Which Body Protector?

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thetrace

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I recently had a fall cross country and I was wearing my Rodney Powell body protector that I brought about 6 years ago, from my fall I have broken the padded/foam on the side of the protector. As this has broken it's probably sensible to buy a new one.

Can anyone recommend a brand, I have been looking on the web at Kanteq and point two. If went with point two which is just air what body protector should I wear underneath.

Any suggestions
 
RACESAFE :D I love them and will only wear them. They are so light and comfortable and the fastenings are really good, and they have laces at the sides which you can loosen and tighten. Plus imho they look smartest.
 
i have a champion one, not sure what its fancy name is but i like it, though i am a shortie and i think they fit me quit well. I had a charles own one before and found it a bit long, though it was very old and second hand, so wasnt fitted for me. i like the idea of the two points but i dont have the pennies to buy one yet! :rolleyes:
 
I have an Airowear Outlyne which is very comfy. I think Rideaway can do them in whatever colours you want too! :D I know everyone on here raves about Racesafe, but not convinced that you get the same protection from the wee squares and gaps where the lacing is as you do the larger, solid pieces of foam in other types of BP. Just my opinion though!
 
FigJam said:
I have an Airowear Outlyne which is very comfy. I think Rideaway can do them in whatever colours you want too! :D I know everyone on here raves about Racesafe, but not convinced that you get the same protection from the wee squares and gaps where the lacing is as you do the larger, solid pieces of foam in other types of BP. Just my opinion though!
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There are actually bits of foam that go overlap and go under the lacing, plus someone once told me the science behind having all the little squares, and the gaps in between them are about a millimetre wide. Also Racesafes are a lot thicker than the Revier, which I used to have.
 
I have a racesafe and a point two (just recently got the point two)

When I was at Blair this year I spoke to the point two man, he said that when they were designing the air jacket they used a Racesafe as the main protector as this is a very popular make and quite flexible.

My experience with body protectors isn't that big, I was recommended a racesafe one and bought it, then for home use I bought another style racesafe online (not the panelled one) and it was so uncomfortable I sold it on ebay a month later and went and bought another RS2000 style for home use!

the racesafe comes in a variety of colour - I bought mine off treehouse sporting colours
 
i have a airowear one, with the velcro on the sides. i found it much more confortable than a zip one when trying it on (obviously ones like the racesafe ones bend a lot so probably will be more comfy), it's not so good you can't feel it when your riding but it doesn't restrict me much and its made of memory foam, unlike my old one which i literally couldn't move with the horse in! probably caused me to fall off more than without one! :eek: (i only wear it at the riding school where i jump xc/bigger/ride more challenging horses)
 
Kan, definitely. hugely superior protection, as well as being comfortable (actually helps posture I think because the back is so beautifully shaped to the torso)
or RP. they have brought out a new one with additional spine protection.
imho the Racesafe is just not protective enough for eventing. it's fab for racing, great for jockeys who are so so unlikely to be thrown against a hard curved object (such as a xc fence), but not for event riders, who face totally different risks.
heaven knows how it passed Beta level 3.
 
FigJam said:
I have an Airowear Outlyne which is very comfy. I think Rideaway can do them in whatever colours you want too! :D I know everyone on here raves about Racesafe, but not convinced that you get the same protection from the wee squares and gaps where the lacing is as you do the larger, solid pieces of foam in other types of BP. Just my opinion though!
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You aren't the only one to think that... ;) ;)
it comes down to physics... if you sustained a blow at the junction of 4 squares, the force wouldn't be dissipated the way it would if it hit a larger piece of foam. the corners of the foam would be forced inwards. the gaps are a worry too.
 
kerilli said:
You aren't the only one to think that... ;) ;)
it comes down to physics... if you sustained a blow at the junction of 4 squares, the force wouldn't be dissipated the way it would if it hit a larger piece of foam. the corners of the foam would be forced inwards. the gaps are a worry too.
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Thank you for putting it into words better than I've ever managed to! :o It just seems logical to me that if you fall onto something solid in the "flexible" Racesafe BP, the small square panels will bend around the shape of the solid thing and not absorb as much impact as a solid piece of foam (eg thinking of my Outlyne which has one piece back panel and then one piece either side of zip on front) which will take more of the hit and transfer less through to me.

Like I said, just my opinion and I can see that their design makes them comfier, but just not safe enough IMO. I barely register my Outlyne once it's on, it really does mould quickly with body heat and doesn't get in the way. Kanteq are meant to be fab also in this respect.
 
I used to have a RP which was great but I recently got a Kan and I wouldn't go back, my other advice is to go and get it fitted somewhere good, I went to a certain large tack shop and they gave me 2 measurements for the same BP inches different within a month of one another. If it's possible I would go to the company's own stand.
 
FigJam said:
Thank you for putting it into words better than I've ever managed to! :o It just seems logical to me that if you fall onto something solid in the "flexible" Racesafe BP, the small square panels will bend around the shape of the solid thing and not absorb as much impact as a solid piece of foam (eg thinking of my Outlyne which has one piece back panel and then one piece either side of zip on front) which will take more of the hit and transfer less through to me.

