I was actually wearing my "brand new Christmas present from my mother" crash hat. The hat broke my nose.

Neither time would my BP saved me. As a former professional event rider, I have worn a BP for decades, when required to, and have had falls which would have bruised me a lot more if I hadn't been wearing them. I actually think eventing is more dangerous and a rider is more likely to fall off than hunting, as you don't get to choose whether you jump or not. Hunting, you can decide whether you want to jump or go round - eventing, that choice gets you eliminated.

Wearing a BP is personal choice and at no point would anyone look down on you for wearing a sensible item of clothing. I hate wearing mine - it's hot and restrictive, so I don't (and I try very hard not to fall off!!)

 

[beh]

Personally I don't wear a BP out hunting (but I do wear a CO beagler) purely for the fact that I have a old mammoth sized BP which is incredibly uncomfortable for long periods of time (I may have well outgrown it ) however the country I hunt in is very flat with only 2 hedges that I can think of and a large amount of ditches instead - I do feel that if it was large hedge/timber country I would possibly reassess the BP/hat issue.

 

[Ella19]

Now I'm after a kan due to a fall shattering my collar bone and resulting in me having to be very careful in future. The kan has a huge Orange k on the back. I would get the navy to go over my navy jacket but I am worried I'm going to look very stupid with a huge k on my back. Oh well at least its not an L!

 

[lauraandjack]

I hunt with my BP under my jacket. I'm probably the only regular that does, but I don't care! Most people don't actually notice for ages, and are surprised when they do! It's nice and warm when you're sitting on top of a hill in the wind.............bit hot at this time of year, but hey-ho.

I wore it the first time I went, because my horse had never hunted before and I had no idea how he was going to react. Then I wore it the next time, because we didn't go again 'til the following season. And now, it's become a habit, and I'm convinced that if I stop wearing it I'll fall off! We're not a big jumping pack but we do jump some pretty horrid trappy stuff and spend a lot of time on broken ground.

Like an earlier poster life outside of horses has to be considered - I have a full time fairly physical job and animals to look after, so I feel that as I choose to take part in a potentially dangerous sport I should do everything I can to make it safer, as if I get hurt life will be very difficult.

 

[OneInAMillion]

I wore my back protector over my jacket. It will not fit under as my jacket fits me well for dressage etc and I do not want another jacket just for hunting as I do not go often enough also bp's under jackets are very unflattering!!

 

[NeverSayNever]

i always ride in a BP, dressage, hacking, sj, XC, pleasure rides.. and will do hunting when i get to go

one thing i would say is that BP's are meant to be worn as close to your body as you can, eg over a thin layer like a XC top or rugby shirt. I bought a jacket a size bigger and wear mine under. You cant tell - I have a RS2010. I did find the Kan just too bulky to do this though.

Im wearing my bp in all of these

 

[spindleberryeventing]

Hello
My family hunts and events and we also school and break horses and it always amazes me how many riders think so little for their safety
My wife two years ago had a very serious accident whilst pleasure riding was bucked off a yougster beacuse some idiots were firing shot guns without looking around, the horse stood on her back and head while she was on the floor
the doctors said she would have bben in a wheel chair without her back protector and most certainly dead if she was not wearing a hat as it was she had her jaw broken in eight places and lost six teeth and two years later is still having surgery.
We sell point 2 race safe and aireware protectors and im still amazed that from pony club to adults still take so many chances
i do understand that its personal choice but perphaps it shouldnt be the goverment made motor bike helmets law for a reason they made seat belts law for a reason
there is an argument for body protectors
if you wear a hat please please do it up i see so many people out hunting without one, it saved my wifes life .
no hunt is going to mind you wearing a jacket and if they do ask yourself some questions about it.
no horse is bombproof what we do is amazing but it is also dangerous so please be safe

 

[whiteclover]

Eek Im one the guilty ones. I hunted last month and xc without a bp but after having read the threads on here I might buy myself one. Which is the best make?

 

[spindleberryeventing]

we use two for eventing, my daughter wears a race safe first and then a point2 air jacket over that it give so much protection it untrue take a look at the point2 web site and see the video clips of the accidents and how people just walk away

for hunting the racesafe can be worn under a hunting jacket no problem if you still want to look the part.

I always wear an aireware bp when i hack just fits me better and gives great protection

hope this helps

 

[RunToEarth]

I'm another that doesn't wear a BP hunting and also choose to wear a patey, stupid decision but my own. I wouldn't look down on anyone for their safety gear choices, and I wouldn't expect anyone to look down on my choices equally.
I tried a kan BP on at Burghley, I thought it was the most comfortable BP I've ever tried on.

 

[Addicted to Hunting]

I don't wear a bp, but you will be fine to wear it how you want, allthough as someone else said they are designed to be worn as close to you as possible, and if you have a hunt coat o would think they would be painful over the top? I do however wear a proper hat and also now wear the Charles Owen shoulder protecter t-shirt as since I've only fairly recently had my collar bone operated on (had the end removed) the gap is still healing and I'm trying to protect it that much more. They aren't really noticeable and in fact I showed someone the tshirt and she said that she hadn't seen me wear them yet, when in fact she had allthough I did fall off hacking yesterday and wasn't wearing them, but they at least help my shoulder abit espicially against branches in woods, and I've now got used to wearing them

 

[star]

i wear my racesafe BP under my jacket out hunting - always have and always will. Doesn't look as elegant as not wearing one but as the (not so) proud current holder of the Tumblers Cup and with a full time very physical job to hold down I need to do as much as possible to protect myself. Also wear a skull cap.