Do you routinely wear a body protector when you ride?

Do you routinely use a body protector when you ride?

  • Yes

    Votes: 46 43.4%

  • No

    Votes: 60 56.6%
  • Total voters
    106
  • Poll closed .
I’m old and discovered recently I don’t bounce. Had a silly fall on a long one handed rein. Damaged my back and still not right 5 weeks on, 4 painkillers a day. Since the fall I have been wearing my bp every ride. Might look at the new lightweight race safe bp too
 
Expo said:
I own a body protector of the type made from rigid high density foam. It is certified for use to the current safety standards. However, I quite simply hate it and just can’t bring myself to actually use/wear it, hence it has become a fairly useless tack room ornament. It feels bulky and uncomfortable in use as well as making me very hot, even in cold weather. A quick poll of other liveries at my yard shows that about half of us wear a similar body protector, a couple of people have air vests of different types, and the rest of us ride without any type of safety body protection.

I am a happy hacker a type of rider, do an occasional flat work lesson and never jump. My horse is a sensible type, not prone to spooking and I generally feel perfectly safe when riding.

So, are you a regular body protector wearer?
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I don’t regularly wear it apart from when it’s compulsory for competing (i.e, eventing XC), or if I’m on something that I know could result in getting me off, like something particularly quirky or a sharp horse coming back in from time off/injury. Even then I’m dubious, particularly when backing youngsters. As silly as it sounds I do feel like I have more flexibility and control if they do anything crazy, I’d also be afraid jumping off it’d catch on something and they’d scoot off! They’re just a bit restrictive for me sometimes.

I did find before I had my own yard that when I was a bit younger in other yards, there sometimes was a culture of wearing a back protector being something you do when you’re a nervous person and often felt like I shouldn’t wear one in my teens (thinking back there were times where I absolutely should have!!!) but that opinion does not follow me today! Couldn’t give a care in the world about someone wearing one, odds are if we both fall they’ll come out the better.
 
I wear a back protector for hacking. I also own an air jacket but much prefer my back protector. The way my pony
can spook has landed me on my back twice in four years.
 
Flying_Form said:
I don’t regularly wear it apart from when it’s compulsory for competing (i.e, eventing XC), or if I’m on something that I know could result in getting me off, like something particularly quirky or a sharp horse coming back in from time off/injury. Even then I’m dubious, particularly when backing youngsters. As silly as it sounds I do feel like I have more flexibility and control if they do anything crazy, I’d also be afraid jumping off it’d catch on something and they’d scoot off! They’re just a bit restrictive for me sometimes.

I did find before I had my own yard that when I was a bit younger in other yards, there sometimes was a culture of wearing a back protector being something you do when you’re a nervous person and often felt like I shouldn’t wear one in my teens (thinking back there were times where I absolutely should have!!!) but that opinion does not follow me today! Couldn’t give a care in the world about someone wearing one, odds are if we both fall they’ll come out the better.
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I also don't wear one when backing, as not only do I want the flexibility, I want to be able to go from leaning over to sitting on the horse without the interruption of going off to put on a BP. I know some people do the leaning over with a BP, but they always seem to be hanging off one side of the saddle, which feels a bit unfair on an unbalanced, under-muscled youngster. (I also back bareback, so have no saddle to hang off!)
 
Always wore a body protector until I got an air jacket, now I always wear that.
It's pretty light and unrestrictive, and I feel much better and more confident knowing that should the worst happen and I come off, I've got that extra protection around my vital organs. Same with wearing a hat really for me, protecting the vital organs.

I was worried too about forgetting to unhook the clip (ADHD), but I made a serious concerted effort to remember, not least because its £20+ a pop, quite literally! In 3 years with the air jacket, I've only forgotten once, remembered on the way down and managed to cling on and call for assistance 😂
 
I got a back protector recently, after a nasty fall at speed while out hacking. My horse can be spooky, so I’ve started wearing its whenever I ride. I’m glad I did, because I fell off again recently when he spooked at something stupid when we were walking round the arena. It certainly saved me from some worse bruising than I actually got. My horse is 17.2hh and it’s a long way down.
 
