Riding / competing in glasses??

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MagicMelon

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I generally have to wear glasses for things like driving etc and Id like to wear them to ride but Im concerned ny usual ones might not be suitable if I fell off / got neckbutted while jumping etc! Do people wear their usual glasses to jump? Or can you get sport type ones with special non-shatter type glass?

And yep I have worn contacts and will for XC for example but I hate them. Took me 2 hours to remove them last time!!
 
I refuse to ride in glasses and certainly wouldn't jump or go XC in them.

Contacts get much, much easier with practice!!!
 
I ride in glasses, I am blind without them. Only time it bothers me is in rainy/drizzly conditions. I wish of course I didn't have to wear them but I just couldn't get on with contacts. I only hack though, no jumping of any kind.
 
I ride in my glasses, I'd be useless without them :D I've always been fine with mine, apart from when it's damp and drizzling rain. The summer is a problem as I get so warm and they steam up if I'm sweating. Contacts are a great day idea, but really iritate my eyes. To be honest I hadn't thought of glasses smashing in a fall, but surely the glass isn't actual glass?
 
I wear glasses and contacts...not at the same time :P...and although I usually stick to contacts when competing I have done so in my glasses and on one memorable occasion had a spectacular fall whilst wearing them! They didn't break but did come off and when I came round I was convinced my vision had gone funny as everything was blurry. The medics were quite concerned till my addled brain realised my glasses were no longer on my face :-/
 
I ride (and do everything) in my normal glasses :) Have done all my life and never had a problem. Broke one pair when I broke my arm at the halt and have cut my face in non riding related falls as a child but they're much better at rounding the edges of the glass now (and the glasses are proportionately much smaller on my face!). Contacts not an option and very poor vision without so never really had another option. You can get sort of goggles to do sports on but :p. Not ideal in the rain and not ideal when you're getting hot when it's cold out but when that's the only option you manage!
 
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lenses nowadays are not glass and wont break in the same way.

i ride in glasses with a light frame. You can get frames that are flexible as well. Ive fallen off in mine a few times and had them go flying!
 
I can't where contacts I ride in my glasses, they did give me a black eye once when I shoved them back into my face while falling off but otherwise no issues!
 
Do yours get misted up in the rain/drizzle Ester? The peak of my hat offers some protection but not complete. On the other hand, they have saved me having the odd bug in my eye!
 
When I select my glasses I ask for lenses suitable for sports. My worst experience was hitting the deck while jumping and one of the lenses popped out of the frame. When I got up as far as I could tell my glasses were still on my face, I could see out of one eye but the other one had REALLY blurred vision. Took me a few seconds of panic before I realised what had happened. I then had to find the missing lens with one good eye.

Andrew Nicholson rides in glasses!
 
I ride in glasses. I have a pair that are flexible and also have the transition tint. I have only broken one pair years ago when I pretty much face planted during a fall.
 
I can't imagine sports goggles would be that comfortable with a riding hat.

Perhaps a second pair with polycarbonate lenses (which are usually what is in sports goggles anyhow), or Trivex which is also impact resistant and can give better vision.

Contacts do get a lot easier with time!
 
I am shortsighted and wear glasses as a matter of course. I can't afford the special contact lenses I would need for my 'interesting prescription' (<--- actual opticians comment!) so I have no choice but to ride and compete in my glasses. I've fallen off jumping and xc a few times but my glasses have always stayed put and not had any issues.
Only time they do cause a problem is when it rains a I could do with some mini windscreen wipers but that's the consolation prize for actually having a built in windscreen when cantering and galloping so you dont end up all red eyed like everyone else :D
 
I used to ride in glasses but just wear contacts now anyway. I do occasionally wear them now but they just irritate me, especially when it's rainy or really hot!

I once had a rotational fall and the only real damage caused by my glasses was actually where the rammed into my face and cut me between the eyes!
 
I have done but they slip down, get wet or foggy. Your hat does help keep them on a bit, but I'd def go for contacts. I wear daily disposables as I only use them for sport/riding. Easier to fit, wear and take out. And no worries about them breaking if you fall off! Try some different styles and you may find something that's more comfortable.
 
I'm fortunate not to need but for skiing etc I know loads of people who use the sports type glasses (tinted too, and for underwater...). If you can afford a separate pair for riding I'd def get some with the rubbery grip bits near the ears like some ski glasses have (and also go for a style that is comfy with hat harness - take to the shop to try) but if not just ask optician for safety/sport lenses in ordinary ones next time?
 
Yup, I wear and jump in my glasses. I do have a pair of sunglasses which are my favourite to jump in. I would use a strap to hold them in place for XC, and have little removable hooks on the arms of my normal glasses to stop them sliding when doing dressage. I seriously cannot ride without them, I feel dizzy and 'not all there', like everything is moving too fast without them. I legally can't drive without them, so that might say something!
 
I've always worn specs to ride, including full days hunting and all competitive events. Get a decent flexible frame and lightweight shatterproof lenses, and you're good to go.

The flexon bendy memory metal frames are pricey, but absolutely worth it. They never move or slip down, I wear them all day every day. My current flexons are 6 years old, they take a right hammering due to my tom boy lifesyle but they're still in great order.

http://www.flexon.com/

I can't wear contacts due to dry eye, and tbh IMHO contacts seem to be much more faff than specs.
 
blitznbobs said:
I had my eyes lasered cos I hated riding in glasses - best decision I ever made. No more slippage at a vital moment.
Click to expand...

Mine were lasered twice, the correction only lasted 18 months I now have to ride in glasses because my eye were damaged in the lasering operations such that I can't wear contacts anymore (I did before they were treated) :(
 
I ride in my normal glasses and have for over a decade (totally blind otherwise). Fallen off and not lost or broken them. The best ones I ever had though, were these nice flexible titanium frames. The only accident I've ever been in where I broke my glasses was a crash in a small aircraft (not kidding) and the glass didn't break, just came out of the frames! Frames were a bit mangled though. So I don't worry about them breaking. In any case the "glass" in glasses is actually plastic so they won't shatter like a window.

I wear contacts when it's raining out as I hate wet glasses, but that's almost the only time.
 
Thanks everyone, so sounds like it is ok to ride in them but perhaps best to get ones with flexible frames. I know I should sort myself out with the contacts but one eye just doesn't seem to like them - my vision blurs slightly whenever I blink in that one eye which drives me nuts when riding to the point that for XC I was only putting in one lense (in my other eye!) which helped my vision a bit. I hate glasses, only started needing them after I had pre-eclampsia with my son, but will just have to get on with it!
 
I ride in glasses. School, jump, hack... My Mum goes mad and then goes mad at my fella for letting me cross country in my spectacles &#128514;

I can manage without them but I do have contacts as a backup option.

I have had my other horse rear and hit me in the face and my glasses cut the bridge of my nose and lense went weird in its frame but Vision Express straightened it out best they could &#128522;
 
I refuse to ride in mine. Well occasionally Ill have a little walk and trot around the arena if I have to, but generally no I wont. I struggle wearing contacts at work as the air con dries them out so I tend to wear my glasses at work and then put in my contact lenses to ride.
 
I ride and compete and do everything in my glasses.
I can't wear contacts because I'm very very squeamish about my eyes (or other people eyes) so I am not putting anything in there. I cant see enough without them to not wear glasses
Sometimes they are a pain but I just see them as a necessity
 
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