Terrible Accident - Air Jacket Anyone?

Fab piece of kit, don't know your wearing it. What persuaded me was a video of olly townend falling off in 1, horse landing on him & although injured, not as serious as you would expect. Google the fall (think it was 2010), says it all.
 
Thank you for all your well wishes and also your experiences with air jackets.

I am going to HOYS in October and I'm going to buy one there so it gives me some time to save up! Plus I'm sure they will be able to demo one for me so I can decide which one is best for me. Im really glad this thread has made people consider getting an air jacket. I personally now see them as essential as a helmet and think they should be worn at all times. I appreciate some people dont want to wear one and have never worn a BP but having witnessed Sarah almost ending up paraylsed from a split second mistake, i now see things very differently. Humans are made of soft flesh and brittle bones - we break easily and from what other people have shared on this thread, it sometimes doesnt take much for something to go very wrong.

If you're still unconvinced that airjackets really work, I'd advise anyone one here to watch the YouTube video of Coral Keen where her airjacket quite literally saves her life. It's one of the best examples I've ever seen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cYvm-EnjWQ
 
RollOnSpring said:
Thank you for all your well wishes and also your experiences with air jackets.

I am going to HOYS in October and I'm going to buy one there so it gives me some time to save up! Plus I'm sure they will be able to demo one for me so I can decide which one is best for me. Im really glad this thread has made people consider getting an air jacket. I personally now see them as essential as a helmet and think they should be worn at all times. I appreciate some people dont want to wear one and have never worn a BP but having witnessed Sarah almost ending up paraylsed from a split second mistake, i now see things very differently. Humans are made of soft flesh and brittle bones - we break easily and from what other people have shared on this thread, it sometimes doesnt take much for something to go very wrong.

If you're still unconvinced that airjackets really work, I'd advise anyone one here to watch the YouTube video of Coral Keen where her airjacket quite literally saves her life. It's one of the best examples I've ever seen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cYvm-EnjWQ
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That's a wonderful example of where an air jacket will save you .
It's a horrible fall made me feel sick .
 
Me too GS. She ended up with one broken rib and a collasped lung but made a recovery within a couple of weeks. Would have no doubt been killed without it - she even says so herself. Her doctor was amazed when he saw the video.
 
Poor poor girl. Thoughts are with her for a good recvoery.

I thought body protectors protected your organs- it helps to stop the impact of a fall and therefore internal bleeding? While it may help to avoid certai broken bones, it will not stop them all.
 
misskk88 said:
Poor poor girl. Thoughts are with her for a good recvoery.

I thought body protectors protected your organs- it helps to stop the impact of a fall and therefore internal bleeding? While it may help to avoid certai broken bones, it will not stop them all.
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Thanks, she was more upbeat last night so that's good.

They do help but sometimes it depends on the way you fall. If you ride, you'll always be at risk of a bad injury, however if you have the safety equipment on it lessens the chance quite significantly. Cheshire Chestnut said that her dad is a paramedic and he's seen an improvement in injuries since horse riders and motorcylists have been wearing air jackets.
 
RollOnSpring said:
Thanks, she was more upbeat last night so that's good.

They do help but sometimes it depends on the way you fall. If you ride, you'll always be at risk of a bad injury, however if you have the safety equipment on it lessens the chance quite significantly. Cheshire Chestnut said that her dad is a paramedic and he's seen an improvement in injuries since horse riders and motorcylists have been wearing air jackets.
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Yeah I think that is the thing. BP and Air jackets are there to help lessen the damage. I always hear people comment how their BP will stop them breaking their back, which worries me that they will take less care and more risks due to their false sense of security!

My friend and I were jumping one day. They landed and horse went one way and she went the other and she came out the side door. Her wrist caught in the reins, for a split second. We thought she was fine until it blew up like a football and turned black in about 30 minutes... She broke her wrist and arm in three places. Just goes to show you don't always have to hit the ground hard to sustain a nasty injury.