The only time I don’t wear one is if I’m flat schooling/polework or plodding around the fields at home. Anything else and it’s on.

It’s worth looking at the newer models of BPs - they really have improved from when I was younger. I’m in a RaceSafe Provent and it’s not restrictive at all thanks to the elasticated sides. It’s also definitely more flexible and not like the horrible old ones that felt like you were wrapped in cardboard until they warmed up/shaped to you.
 
No. I did try one once when backing a 3 year old with a great sense of humour, but felt unsafe due to the rigidity of it. I was was worried that it would stop me rolling into a fall if she bucked me off. Maybe the designs have improved over the last 15 years.
I always wear hi viz on the roads and always wear a hat, because it's the law for kids in the UK.
 
I have a Airowear body protector but like others have said find it hot even in winter. I also own a Hit Air Vest.

I had a bad accident coming off my mare a few years ago so am very safety conscious.

However, I have just invested in the new Charles Owen Eclipse which I will use for every day hacking & schooling and if I ever get up to the dizzy heights of farm rides again will pop on my Air Vest.

My mare is now 15 and is very sensible, the spooks are much more gentle now 🙈
 
Debsflo1 said:
Hit air jacket every time, why would you not.
Not restrictive in any way, to me the same as wearing a hat.
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Some interesting views here. Thank you everyone. Currently around 50:50 in the poll, which is interesting.

To answer @Debsflo1 though - I wouldn’t have an air jacket for a number of reasons. I am another one who would definitely forget to unhook it when dismounting: they are very expensive to buy, really need to be fitted before you buy and my nearest retailer is a fair distance away: I have tried on air jackets of two different makes and hate the loose feeling of it as much as I hate the restrictive feeling of a rigid protector: the gas cylinder gets in my way when riding: I hate how they look (not that that is a huge issue). So unless I can find one which fits comfortably and works for me generally then I’m not planning on getting one to add to my tack room ornaments collection.
 
Expo said:
Some interesting views here. Thank you everyone. Currently around 50:50 in the poll, which is interesting.

To answer @Debsflo1 though - I wouldn’t have an air jacket for a number of reasons. I am another one who would definitely forget to unhook it when dismounting: they are very expensive to buy, really need to be fitted before you buy and my nearest retailer is a fair distance away: I have tried on air jackets of two different makes and hate the loose feeling of it as much as I hate the restrictive feeling of a rigid protector: the gas cylinder gets in my way when riding: I hate how they look (not that that is a huge issue). So unless I can find one which fits comfortably and works for me generally then I’m not planning on getting one to add to my tack room ornaments collection.
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I too dislike the way my air vest looks and call it vanity (I know) feel abit stupid with it on.

That way the Charles Own Eclipse appealed, it’s very smart and does offer some protection. It’s marketed for hacking and schooling but not cross country.
 
Mahoganybay said:
I too dislike the way my air vest looks and call it vanity (I know) feel abit stupid with it on.

That way the Charles Own Eclipse appealed, it’s very smart and does offer some protection. It’s marketed for hacking and schooling but not cross country.
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Just popped back in to say that I have now looked up the Eclipse. It may be a good middle option between a full on body protector and nothing at all for happy hacker riders like me who just feel they need a bit of extra peace of mind. I would be interested to see any research about how people land when they fall off a horse, because it seems that mostly they land on their back.

(Goes off to get credit card out 🤣. )
 
Expo said:
Just popped back in to say that I have now looked up the Eclipse. It may be a good middle option between a full on body protector and nothing at all for happy hacker riders like me who just feel they need a bit of extra peace of mind. I would be interested to see any research about how people land when they fall off a horse, because it seems that mostly they land on their back.

