These new blow up body protectors

[Thistle]

Lots being worn in the Intro at Keysoe yesterday, not so many in PN.

On Sat someone fell who was wearing one. It inflated, she did not have a bad fall and wanted to continue. However she couldn't pyhsically remount with the bag inflated. She got quite flustered trying to remove first her hat, then her number, then the air jacket. It all got tangled up and she retired.

I suppose at least you would float if you fell in the water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Thistle]

[ QUOTE ]
People say they deflate quickly, quick enough to get back on and continue, but Olivia's didnt seem to do much deflating, and matthew walked away caught horse undid girths etc etc and still looked like the michelin man!

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No they don't deflate quickly, see my post above.

 

[kerilli]

I think they take about 10 mins to deflate, I can't remember exactly from when I tried one.
I'd be very annoyed if I wanted to continue xc but couldn't because of flipping airbag!

I tried one without normal BP underneath (back then they were going to market it at sole protection) and even though I was just standing in a room and knew it was about to be detonated (on purpose!) it was a real shock and totally took my breath away. I don't get claustrophobic but it was very tight on the torso - which might explain why a couple of riders at Badders looked a bit panicked and wanted it off fast, even though they had it over their normal BP, which would spread the pressure somewhat.
I'd love to see a vid of the riders who jumped off without detaching lariat, apparently there were a few...!

 

[milz88]

Piggy French & Matthew Wright are the first two professional riders to feel the benefit of the Point Two ProAir jacket in the public eye. Both falling at the water jump at the Burnham Market International Horse Show. Piggy French said " I was lucky as it was a rotational fall & the horse came down beside me. The air jacket worked perfectly & was inflated before I hit the water, I didn’t feel a thing."

I also saw riders wearing them at moreton morrell in the intro and PN, and a very large proportion at badminton, I will be helping and competing at aston on all 4 days this week, I may make a tally of how many I see in them, just purely for interest, as a fence judge I will see most riders, but obviously not all as on sat I will be competing myself.

 

[daisycrazy]

A bit of the Point 2 technology to create a blow up neck support on the Exo - ideal body protector?

Quite a few people are saying, like me, that they want an Exo. Is it worth putting a thread together to identify a central saddlery/saddleries who we can ring, tell them to get in a selection of sizes and all go and try them over the course of a fortnight or so? I'm finding it very difficult to persuade saddlers to get them in so I can try them and a joint approach might help.

 

[kerilli]

the Exo has an attachment for a blow-up neck support, I think Bodycage (who used to post on here, and owned Exo before gifting it to the RDA) told me that. I'm going to email Point2 to ask about it.
I got my Exo from the saddlery in Market Harborough, the big one just out of town. They have a trained fitter and were happy to get a couple of sizes in for me to try. I'm sure they have 3 or 4 sizes in stock as standard. Hope that helps!
just checked back on an old thread. Cadenza Clobber in Worcs was the largest Exo stockist when I rang WW in Spring, fwiw.

 

[daisycrazy]

Many thanks - do you have contact details for Cadenza Clobber? They don't come up as a stockist on the WoofWear website.

 

[siennamum]

I would like to investigate getting one for William. No interest in the blow up one tbh, can see why it works for bike riders where they spin and twist at high speeds but am more concerned about Will getting landed on so favour an Exo.

Any lists which identify stockists would be most helpful.

 

[kerilli]

sorry daisycrazy, nothing's coming up.
I got mine from Welland Valley Feeds in Market Harb. Very helpful, took a while to get the one I needed to try in stock, but they might be quicker now! They have about 3 in stock all the time, sort of S, M, L, sizes, and can order in other in-between sizes.
or, ring WW on 01208 262 505 and ask for details of nearest WW stockists. I had to ring round plenty though because WW don't keep tabs on who has Exos in stock, unfortunately.
Also, the guy who I spoke to at WW was pretty useless because he tried to convince me my closest stockist was about 200 miles away...!!!
tbh if WW tried a bit harder to promote and distribute them, that might help!
Did anyone manage to find one at Badders? I know a few people wanted to try one there.

 

[burtie]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd love to see a vid of the riders who jumped off without detaching lariat, apparently there were a few...!


[/ QUOTE ]

Me too,I feel a youtube project coming on for someone with more time and expertise in such things tham me!

 

[SpottedCat]

Skhosu who did you used to be please?! You've obviously changed your name as you have 8000 odd posts but I don't recognise the name at all!

As I've said repeatedly on this thread and elsewhere I can see exactly why the professional rider who has 5 horses going round, another 10 to ride at home and 3 to compete tomorrow would want one of these - makes perfect sense to minimise the bruising etc from the majority of falls. What I don't see is why I'd want to spend £400 on one of these when I don't have to do any of those things as opposed to under £300 on something which is far more likely to be helpful in a life-threatening fall, that's all.