I hope she enjoys/enjoyed her girly night of food and face masks with you. Sounds like you are being a good friend to keep her spirits high. It is in times like these that you realise just how much you appreciate some people :)
 
Fairyclare and OP's friend Sarah I hope that you're doing ok today. Perhaps direct Sarah to HHO. It may give her something to pass the time, I started my addiction on here when I was injured. There are a lot of people on here that have had accidents and overcome bad prognosis too, they may give her hope.

A very very interesting thread. It has certainly made me think about getting one.
 
Honey08 said:
Fairyclare and OP's friend Sarah I hope that you're doing ok today. Perhaps direct Sarah to HHO. It may give her something to pass the time, I started my addiction on here when I was injured. There are a lot of people on here that have had accidents and overcome bad prognosis too, they may give her hope.

A very very interesting thread. It has certainly made me think about getting one.
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First of all you buy the jacket and then you have to remember to put it on I got bronced off last week and guess what I had forgotten to put it on .
So there I am with bronco going for it underneath me thinking something missing ,- that will be the air jacket .
 
I'm in the latter stages of recovery from a fractured and compressed L2 vertebrae. I was wearing a BP but not an air jacket and had a simple fall over the shoulder but landed bum first. That caused my spine to compress and do the damage. I don't think any BP or air jacket would have prevented this as it doesn't provide padding where I landed. However it did make me realise how easily serious damage can occur (luckily mine didn't impinge on the spinal cord) and so my daughter has now bought a P2. Admittedly she will probably only wear this xc. Hope all those currently injured recover well.
 
Goldenstar said:
First of all you buy the jacket and then you have to remember to put it on I got bronced off last week and guess what I had forgotten to put it on .
So there I am with bronco going for it underneath me thinking something missing ,- that will be the air jacket .
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That was similar to me yesterday - riding round my trec stuff I'd got out and my horse did a rather impressive leap/spin/buck - I then realised that had I have come unseated, I wasn't plugged in!
 
Stroppy Mare said:
That was similar to me yesterday - riding round my trec stuff I'd got out and my horse did a rather impressive leap/spin/buck - I then realised that had I have come unseated, I wasn't plugged in!
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Oh dear! I'm going to buy one and I think I will be one of the ones that constantly forgets to unplug before I dismount lol.

I'm also going to buy mine at HOYS - the stall will just be full of fellow H&H'ers from this thread :D
 
Don't they make them with longer leads (like old telephone cords) so you can jump off and not set them off? Otherwise I would spend a fortune on re gassing them.
 
So sorry to hear of the injuries!

I ride in a point two and this lovely (yes and expensive, I cashed in an isa) essential piece of equipment is required and I will NEVER ride without one

I am here alive and walking!

I landed on my head after coming off my horse over a 5ft oxer landing on my head. Serious concussion and squished my hat front and rear, smashed up my wrist

L4 and L5 were squished and prolapsed the discs (we later found out-hospital was hopeless to do a ct scan which would have showed this) causing permanent disablement but I can still get about and get on a horse with help!

I know my point two literally saved my life the consultant that saw the mri could not believe that I was walking!

Everyone I know has got one because of my persistent nagging and my near brush with a wheelchair!

I hope the girl gets all the help and support she needs to rebuild her life
 
I sit on the British Standards Institute Personal Protective Equipment Committee and equine Back Protectors come under the umbrella of our committee. The British Equestrian Traders Association have done a lot of hard work to create a standard for back protectors which manufacturers can have their back protectors tested to. There are 3 categories and clearly the highest category (purple label) gives the greatest level of protection.
However air jackets have been developed for motor cyclists so please be aware of this.
 
OWLIE185 said:
I sit on the British Standards Institute Personal Protective Equipment Committee and equine Back Protectors come under the umbrella of our committee. The British Equestrian Traders Association have done a lot of hard work to create a standard for back protectors which manufacturers can have their back protectors tested to. There are 3 categories and clearly the highest category (purple label) gives the greatest level of protection.
However air jackets have been developed for motor cyclists so please be aware of this.
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What difference does any of that make to the many stories on here from people like me who are so glad we were riding in an air jacket?

