Wearing Glasses When Riding?

[Vixen Van Debz]

Is it okay/safe to wear glasses when riding? The only professional I can think of who does is Albert Zoer: no one else in top flight SJ, XC or dressage seems to. So is it okay in lessons? The only people I know who do wear glasses are under 16yr olds. I put in a pair of disposable contacts every week without thought: I just wondered if it's safe to do so but not good etiquette, or is it actually a safety-based thing?

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

It's not safe, and I always put contact lenses in when I'm jumping, or competing, but I have on many occasions ridden in my glasses, and the last time I fell off, I landed on the back of my head, and my glasses got shoved down and I ended up with black eyes and a very sore bruised nose.

 

[Divasmum]

I wear glasses and would find it difficult to read the dressage markers without! I only ride on the flat however as I'm ancient!

 

[Kenzo]

I specky wearer and I don't actually think I've taken a tumble with my glasses on to be honest as I used to wear my contacts pratically all the time, but I wear my specs all the time now apart from weekends (due to getting an ulcer)

However a horse once butted me on the head, caught the peak of my had which then knocked into my glasses and they dug into my face....had a bit of a bruised nose.

I don't compete with my glasses on, I wear my lenses...mainly because I feel like a geek, not really due safety because if I'm honest I'd say I'm more at risk in having an accident or coming off when I'm hacking/schooling which is what I do on a daily basis, I simply couldn't wear them though everday, too risky of my ulcer raising it's ugly head again and I don't fancy being in hosptical getting that sorted again...wasn't very pleasant.

 

[BentleyBelly]

I wear my glasses riding...don't have a choice, am blind as a bat and can't tolerate my contacts for more that a few hours now. I have plastic lens in my glasses and wear a manky old pair, I look really cool!! Going to ask Santa for some of those light bendy glasses for Xmas!

 

[halt_at_x]

no one else in top flight SJ, XC or dressage seems to.

Andrew Nicholson wears glasses for XC.

I always ride in my glasses. I don't get on with contact lenses, and I have tinted glasses to help prevent migraines. Without them I probably wouldn't be able to spend as long as I'd like outside in bright sunlight.

My last pair of glasses even survived me being kicked in the face - and they weren't toughened in any way.

 

[Mrs Pink]

I event in mine, unless it's really really really chucking it down and then I'll put my disposables in! Ridden in them for most of my life due to being bad with the lamps as they say oop north!!! Touch wood, they've always been ok when I've taken a tumble, in fact they've come off better

Andrew Nicholson was the one I'd thought off too Halt at X

 

[catdragon]

I always ride in glasses, have done for nearly 20 years, I am so myopic without them I'd be dangerous. The few times I wore contacts the dust from the surface got under them and made me feel like my eyeballs were being sanded down oh, and there was the time one "pinged" out whilst I was cantering, had to ride the rest of the lesson with one eye closed as one eye focusing and the other not was really confusing, thank goodness I had specs in the car to drive home. I've fallen a fair few times in my glasses, on the flat, flat out galloping (not recommended..ouchies ) and whilst jumping and must say have never had a problem... hope I haven't jinxed myself now.

 

[Vixen Van Debz]

How did I not remember Andrew Nicholson? I fell in love with Armada during the XC at Burghley a couple of weeks ago! Duh duh Debbie... more coffee required me thinks!

 

[Dubsie]

I've got those tungsten glasses you can fold in two, totally squish and bend inside out and they don't break, along with scratch resistant lenses.

I once (while ducking head under descending shutter door), totally tripped over my feet and landed with alll my weight on the top right of the glasses on my eyebrow - didn't get a chance to put a hand out! Apart from a very tiny cut to my eyebrow and a little missing paint on the glasses frame I had no bruising and the glasses survived.

 

[welsh horse rider]

I wear my glasses riding...don't have a choice, am blind as a bat and can't tolerate my contacts for more that a few hours now. I have plastic lens in my glasses and wear a manky old pair, I look really cool!! Going to ask Santa for some of those light bendy glasses for Xmas!

I'm the Same can't stand contacts in any way

 

[starsnrunes]

I usually wear mine for everyday riding, but if i'm jumping i'll either take them off or put contacts in - well I try to remember to.

With one of my old pairs I used to take them off for gallops because they weren't secure enough and I was convinced they'd fall off.

 

[quirky]

I have always ridden in glasses and feel they provide a level of protection to my eyes.

No getting hit in the eye by flies/tree branches when cantering through the wood .

I did fall off hunting and a lense popped out. I didn't manage to retrieve it as I wanted to keep up with the field. I looked "special" .

 

[Magicmillbrook]

Another glasses wearer. I used to put contacts in but I worry too much about loosing one. I have fallen off on my face a few times and bent them up, had them knocked off. But then I do this sort of thing off the horses too- I am not vary careful with my specs. The worst thing I find is that when I have been riding in the drizzle or sweeping out the hay barn. Hours later I will think oh I cant see very well abnd realise how dirty they are. Another prob I have is when I get hot and sweaty and am doing something like sitting trot they work their way down my nose!

 

[Magicmillbrook]

I have always ridden in glasses and feel they provide a level of protection to my eyes.

No getting hit in the eye by flies/tree branches when cantering through the wood .

I did fall off hunting and a lense popped out. I didn't manage to retrieve it as I wanted to keep up with the field. I looked "special" .

Well we spec wearers are special - the look would have been completed with a repair job to the arm carried out in sticking plaster.

 

[odd1]

i wear glasses most days i ride, i will put in lenses if i am having a lesson competing or jumping - perhaps i would be better going blind when jumping though
i looked into laser treatment but i am borderline so i decided against it for now

 

[Vixen Van Debz]

I always worse my glasses riding and working at the yard as a teen, but back then I was a bit funny about the idea of contacts so they didn't seem like an option. My biggest fear is actually not being able to see rather than a glasses-related injury: struggling around with my short sight makes me extremely nervous, so I can't imagine it makes for good riding! I figure that not going to break disposable contact lenses if I fall so I usually pop them in, glasses in my bag just in case one pops out. My face feels naked without my specs though!

So it sounds like as long as you're willing to risk glasses-embedded-in-face problems, then wearing them's fine. I'll probably stick with contact lenses for jumping though, given the risk of falling and the price of lenses and frames!

 

[stencilface]

Always ride in glasses and have only ever had them broken once, when my sisters pony headbutted me on the ground.

I wear contacts for competing, purely for reasons of vanity

 

[LOZHUG]

I always had to wear my glasses 24/7 as couldnt see much without them. I tried contacts but couldnt wear them. I have recently had my eyes lasered and I would advise anyone who is a candidate to have it done, its the best thing I have done. No more glasses and contacts.
Ok sun-glasses for 2 weeeks but thats it. Now able to ride without the fear of being safe wearing glasses.