Why do they make body protectors so flippin' long??!!

[sidesaddlegirl]

I bought a Charles Owen Ultralite body protector a few weeks ago (a pink one!) and finally got to go riding today after 2 months of being broken and the bl**dy thing is too long in the back!

I tried it on in the tack shop and even sat in a GP wintec and it was fine but riding in my FLAT close contact saddle, it keeps hitting the back of the cantle which causes me to bounce forward like a beginner. I can't sit up straight in it, only lean forward as if I do, with each step Hattie takes, I get jolted forward.

In the end, I opened up the velcro inside and cut 1 1/2" off the bottom of the back foam. The thing is, I'm not even short! I'm 5'9" so goodness help those who are shorter than me with wearing one.

Why do they make them so long if they are even too long for tall people?

 

[rhino]

I found that as well, although I am a shortarse!

I ended up getting a racesafe one which was made specially short in the back. I love it

 

[Pedantic]

My first body protector I cut off some of the bottom as it really got on my nerves, my new one is a bit of a pain unless I keep it tight so it stays close to me and misses the back of the saddle, basically as far as makers are concerned we all have necks like Marti Pellew.

 

[Bosworth]

Thats why they should be fitted carefully by experts, i have a Rodney powell, and I had it made specifically to my size. I used to sell them in my shop and it was frightening watching parents fitting them on their children. A long body protector is dangerous, at best it stops you sitting correctly. At worse it lifts up and smacks teh back of the riding hat forcing that forward and causing more problems. Dont buy off the shelf, unless there is an option on back /front length and widths.

 

[YorksG]

I have never found a BP that fits me, they are all too long in the back, now admittedly I do not have a long back, but always end up taking them out of the cover and chopping lumps off the bottom of it. Sister has a kantec which she thinks is wonderful, but I can't afford one!

 

[Dubsie]

All I can think is the person fitting it wasn't experienced enough and advised you the wrong size, or the shop tried to fit a size/style they had even though it didn't suit - this was our experience.

We have an adult xs BP we were advised was the right size by a not very good shop with a limited range. It is just completely the wrong body shape for my 11 year old daughter (who already has a bust), but the XL childs was wrong too - simply that style doesn't suit her, not that she needed bigger, this is just so wide being designed for a wider person! I now feel they said it was the right fit in order to get a sale, simply because it was the only one they had that appeared to be about the right sort of inbetween child/adult size (she was 5ft 2 or so at the time). She rode in it once and it was too uncomfortable as there was too much bulk of bp under the arms, so it came off after 2 minutes and she went back to her old, too small one. We went to another shop with a wider choice and the fitter found a perfect fit in another make, which we're very pleased with.