Following on from MissDeMeena..

When do you wear a body protector?


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Haflinger

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Do you wear a body protector or not?
Personally I don't, I don't even own one. I tryed one on in my local tackshop, and it was like being stuck in a brick.
I would however, wear one if I went cross-country or hunting. Not for show-jumping though.
 
I do, but only because I cant completly trust my horse as of yet, and boss says I have to wear one as do parents lol
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Dony care if its not cool to wear one, I feel unsafe without it! It has saved me many a times. When I fell off this stupid white thing, he threw me hard against a gate and doctors have said I wouldnt be walking now If I hadnt have had my BP on
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ETS: Only just saw second poll, dont really wear one for school and defo not for dressage and showing.
 
Wear mine for XC and XC only- because it is in the rules. Call me stupid, I suppose if it was pushed to be as important as my hard hats I would wear it as a constant- but I grew up in the hands of hunting- My dad used to whip in with a beagler type hat, and often hack with nothing on..
 
Only if I do XC Mainly because you have to at comps, but I do XCing schooling so I can get used to jumping it one. I wouldn't wear it any other time as I can't breath properly if I feel restricted. I can't muck out etc in a coat as I feel to restricted.
 
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and often hack with nothing on..

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What? Nothing at all!!
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I wear one for xc cos I have to, wouldn't weart it for hunting, imagine sitting around in one all day!
 
Always for XC as is the rules, and at the moment I wear it alot when I'm jumping, or doing workers but I only wear one jumping...couldn't imagine doing flatwork in one! My horse is quite un-predictable with her jumping and I don't yet trust her enough to risk jumping without one. I do feel very restricted jumping in them, but I've had enough near misses to learn I ought to wear it on Deanna, for now anyway.
 
Same here, only wear it for xc because I have to. And even then I do nothing but moan about how I can't breathe, and its so uncomfy. If I got a new unpredictable horse I would probably wear one though. Maybe.
 
i wear 1 for XC/SJ as my boys still learning & puts in stops & it does boost my confidence. i dont hunt so thats not an issue. i too couldnt wear one on the flat i find its too restricting i cant get on/off very easily without having to lengthen a stirrup or get a leg up
 
I wear one for XC and teamchasing only - I was bought up on the Ransome body protectors so the modern designed ones are so much better. As a child my mother bought them too big so we could grow into them and I really could not move as they were so unweildy. Even if I had the choice I would still probably wear one for XC as I do not tend to fall off *touches wood* and if I do it tends to be a cruncher.
 
I have worn one everytime I ride for the last 8 years, I used to say that I would never wear one as I had ridden so long without, but I am glad I do now after having had my horse fall on me whilst jumping, pushing me along the ground on my face and chest, although I was injured it would have been alot worse had I not been wearing my body protector, but This is just my opinion and everybody has to make there own descision about things.
 
I do whenever I take off! I find that I forget about it when I'm jumping anyway, mine is quite comfy once you get it warmed up as it moulds to your body. Sometimes I don't for SJ, but only usually when I'm on a certain horse and I have been jumping her for a while.
 
I wear one all the time- it's comfortable and I have got used to it to the point that I forget I'm wearing one.
My worst falls have been whilst just having flatwork lessons LOL so I feel more confident and happier to have one on for whatever riding I'm doing.
 
i wear one for xc or xc schooling, i would probably wear one if jumping a new horse for the first time
 
I have been riding 30 years wwithout 1 until last year l had a fall and hurt my back after that l bought one and 1 wear it now all the time apart from showing.
 
i wear mine pretty much everytime i ride. had confidence issues that have been pretty much completely eliminated by wearing one and it's not that uncomfortable so why not? kind of feel i'll jinx myself if i don't wear it now tho! must admit, i don't anticipate wearing one all the time when i get my own, just while i'm riding diff horses all the time so can't get to know them too well.
 
Wear one for XC as it's in the rules. Although I'm not sure where mine is at the mo, was trying to locate it earlier....
 
I wear one for XC only.

Recently was taking part in some PC training on borrowed horses (my first PC training thing in years! ha ha) Anyway I get very uncomfortable in my body protector as it makes my lower back hurt due to the inflexibility. It is the right size but the weakness in my back plus inability to bend makes it hurt! Because of this I asked my instructor if he was happy I didn't ride in it as we were riding indoors and if we were doing any jumps at all they were going to be small. He was absolutley fine with this and I took it off.

At this point one other girl in group pipes up "anyone not wearing a back protector on a strange horse is stupid" to which my automatic response was "well I must be stupid then".
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I knew the basics of the horse I was about to get on and that it was not a youngster and it was unlikely due to be unusually dangerous, I also ride strange horses a lot and spent my uni years jumping a strange horse around a 90cm track after only 4 practice fences. So I have very obviously been very very very stupid for many years.

I only as said compete in a BP for XC but I would also wear one if breaking a youngster and at various point schooling youngsters depending on the individual horse and the likelyhood of me hitting the deck
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Its my choice and I go by the belief that unless wearing a rigid cage bodyprotector they can only realistically save you from bruising. therefore I prefer to be free and able to keep myself better balanced and able to roll/move quicker if i do fall rather than feeling rigid through my back.
 
XC - if it wasn't in the rules, then I still would.

Otherwise I only ever wear one if I'm riding one that's very naughty/dangerous and thus is likely to try and chuck me on the floor. Although seem to be able to stay on better without one and so will favour not wearing on a bit of a sod.
 
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and often hack with nothing on..

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What? Nothing at all!!
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I wear one for xc cos I have to, wouldn't weart it for hunting, imagine sitting around in one all day!

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Lol hmm, now that ould have been interesting!
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Hate the idea of hunting in one, you should see some of my miraculous saves from eating the dirt, I would have been straight off with a BP on, no flex in them.
 
I wear a body protector all the time. Whenever I'm on a horse. But then, I ride at a RS, so I don't know what we'll be doing in lessons. I hate it though :P Like you said, it's like being in a brick, and restricts your movement a LOT. But knowing me, the one time I don't wear it will be the time I fall off xD

I reckon when I have my own horse I'd only wear it for jumping. Not show jumping, though. Just when schooling or hacking.
 
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