(Goes off to get credit card out 🤣. )
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I have broken a rib falling forwards onto my own clenched fist off a bucking horse. Lots of people are swung sideways into fences (jumps and arenas). I wouldn't bet on that if I were you.
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I've had a look at the Eclipse, I reckon that's going to cause a heck of a sweaty back in summer!
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Only for jumping anything above 60cm, not sure why that's my psychological 'break point' 🤣

Seriously considering an air vest after reading this thread, as bulk does annoy me.
 
For xc and backing youngsters I do. Mine is so stiff though and while I appreciate its protection I don’t find it comfortable or cool!

Disclaimer: my ponies are 12.3hh and 13.2hh so the ground isn’t very far.
 
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I wear one all the time, have done for the last 7 years. Replaced older Race Safe a year ago with newest version, due to a hoof print in the foam on my front....... (that was friends horse last spring, mine missed me but hers coming from behind, didn't!)

3 falls in last 8 years (previously last one was last century), one sj training and yes I landed on my back on top of poles, all ok and carried on.
The other 2 out hacking, one was due to a stupidly stupid cyclist who caught my stirrup on a trail (this was when i got trodden on). The other was rounding a corner and finding a mature tree 3 strides off the corner that had fallen, nowhere to go, emergency stop and lost balance and we both went down.

I no longer have my own to ride but have been out on friends spares in the last 5 weeks, still using my BP, it's a bit of kit that's as important to me as hat, gloves and decent boots 🙂
 
I've only ever worn one when I've been made to bu the rules of a comp or xc hire. I haven't done anything like this for a few years now so my BP is gathering dust.

If you ask me, a neckstrap is far more useful than a BP.
 
I did when riding the last two horses I was working with, and was very glad of it (a warmblood restart who had a LOT of opinions, and then a bargy rescue cob who had a tendency to run back to the barn when he got upset). I didn't when hacking with a friend on her quiet horses, and don't with my current share - the barn manager's saintly & mostly bombproof QH.

I probably would when jumping - current share apparently loves it, but his owner rides western, so we are likely to do that later this summer when he's back in shape, and I'll be in my protector again if we do that.
 
I have both an air jacket and a BP.

One big advantage of a BP over an air jacket is that it is already on and needs no fiddling with and the connecting/disconnecting of lanyards etc as you mount and dismount. It’s fit and forget.

Each saddle you ride in with your air jacket needs the lanyards fitted to the saddle and customised to your needs if it is to work correctly if you fall. And of course you have to remember to clip and unclip every ride.

That said, air jackets have big appeal if you only ride your own horses. If, like me, you no longer have a rideable horse but ride at commercial premises then air jackets are not usually permitted, but BPs are.

Whichever type you have, the best place for a BP or an air jacket is on your person as you hurtle groundwards, rather than hanging up on a hook in the tack room being kept for best or for difficult horses.

The modern BPs are much lighter and more breathable than the BPs of old. Mine’s a Racesafe Provent.
 
I wear my Point Two. I am old, I don't bounce & my back is already damaged, so I don't risk it any more.
It also gives me more confidence.
 
Yes, latest racesafe, it's comfy enough. I just know that the day I don't wear it will be the day I come off so I have to wear it.

I like the idea of an air jacket but my worst fall was with the horse and I was still in the saddle when she landed on me so it wouldn't have gone off.

I occasionally think about getting a level 2 - more comfortable and still quite protective but there's no reason to.

I guess if you don't wear one but feel you should a level 2 is a fair compromise.
 
Like others - ticked yes but it’s a HitAir.
Edited to add: mid 50’s, don’t bounce and had a bad fall 10 years ago! Body protector prob saved me getting more injuries!
 
Wear an air jacket every time I get on after a nasty fall a couple of years ago. Don’t bounce well anymore!
 
I hate BP’s as I find them very rigid. I always wear an air jacket, whether hacking, jumping or schooling but i have a very sharp Arab so it just gives me peace of mind
 
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