 

[Hannah_Dunton]

This is my first post here, but I felt I needed to say something about this subject.

I've had a fall in an air jacket at Nurstead Horse Trials last weekend in the BE 100. I was catapulted out of the saddle and landed on my left shoulder and back. The jacket inflated way before I hit the ground, and started deflating about 45 seconds afterwards. By the time my horse was returned to me and I was cleared by the doctor to continue the jacket had completely deflated. I didn't carry on as my horse lost a boot and was a little sore. However, I was really impressed with the jacket, and I truly believe it saved me from further injury. I will certainly be wearing it again.
When it exploded it did not shock me and the noise was ok, it didn't frighten my young horse. Like many I was concerned about the length of the cord, but after wearing it at home and simulating drop fences and awkward jumps, leaning as far back as possible etc, I was happy that it would not go off.
I cannot speak on the information regarding crush injuries, and hopefully will never have to test the jacket in that situation.
By wearing the jacket is not going to cause you any harm, it certainly does not get in the way, and if it does protect you just that little bit extra then I think that's a good thing.

I hope you don't mind me butting in and giving my point of view, but I felt it was important that you heard a first hand account of falling whilst wearing one. Good luck to all competing this year, I hope it's a safe and happy one.

 

[kerilli]

thanks Atlet, that's very good to hear.

 

[daisycrazy]

Thanks Kerilli. WW assured me that there would be a stand with Exos at Badminton with fitters. Unfortunately I couldn't go so can't verify whether that was actually the case!

I suggested to WW that they should do a tour, taking Exos to competitions and having a stand in the lorry park or at XC start and let people try them on their horses and even round the XC. Also to do the same thing at XC clinics. Their response was that they had done so but there was no interest. I do find this incredible. I have never seen an Exo in the flesh, so to speak, despite having been at a fair few different events and saddleries since they first came out - so it seems strange that they have been promoted and somehow I and everyone else has missed it...

Still think they should be getting them out to events for people to try, particularly as eventing keeps notching up fatal rotational falls. And perhaps give a couple to some high profile pros?

 

[SpottedCat]

DC - I went for 3 of the 4 days and certainly didn't even see a WW stand let alone one with exos!! If I had I would have tried one on as I intend to buy one.

Mind you, I may have just missed it....

 

[TableDancer]

Two things: First, Atlet welcome to the forum and, as far as most of us are concerned there is no such thing as "butting in": these threads are there for people to express their views and that means everyone

And as far as this subject is concerned, given your relevant experience your opinion has more weight than that of most of us, who are just speculating and surmising as usual

(BTW I include myself in the latter comment and it is a bit tongue in cheek, before anybody gets all hot under the collar and starts being mean to me

)

Second thing: Seems to me that WW are anything but interested in promoting the EXO - goodness knows why, c*ck-up (just plain incompetent), conspiracy (they have their own reasons for wanting it to fail) or general apathy... Now that the patent belongs to the RDA, perhaps it's time for someone else to approach the RDA and buy some rights and set up in competition with WW. Any reason why this can't be done? Anyone wanna have a go?

 

[Skhosu]

fair enough SC, nobody is making you buy one

I just think it's a shame (and maybe I am repeating myself?) that the point 2 is getting so run down when its not done anything wrong, I don't think I've ever seen a product come under such attack on here.

 

[pinktiger]

[ QUOTE ]
pinktiger, i cannot see how they can possibly protect a rider from being squashed by a falling horse. .

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fyi K the info i have on the blow up protector came from the sales team at badminton!!!

 

[Skhosu]

that;s bad if they are saying they will protect in a rotarional fall..

 

[daisycrazy]

SC, I'm really glad I didn't go to Badminton just to try an Exo only to find they weren't there!

If I had lots of spare cash (and time) I'd buy up 10 Exos (2 of each size) and trail round events getting people to trial them, because I feel so strongly that people should have this protection and it really doesn't seem to have been made readily available for them to try, for all that WW says otherwise.

 

[kerilli]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
pinktiger, i cannot see how they can possibly protect a rider from being squashed by a falling horse. .

[/ QUOTE ]


fyi K the info i have on the blow up protector came from the sales team at badminton!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Aaarrrrggghhh, and that is exactly my point!
I think the Point2 is a good safety innovation for protection against bruising and neck and possibly spinal injuries. If that's how they're marketing it, great.
However, it is deliberately misleading people to say that it will protect against crush injuries imho. I hope not many people bought them specifically because of this information.
I'm not against the product, just the fibbing...!!!

 

[doodles]

Kerilli, they were saying it didn't inflate properly until she hit the deck... a lot of the pros don't seem convinced....