I’ve been out of the US now for a long time (since 2006!!) and I’m seeing more body protectors or at least back protectors in use here over the past few years in jumper classes.
Do the kids in the hunter world just not wear them ever or only when schooling?
Those biddies can protect themselves.
In my opinion, the more protection the better! I have used my cross country vest when stadium jumping. I have it, might as well use it.
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I really only see body protector/vests in eventing or the occasional older amateur. None of the hunter kids at the 2 barns I am most familar with ride in them either at home and absolutely not at shows. I doubt anyone in my current barn but the 2 eventors in the barn own jump vests and it is a 50 stall barn. Forty of those stalls are hunters or jumpers.
At the last barn I was at there were 3 women that rode in vest. All older and 2 of them had major wrecks. The third only uses it for xc riding and xc jumping. That was a 20 stall mostly pleasure riding barn.
A BNR wore one at WEF (and has). She rocked and won multiple classes. My kid wears one, hasn’t in the ring yet but we aren’t opposed.
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I wear one in the hunter ring, but I am one of the older amateurs referred to. I don’t care what anyone thinks, but no one has ever said anything negative to me directly. My coach, who is not opposed to the vest herself, did tell me once that some of the judges may not like it. They are not supposed to penalize for the vest, but I realize that people can’t help being unconsciously subjective. I am willing to risk looking a bit unconventional for extra safety. I also flatter myself that I’m serving as a role model in wearing it.
The vest I wear is black and very slim. It’s not that noticeable in photographs, especially when I wear a black jacket.
I have never seen a young person wearing one in the hunter ring. I think peer pressure is pretty strong for a lot of them.
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Sandy Ferrell wears one after breaking her back in several places in a fall a few years ago. She’s really the only person I can think of, I sometimes randomly see them on other riders at shows.
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My daughter wore one for a few years in the hunter (pony) ring. She was little, had taken a few dramatic falls (although thankfully never hurt herself badly) and I was nervous for her safety. We had a slim fitting vest so the “picture” was still nice and she had her fair share of wins, so I don’t think the judges penalized her for it. She was too young back then to care about peer pressure. She doesn’t wear it anymore, which is due to a combination of her being a better rider with a better base of support and having a more honest pony (i.e. fewer falls). I have, rarely, seen another kid here or there wearing one in the ring, either hunters or jumpers, but it is still definitely the exception to the rule. At least around here it isn’t so unheard of that people would be aghast to see you wearing one, so I say if it makes you feel safer, go for it.
Definitely not unheard of, I’ve seen older adults and younger kids wearing them. I know several eventers who always jump in their vests.
I will say one thing though. Accidents happen, even the best riders fall off, but I know one woman who is always posting on facebook advocating for everyone always wearing helmets and vests and it drives me nuts because of this :
a) she’s a green rider who bought a green horse who is too much for her
b) she has the worst base of support, I cringe at her pictures and videos
c) she doesn’t understand that if she backed up a step and improved her equitation that she wouldn’t be falling off every week.
Anyway, she’s the exception.
I wouldn’t be opposed to wearing some sort of vest if it were made mandatory. I have a Tipperary vest for the odd time that I take my hunters out cross country schooling, but it’s very hot. If I were ever going to start wearing one more often I’d invest in a more breathable air vest.
You go, Dewey! You’re absolutely right. It’s going to start somewhere, right? Back in the day, SOMEONE had to be the first to wear an approved helmet that actually strapped on. Maybe someday vests and other protective equipment will be commonplace. I’m wearing mine more often.
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I rode right past Sandy Farrell in hers and didn’t even notice it until I was about a stride away. Black body protector with a black jacket is pretty subtle if you’ve got a slim fitting one, and I’m pretty sure the rules specifically say judges can’t penalize for them, if that’s someone’s worry.
Having previously boarded with eventers for the better part of a decade, and did some eventing myself, I will say that it was rare to see an eventer in a body protector outside of an XC/show situation. Unless you had an issue you were concerned about–recovering from an injury, a green horse–most people weren’t wearing one regularly there, either.
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I wear one every ride, flat or jumping and have shown both hunters and jumpers in my (rated). I have gotten a few side-eye looks and patronizing smiles over the years but I just don’t care. I always chat with anyone who asks what it is or why I wear it, and praise kids/parents who have their kids use them, too.
I have a slim fitting, British Airowear one designed to go over a black hunt coat and it’s not terribly “turtle shell” like. I’m one of the older ladies who’ve taken one too many falls. Trust me, even a simple roll over the shoulder, thump on the ground type fall can leave devastating injuries (see my “lacerated kidney” thread…). A vest can only do so much, but the fewer bruises or broken bits the better!
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My eldest wears one for jumping or trail rides (she likes a good blast in the woods) but she’s still little and I don’t want to see her hurt. I may cave when she gets older but luckily a lot of her peers wear them too and she’s now got one made of lots of smaller pieces instead of a front and back panel so I think she’s actually comfortable in it. We do have to really strip her down when she wears it.
My daughter (12 yr old) wears one. She started wearing it about a year and a half ago after a fall. I felt she would be less nervous getting back on the horse if she felt a little protected.
She’s actually only had one fall in it which was recently and I think it did give her a softer landing. And it didnt shake her confidence at all which is a big difference from previous falls that caused her to be nervous.
She is the only kid at the barn who wears one but other parents ask me about it. I’m kind of proud of her that she wears no matter what anyone else thinks/says (it helps she is one of the more active riders at the barn). She doesnt wear it in the summer because it is hot, but she wears it the rest of the year. She has only done 1 show and she did not wear it for that but it was very low level stuff - there was a woman at that show that wore one which I think made my daughter feel good that it is okay if she wants to wear it.
We watch a lot of horse you tube videos and I have noticed videos from other countries of kids jumping the vests seem much more common than in the US.
This is exactly what i say- if it can reduce the cuts and bruises and reduce the chances of a cracked rib (and keep my kid in gym class the next day after a fall) then why not wear it.
We have a tack shop client whose son is just starting out in the Modified Children’s and such; they bought an Airowear for him. Given that he’s a young boy riding the hunters, I don’t think he’s terribly concerned with bucking the norm. Wearing a vest is not common, but it’s pretty darn smart, IMO. Though I’ve never worn one in the show ring, he and others will get zero side eye from me (as a mom of young kids, and as an amateur who no longer bounces quite as well as I used to and has more responsibilities).
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I am a USEF R hunter & equitation judge and you are correct, judges are not supposed to penalize for safety vests. I applaud anyone who wears one…and you are right, peer pressure is a tough one to overcome. While a safety vest will not prevent all types of injuries, there is nothing wrong with a rider wanting to reduce the risks. I wear an ASTM approved helmet when I show in western pleasure and I definitely get some interesting looks. I don’t care. I only get one brain! 
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PS- I have one and I do NOT look slim in it, def not like Sandy…
I kinda look like a Graham Cracker with a helmet.
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We have a very safety conscious Pony Club on site, and they focus in eventing, so the kids are acquiring vests. I’ve noticed a few girls wearing them as standard gear for schooling or even handwalking.
Also girls being told by their parents to put on helmets before they even enter the stall. Nobody is jumping more than 2 feet.
I also have an adult re-rider friend who swears by her vest to completely stop boob bounce.
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I would never have known you were wearing a vest if you didn’t mention it and you are a great role model!
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