Do you have a point 2 air jacket? If yes

[Sally-FF]

what level do you compete at?? - Thinking of buying one to wear over my current BP - i only compete at intro/pn - i haven't evented in the last couple of seasons (due to work) - will i be looked at as all the gear no idea ( i am not brave enough for the move up to novice!!) do lots of people wear them now for lower level eventing?

 

[arabesque]

There's 4 people at my yard with them, 1 schools in it, 1 hacks in it, 1 does unaff prelims in it and one jumps at home in it. You've got more justification than these lot at least!!!

 

[Kokopelli]

I have one with the intention of competing PN but as it turns out my horse is just dreadful at xc (he's a big wimp) so I only wear it hacking and if he's being a knob in the SJ warm up.

Lots of people wear them at loads of levels, I see a lot of people doing prelim dressage in them as well.

 

[OneInAMillion]

I don't one but I think they have become quite fashionable to wear now! (dons tin hat) a lot of the top eventing names don't wear them, so I suppose it really is personal choice! A friend of mine got her husband to buy her one for xmas prezzie only to find horse was terrified of it flapping! (it was scared of wearing a breastplate from jingling buckle noises!) expensive dust collector (she won't sell it as she doesn't want to offend hubbie!)

 

[angelish]

ive got one and shared the costs with a friend
i was wearing mine for BE90s and also wear it sj training as i had a bad fall last year ,my current horse is off this year and ill be wearing it at more local HT etc with project pony

my friend wears it for local jumping comps ,she doesn't jump any higher than 2"6 max but she falls off all the time

 

[arabesque]

I think if you can afford one get it and be safe in the knowledge it might save ur neck, sod what people think!

 

[Vetwrap]

I am planning on getting a Hit Air. I have a newly backed horse and I don't really care what people might think about me hacking him out in an air vest. At the end of the day, he is a young horse and will be learning everyday. As far as people's opinions go, it's my money and my neck.

 

[miss_bird]

I would love to get one as i break in young horses and some are just not all that easy, but to be honest i just cannot afford one, so for the time being the race safe BP does the job.
Maybe one day my fairy god mother will send me one

 

[ladyt25]

Nope, don't have one and don't intend on getting one. I don't see the real benefit behind them at all and they have never really undergone any proper testing to prove their worth. They seem very very expensive and i just can't see how they would save your life any more than a normal body protector would - ie there is no proof to say that people who have died from rotational falls would not have died had they worn one of these. Think they're just a bit fashionable to be honest.

What we (me and my sister) found quite interesting was at Bramham this year many of the top eventers wore the jacket for the xc BUT the same riders did NOT wear their point twos when taking part in the mix & match competition (ie where they team up with SJer and ride a shortened XC course against the clock). It's surely just as risky so found it odd they didn't wear them then - me thinks it *may* be because they are given them by the company to wear for the main event and it's part of the 'deal'.

Cynical, moi?!

 

[TED2010]

I have just got a Hit Air jacket, I have a youngster who is rather 'unpredictable' and just felt it would give me more confidence jumping him, whether it be x country schooling or jumping at home. I do hope to do a couple of unaff ODE's before the end of the season and more next year. I find it so light weight, you don't even realise your wearing it and i have been using it to hack out in as well. it is far more comfortable than the traditional body protectors (which i would wear underneath it for x country) but wear it alone for hacking and show jumping at home. It is a lot of money to spend but considering the amount i spend on horsey stuff anyway i decided it was a good investment, it was on special offer at a show and I figured I might regret it if i didn't! I wouldn't care what other people think, i'm not wearing it for fashion, just hope it doesn't hurt as much when i fall off!!

 

[Suziq77]

I ride baby horses so I decided it was worth the investment (after seeing Oli Townend's hideous fall and how well the point 2 jacket worked). However, since seeing Mandiba fall off the bank after he spooked when Karen O'Connor's jacket went off after she'd landed on her feet I've not been quite as convinced - my main worry here is hacking alone, coming off after something silly, not getting enough weight to release the cyclinder on falling (it is possible to dismount closely while wearing one and not set it off although I assume this also relates to height of horse...) and then the horse moving beside me so it goes off and horse spooks off into the distance. Perhaps I just have an overactive imagination. Anyway, I'm currently thinking that I'll just wear the racesafe unless I'm jumping...

 

[Syrah]

Why feel the need to justify if you've got one or want one.

It's a protective item and if you want one, have the cash for one, buy it regardless of what others may say or think.

It's not a fashion item, there's no law stating it's just for high level eventing

 

[millitiger]

I've got one and wear it for xc on my 6yro (PN height) and wore it last year when breaking and hacking my 4yro.

Having fallen off with the p2 on I would definitely recommend it as much nicer than hitting the ground without one!

I don't think you need to justify your riding level to wear one- I am planning on moving my horses up the eventing ladder and will always wear it for xc now but have no shame in going for a hack in it either