Like I said, just my opinion and I can see that their design makes them comfier, but just not safe enough IMO. I barely register my Outlyne once it's on, it really does mould quickly with body heat and doesn't get in the way. Kanteq are meant to be fab also in this respect.
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I concour! And when I went to buy one this is what the lady in the tack shop said (and given that it was ££££ more than the aerowear outlyne I ended up with she wasn't trying to make money!) I love my outlyne, really rlexible and comfy and most importantly doens't make you all hot a sticky :D
 
I'm yet another for Kan, we're trying to get them into the shop as IMO they offer great protection and incredibly importantly they are so wearable. I stood at the stand at Blair for ages wearing one and almost forgot I had it on which for me is amazing as I always have to be forced to put a BP on and when I do have it on I do nothing but complain! She had sold out in my size at Blair but when she comes back up to see us I'm definately getting one for myself. You have to get them fitted properly though, as they can be adjusted to fit you.
 
I was wearing a Rodney Powell when I came off six weeks ago jumping.

I came off at the apex of the jump (about two feet, plus an overjump on Dizz's behalf, plus the height of her). Fair amount of forward power/force.

I tried to stand up (don't ask, I wasn't well, which accounts for the fall in the first place!). I had hold of her mane at that point with my right hand. I was spun round, so I was now facing backwards to the direction we were travelling, hit the ground on my feet and then flew backwards on my back along the ground.

The school was a good surface of rubber over sand (very comfortable to lie on lol).

I broke my back at L2, a compression fracture. This, we believe, is from the initial hit on the ground.

However, the part that really hurt was the BP being pushed into my lower back at force. Bad, deep bruising that hurt, a lot. It's across my lower back where the BP ends when it's pushed down. The BP was professionally fitted and seemed, in my limited experience of these things, to fit well.

Now looking for a BP that offers greater back protection.

ETA: The first thing I wanted to do was get teh BP off, I do remember that much.
 
Having seen them in action, another huge vote for the Kan. In fact, Jeanette Brakewell, who wears one, publicly states she doesn't need to wear "anything else". The customer service is second to none, and, unlike other BPs, the Kan foam does not deteriorate over time, requiring you to replace the bp after 2/3 years. Once you've bought, that's it! Wendy is at Blenheim this weekend, and you would be able to try one, and get fitted, as well as seeing some great Eventing!
 
Have to say, I went to Badminton with the full intention of getting a KAN. However, I was offered such lack lustre customer service, was promised an email with the fitting details I would need (didn't seem interested in selling me one there) which never materialised, and was basically treated a bit like an inconvenience tbh. It put me off buying one :( I know everyone really rates Wendy, but I was really disappointed. hey ho! I am looking at the airowear outlyne, or the new rodney powell now for my next BP.
 
i love my Racesafe- it is very comfortable and has protected me very well when i have come off in it (including a horse fall).

the fact it is so comfortable means i wear it a lot more than my old Rodney Powell bp which i would only wear under duress.

as for the gaps in the foam squares- imo not going to be an issue unless i land on something sharp enough and narrow enough to fit into the tiny gaps; something that is not likely at all when falling off a horse in my experience!
 
I have the Racesafe too, bought because its really comfortable and I wear it a lot. I think when I (hopefully) start BE next year i will look into getting a Kan though as I am not convinced how much my racesafe would help if I got rolled on or similar.
 
KatB, all I can say is that Wendy must have been distracted, I've seen her with lots of customers and she's usually very attentive. iirc she's had some let-downs with deliveries from suppliers just before big shows in the past, which left her unable to have every size available immediately - very annoying for her and the customer, obviously. don't give up on a great product just because of 1 bad meeting, please... if you give her a call after Blenheim then she'll take all your measurement details etc etc.
 
My Rodney Powell BP is 8 years old, so def needs to be replaced. I was at Blenheim today and tried on a Kan and a RP. I'm afraid to say I'm not convinced by Racesafe so carried on walking straight past them. I asked the question of both stands as to why should I buy their particularly BP, as there are so many ones around now. The big selling point for Kan was the fact that they need to be replaced, even after a heavy fall. The science of the materials was explained to me, but I'm afraid I don't think I could regurgitate it (too weary after walking the course). The RP stand did a good sales job, but admitted that it would need replacing after 5-7 years and damaged panels would need to be replaced after a fall / kick / etc. I'm only little, so had a childs RP BP fitted and I could move around in it ok, but it felt bulky, restrictive and tight. None the less I almost ordered a new RP, til I tried the Kan back on. It was so much more comfortable, you hardly notie it there. I could well believe that Wendy was v comfotable wearing hers all day long on the stand. I then thought to myself what price do I put on my safety and as my OH pointed out, over 10 years it will cost me about £2 a month! So I've put my order in. Sorry for the long spiel, promise I'm not on commission, was just so impressed by the Kan.
 
Ive just got a Sir Lancelot BP. The are dutch and a new company. It fits very well and is very comfortable when I ride in it. I will need to wear it for a while before I know the full extent of it reliability but will keep you posted.
 
I'm another one for the KAN. I brought one in June/July this year and absolutley love it. Wendy was fantastic and its actually comfortable to wear. After going xc my body protector would always be the first thing i would take off but now it tends to be the last!
 
Another vote for Kan!! I only got a new outlyne at Badminton after trying on both that and a the new RP i have always had RP in the past but the outlyne was alot more comfy so i went with that!! I'd been put of by people in the past saying the kan was heavy ect but it wasnt until we were lucky enough to win a Kan at the Rc champs in Aug as a prize for the all 4 scores to count intermediate champ that i actually tried one on. It is amzing how comfy they are and not at all heavy or bulky, as people have said wendy is lovely very helpful she made sure that she had my perfect fit which meant the standard size needed alterations so she had to send it through the post with another team members. I picked it up yest from the team member and WOW you don't realise the difference until you compare the bodyprotectors one after the other. It's first event will be Burnham Market. Sorry for the long post but tink its worth it!!!
 
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