My adult children insist that I now ride in a safety vest --ideally all the time --but at least hunting. I ride first flight and two hunts ago injured my sternum when my horse stopped suddenly for a hound. He hit my chest with the pommel of the saddle. So I have a safety vest --brand new. Do I put it over my canary vest? Seems like stock tie and vest wouldn’t show --over my coat (I’d need a bigger size) or under my canary vest and stock tie --I sew and can easily add to the sides of the canary vest so it looks proper --and (sigh) I’ve always cut a sender figure on the hunt field —now I will look like a potato --but my adult daughters say it’s better to look like a potato than break my ribs —and as painful as the bruised sternum was, I suppose they are right. So what do you do those of you who wear safety vests?
I don’t but I’ve seen people who hunt with Cheshire and other hunts wear them. On top and under vest. I suppose this would depend on how much effort one wants to put into modifying the vest. Yes, some people look like a potato, lol. Easy to see under a coat from behind.
I just have a regular Tipperary that I use mainly for racing and babies. There are very good racing vest to be had that are much more form fitting that I checked out. Didn’t feel the need to spend the extra $$. But they were really nice.
With some Hunts there was some resistance when people started wearing the large much better safety helmet. Same with safety vest. But that didn’t last long. Safety over vanity.
If the weather and fixture schedule ever cooperate enough for me to take my young horse foxhunting you bet I will wear my XC vest. I will wear it over top. But I hunt with a farmers pack. Mind you they still dress formal during the season but for really cold or wet days they look the other way if you want to throw a real jacket or Outback coat on over your hunt coat. They would rather have you out hunting.
We have a hunt member who wears an air vest over his jacket every hunt. I had a bad accident this year and when I start hunting again, I will definitely use my xc vest (over my jacket). Not that the vest would have helped when my horse fell, but it will make me feel better.
I’m “only” 43 and have something of an advantage in that I’m in darn good shape from my other athletic pursuits. Still, i don’t bounce when I hit the ground anymore. I haven’t been able to afford the capping to go out with my daughter yet. But I intend to wear at least a Tipperary. Maybe an air vest. No one’s
looking at my outfit and I wouldn’t care even if they were. God only gave me one C spine.
I wear an air vest hunting as do a number of other members in our hunt, including a whip and field master. There are also a couple riders who wear the x-country style vest. No shame in protecting yourself.
I’ve been out with 4 different local hunts. All allow safety vests, but merely ask that they be a ‘quiet’ color (black and navy are popular). People typically wear the Tipperary style immediately under the coat and the air vests as an outer layer.
I’m going to be the pedant who reminds everyone that a vest only does so much, so make sure you are ALSO replacing your (well-fitted, approved) helmet frequently enough for it to be useful in a fall, carry emergency ID/medic instructions, make sure your club has an emergency plan, and inspect your tack for wear and tear before each use. I’ve known a lot more people seriously injured by overlooking those things than by not wearing a vest.
Ok did a bad job but have altered my Canary vest to go over my safety vest --will get me by for tomorrow. Meanwhile, I’m on the hunt for a bigger light weight coat . …anyone want to trade a 16 Tall for an 18 Tall or men’s 42 or so?
You are absolutely correct! I’ve never worn a vest except for XC and never in all my years of riding had a fall where a vest would have protected me. I am religious about my helmets! However, coming back from a fall that caused a broken collar bone, a broken ankle and a fractured knee (none of which would have been prevented by the vest), I’ve found the idea of wearing one reassuring. Just goes to show, it’s not logical. I still haven’t read enough stats to make me think an air vest is worth the hassle and the $$ but I understand why people wear them.
A good number of folks out with us wear the air vests. The only comment made about them in our field is to help make sure the wearers unplug before dismounting!
I know lots and lots of people who do. Over their hunt coat. My husband had his coat altered with elastic over the buttons or something to accommodate the expansion. I’d wear it over your coat.
Don’t know if this link will work --but here’s a video of yesterday’s hunt --FYI I’m the rider coming off the bridge in the first few minutes that looks like a potato on horseback. https://www.facebook.com/BattleCreekHunt/
I think Helite makes an airbag that zips into a hunt coat. I remember seeing a Melton style jacket advertised for foxhunters but don’t see it on their website. It is kind of a novel concept to have something you can zip in and out of different vests/jackets, whether or not it’s the most effective safety device.
Most everyone I know who wears a vest does so on top of their coats.
Well, I’m committed now to wearing my safety vest under my hunt clothes. The event riders I asked were unanimous in their feeling that I should wear one as close to my skin as possible. Remember, this is not an airbag (which would not have prevented my bruised sternum as I never left the saddle) --this is the kind that looks like a vest and zips up. Secondly, if I’m going to be serious about wearing it, I’ll be wearing it winter AND summer --a vest so large it would fit over my hunting meltons would be entirely too big to wear over a T shirt on a summer day while doing a few fences. Thank you for all input --really couldn’t decide on over or under --but I think under will work better for me.
Newer helmets? How old is yours? They should be replaced every 5 years anyway. I event, and I’ve never ever had the vest connect with my helmet, despite riding an acrobatic horse and jumping some pretty hefty fences (and drops, etc). That sounds like the vest is too long in back. Did you have someone fit it for you? May want to look at a different size, or, depending on the vest, cutting it down. Some brands also allow you to custom size by getting a front and back from different base sizes, etc.
Thanks asterix! My helmet is 1) pretty old 2) hand-me-down from Event riding daughter who wears her hair up under it --hence it is a bit big on me. I did switch helmets to a new one and no longer have the problem. Both the event riders said the first helmet was too big for my head and was not on properly. All good now --vest feels pretty good. And I just spent 3 hours altering my canary vest to fit over it.
You definitely do not resemble a potato, but you do look as if you’re having a grand time! Thanks for the thread - it’s a good reminder to wear my own vest more often.
Lots of people wear some sort of vest.
But when my rider fell off at a mis-timed jump, her air vest popped and freaked my horse out she almost jumped out of the arena - my imagination comes into play in a Hunt field.
Horses on the hunt field, like all horses, Foxtrot, seem to respond in a variety of ways to rider falls. My own horse (my older horse, not the one I currently ride first flight) is a legend for jumping over a rider who had fallen in front of a large coop --the rider lay at the base, and my horse, just took a bigger jump clearing her and the coop. A clear lesson to me not to follow so closely! Some horses freeze when the rider becomes separated. Most continue with the “herd” and are rather easily caught. And a few (I think the correct term we use on the hunt field is “jerks”) --trot back to the hunt stable or horse trailers then stand and wait until the rider walks back (and it can be miles) to find them.
No comment on the vest situation but I’m completely enthralled by the foxhunt video you posted.
What a dream of mine! If only I could find a hunt near me. I’ve Googled but not much help.
