Does noise from air vests scare horses?

[WestCoast]

Hi All,

Been thinking a bit about safety today after sad news recently.

I always ride in a back protector and hat and use hi viz, but I have a Hit Air vest that was a gift I use very little. My main concern is that the noise of it going off would startle either my horse or another horse with me and potentially cause an accident if I set it off accidentally, or make an accident worse.

Has anyone got experience of them going off and the reaction of horses to it. My girl is pretty good when they are shooting nearby, but this would be much closer.

Paula

 

[Equi]

It can yes.

 

[cyberhorse]

No reaction at all really other than him looking at me like I am stupid as I dismounted without unhooking myself...doh! None of the other horses around at the time reacted either. However ours like yours are used to the sound of shooting. They are stabled close to an area where shooting is common (they don't react to fireworks either for this reason). Probably does sound similar hence the lack of reaction.

 

[sunleychops]

The only time I would hope its going off is if I'm heading for the ground at high speed so I couldn't care less what the horse thinks!

 

[asommerville]

Mine didn't like it but been practising things banging next to him, he'd getting better

 

[WestCoast]

Thanks all. I think I need to wear it out - it's an expensive piece of kit and it's silly to have it sitting in my wardrobe. Just hope I can manage to remember to disconnect it when I get off.

 

[Nessa4]

I would imagine that it's a mistake you'd only make once (at nearly £20 a throw!)!!

 

[cyberhorse]

I would imagine that it's a mistake you'd only make once (at nearly £20 a throw!)!!

Erm... twice in my case, but it eventually sinks in!!!

 

[Tash88]

I have heard of two horses that have had to be re-trained to have someone mount them again after they have had air jackets inflate near them. I guess it depends on the horse but even though they are a good idea, I personally wouldn't use one. I think that if you have a horse who panics when the rider comes off, it isn't a good idea to associate that with a loud bang as well. Also, shooting sounds are usually in the distance (correct me if I'm wrong, I don't ride near anywhere with shooting going on) and the air jacket noise is right next to the horse, so quite a difference I think.

 

[sem9999]

Cannot vouch for Point2 which have been told is louder than Hitair, but the Hitair one is really not that bad. For starters it is ever so quick and secondly not really louder than a fizzy can opened after having had a good shake.

 

[*hic*]

I've not seen any horses spooked by PointTwo's going off - even when the jockey has forgotten to undo himself!

 

[sodapop]

My hit-air doesn't make a noise when it goes off. I have also forgotten to disconnect before getting off and the only noise is when it starts to deflate and I had to wait for that to stop before pony would let me near her but she quickly forgot.

 

[Elvis]

I've fallen off twice whilst wearing my hit air, both times Elvis ran off, but he does that anyway when someone falls off so I can't attribute the bang to him running off. Both times he stopped soon after and started grazing, and was more than happy for me to get back on. The noise really isn't too loud with the Hit Air, and I personally think they are brilliant, wouldn't ride Elvis without one now.

 

[Red-1]

Hi, I was so happy with my horse at the end of XC that I jumped off in a victory leap, and exploded.

I had always thought that it would scare him, and it was a big noise, but he jumped on the spot and looked all around to see where the noise had come from, but never did find it, so did nothing more....

I hope to remember next time, not only because of the £20 cost, but also because the Jacket (point 2) shot my head up, shot my hips down, and crushed me so hard I could not breathe inbetween!

I always wondered how an air jacket could offer protection if a horse fell on you, but I think I was squashed so tight in ALL directions that I could not be squashed flat in any particular direction, and I concede that it could very well save me, so I wear it!

 

[WestCoast]

Although Bree is young and can be a bit silly, she's not likely to be a horse that needs retraining just because a bang went off near her. Rode her past a working hedge trimmer today fine and I suspect the rotating blades hitting solid bits in the hedge make more noise than an air vest.

Just love the idea of an exploding victory leap - perhaps you could rig it up so that party poppers go off at the same time. .

 

[Shantara]

I don't have one, but while I was watching XC with my friend at Carlton, a horse slipped (still not sure how!!) when it was cantering to the next jump and the rider fell off. Her air jacket went POOF and the horse ran off in the other direction. Whether it was scared by the fall or the air jacket, I don't know!
Bless the woman that fell off, she was very cheery, even though she was dashing after her horse with an inflated air jacket!!

 

[Nicnac]

Horses don't seem to mind them. Mine's gone off twice - one when I hit the deck and once forgetting to 'unhitch'. I always keep 2 spare canisters anyway.

When I hit the deck XC I think my swearing drowned out the pop of the jacket. Horse didn't seem to mind although he is Irish.

Daughter blew hers up coming off our ex-racehorse and he wasn't phased either.

They go off regularly at most British Eventing events and I've never heard of an accident being caused or a horse being traumatised.