If one tested any better than the others, it would be worth posting, but none of them have the kind of testing that solid body protectors do.

Nevertheless, a solid body protector would not have seen me get up laughing from landing on my back on a tarmac road, and for me the fact that solid body protectors have been tested and air jackets have not is a complete irrelevance, sorry.

I'm not sure what you were trying to say? That we should be wearing a tested body protector instead? As well? Or what?
 
I just thought I'd add to this thread again. I was fence judging at tweseldown recently and we had three falls at our fence, all three riders were wearing air jackets and all three walked away without injury. I obviously can't say whether this would have still been the case even if they hadn't been wearing air jackets but to me this is pretty good evidence that air jackets can reduce the likelihood of injuries.
 
Elvis said:
I just thought I'd add to this thread again. I was fence judging at tweseldown recently and we had three falls at our fence, all three riders were wearing air jackets and all three walked away without injury. I obviously can't say whether this would have still been the case even if they hadn't been wearing air jackets but to me this is pretty good evidence that air jackets can reduce the likelihood of injuries.
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I like this point - make it worth it to me. :)
 
OWLIE185 said:
I sit on the British Standards Institute Personal Protective Equipment Committee and equine Back Protectors come under the umbrella of our committee. The British Equestrian Traders Association have done a lot of hard work to create a standard for back protectors which manufacturers can have their back protectors tested to. There are 3 categories and clearly the highest category (purple label) gives the greatest level of protection.
However air jackets have been developed for motor cyclists so please be aware of this.
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Are there any plans to do similar for air jackets?

Meantime I'd rather have the option of extra protection than not, simply because it isn't BETA approved/tested. Funnily enough I chose a HitAir - principally because I think it offers the best all round protection, but also due to the fact that it has been developed over many years for motorcyclists. Heaps of research and product development behind it.
 
Can I just clarify.....do you all wear your air jackets...of whatever make....over a BP or just over clothing?

I simply can't get on with BPs.....I would be up for wearing an air jacket on its own, but it that an acceptable thing to do?

Just for hacking and schooling, I don't really compete :)
 
Hippona said:
Can I just clarify.....do you all wear your air jackets...of whatever make....over a BP or just over clothing?

I simply can't get on with BPs.....I would be up for wearing an air jacket on its own, but it that an acceptable thing to do?

Just for hacking and schooling, I don't really compete :)
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I wear mine over normal clothing for every day use and SJ. I only ever put my BP on underneath when it's an essential requirement (ie XC or trec)
 
Lots of healing love to your friend. Try and keep her occupied in hospital as it can destroy your soul. Broke my back just over a year ago. It's a wheelchair for me , but riding and being around horses has helped me to maintain my sanity!!
A Bp and air jacket may have prevented the five broken ribs and punctured lung but my vertabrae was obliterated with the impact of the horse falling on me.
Being angry is part of the process of acceptance. Anger before a teeny bit of pity then acceptance. Accidents are just that, accidents. I would never ride without Bp and air jacket now, I can't risk the titanium that holds me together, it's snapped once already! To try and stay happy in hospital is absolute torture, and maintaining a Pma is essential to recovery. I know how she will feel watching her family and friends walk away after visiting time, seeing BBQs galore on fb . I cried my eyes out watching my boyfriend walking to the car knowing he was going home to our two dogs for cuddles. Nice food, stuff for her treat drawer. Maybe a new nail varnish or a nice lip balm. Magazines or a book? I truly wish her well and hope she isn't in hospital for the whole summer. Physio will be tough at times, even sitting up in a chair can be a struggle when you are used to lying down. I'm sorry it happened and the very best of luck for recovery. It's all starts when you get out of hospital. Sorry for ramble.......
 
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