Irishcobs
Well-Known Member
Please wear a breastplate if you are doing any fast work. Even if you are just cantering around a field at home. Even if your saddle fits perfectly and girth is tight, you horse's belly can change when doing fast work and it can make the girth loose enough to slip back or round.
Especially wear one if going hunting or cross country, if a little course.
I was cantering Hattie around the back fields today, and after 15mins I could get her girth up two extra holes, that I normally can't do. If I hadn't been wearing a breastplate, my saddle could of easy slipped.
In a resent eventing comp, two riders/horses not wearing breastplates had their saddles slip back to bucking point and one horse's bolted throwing the rider who had to be air lifted to hospital, luckily the second managed to stop and redo the saddle.
I was told a of an accident, many years ago at a 4* event that the saddle slipped back as there was no breastplate, horse bolted and went over the wrong part of a jump, the fence at the edges of them, killing both horse and rider instantly.
Please use one, a few pounds could safe your life.
Especially wear one if going hunting or cross country, if a little course.
I was cantering Hattie around the back fields today, and after 15mins I could get her girth up two extra holes, that I normally can't do. If I hadn't been wearing a breastplate, my saddle could of easy slipped.
In a resent eventing comp, two riders/horses not wearing breastplates had their saddles slip back to bucking point and one horse's bolted throwing the rider who had to be air lifted to hospital, luckily the second managed to stop and redo the saddle.
I was told a of an accident, many years ago at a 4* event that the saddle slipped back as there was no breastplate, horse bolted and went over the wrong part of a jump, the fence at the edges of them, killing both horse and rider instantly.
Please use one, a few pounds could safe your life.