Protective vests for kids? AKA I feel I almost killed my kid...

[poltroon]

[QUOTE=NancyM;7532348]
If you are OK looking at your child who is perminently damaged due to a preventable injury for the rest of that childs (and your) life because you didn’t bother to use available protective gear, don’t bother with using the gear available, and enjoy the life you have selected for yourself and your child.[/QUOTE]

IMHO, a little harsh.

Vests don’t have nearly the testing and evidence behind them that helmets do. If you want to put a vest on your kid, great. If you don’t, that’s not an irrational choice.

With respect, it’s also not strictly necessary for a six year old child to be riding at all. At that age, it’s difficult for them to really “get” riding. Even at age 7/8 the additional maturity really benefits them, and they’re more able to look out for their own safety. But I don’t think any of us would mock a parent whose younger child was hurt in a horse-related accident as having poor judgement.

We all make our choices about when and how to get our kids riding and there’s not a one-size-fits-all answer.

[NoSuchPerson]

At the last horse show I went to, there were two young ladies in the lower level jumpers who were wearing vests, so I think they are getting more common.

I wear a protective vest. After the first few minutes, I don’t even notice it. I’ve fallen off once since I started wearing it. I landed on my right side and, while I ended up with a huge bruise on my hip and a scraped elbow, I had absolutely no bruising or even sore spots on the part of my body covered by the vest. I’m glad I was wearing it.

[OnDeck]

[QUOTE=Nezzy;7529268]

OP your child already seems fine, don’t overanalyze. it’s all good. Think back to when we were kids. Heck, Helmets were not even required anywhere and if you wore one, you were called a dork. we all survived the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. i think today’s kids are a bit too overprotected. they can’t learn to land, if we don’t let them learn to fall.[/QUOTE]

Everyone did not survive the 60s/70s/80s. Not everyone is surviving the 2010s. Hence the push for helmets. We aren’t talking about seat belts on saddles, we’re talking about a jumping vest. People can and do die from falling from horses, helmets and vests do save lives.

[NancyM]

[QUOTE=Dewey;7533146]
Great post, Nancy.[/QUOTE]

ROTFLMAO not everyone agrees with you. I have been called harsh. Yes, it is harsh to make a poor decision, and have to live with the consequences and re live the preventable accident for decades afterwards. Very harsh, for everyone involved.

[Lisa_Cook]

I’ve fallen off with vest and fallen off without vest. They do make a difference.

I understand your feelings, though, and it doesn’t really change as they grow older. Last year when my 16 year old took a bad fall ski racing, lacerating his spleen, damaging a lung, ICU visit, etc, I suggested several times afterwards that he wear his xc riding vest under his ski race suit. Yeah, he laughed at me. Repeatedly. But I know how you feel!

[jloverin]

disagree with vests dont do anything but agree they may not help with ribs depending

I wear my 30 year old event vest all the time and it has saved my bacon a few times - once when a horse ran over top of me. legs took a beating but chest fine. The hit air is supposed to be worn over a vest. While it would have not helped my ribs in the fall I had 1 week before purchase - it would have definitely saved my severely damaged neck from whip lash ect. which is still not healed and it has been a year. I waited to buy a hit air because of cost… spent WAY more in physio from the one fall. I believe in SMART RISK - safe horse, safety equipement. Does not hurt to wear it and can always help. I know my son downhill mountain bikes and wanted one of those neck brace things… and I thought "really??? expensive etc. But then I thought how could I fogive myself in anything happened. I don’t think you will ever be sorry you wear one… any age! And while on my band wagon… when I the last time you replaced your helmet? Severe fall and fortunately had a GREAT new helmet … no head issues! Yeah

[QUOTE=Nezzy;7529268]
i really cannot see how those vests do anything except maybe cushion a landing. Maybe. if you hit hard enough, you will still have broken ribs. if a horse steps on you, the vest will not protect you.

i am guessing, If the child of the OP was asked if they want to wear a protective vest, they might say ‘yes’ the first time, but ‘no’ every time after. they are hot, and feel weird.

OP your child already seems fine, don’t overanalyze. it’s all good. Think back to when we were kids. Heck, Helmets were not even required anywhere and if you wore one, you were called a dork. we all survived the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. i think today’s kids are a bit too overprotected. they can’t learn to land, if we don’t let them learn to fall.[/QUOTE]

[danceronice]

[QUOTE=Nezzy;7529268]
i really cannot see how those vests do anything except maybe cushion a landing. Maybe. if you hit hard enough, you will still have broken ribs. if a horse steps on you, the vest will not protect you. [/QUOTE]

I was going to say, it helps with hitting the ground but as the PBR cowboys can tell you, a dead-on stepped on situation a vest won’t do squat. You’ll still get organ lacerations, crushed ribs, etc. I’ve thought about getting one if I intended to try riding the pasture puff (sound for light work and much more prone to horsie ADHD than Lucky) but I recognize it wouldn’t help if he went over backwards or crushed me against something.

If it makes you feel better, sure, but it’s not actually addressing getting stepped on.

[Calvincrowe]

Hm. I’ve crashed twice in mine, both hard landings, the last one onto a rail on the ground. While not a horse stepping on me, I can tell you I had no bruises, pain or damage. I disagree that a vest does nothing in a step on situation. A bull rider is facing a 3000 pound bull, not a horse. And, honestly, how often do we horsemen get stepped on, on our torsos? Not what the vests are designed for, but certainly wearing one will minimize damage. Would you poo poo helmets because they crush under the weight of a horse hoof?

[Pennywell_Bay]

Well, no vest yet. But update: kiddo still “riding” as in getting on said naughty pony (who’s not typically naughty). Pony went to trainer for a tune up, which he needed. Even went out for a real trail ride at the local horse park with a kid on him. Kiddo is going to camp and riding lots of different ponies. Just an aside, I admit I used to look at vests a little with my nose in the air. I saw a rider at an A show with one on and thought “Damn she looks good.” This exeprience just changed my view on certain safety option available to us.

[Calvincrowe]

I just did a week at an A show in the jumpers, in my vest, with nary a funny look. Airowear is making a show jumpers vest now, intended to be worn discreetly over a hunt coat. I’ll always wear an approved vest, every ride. The difference between coming off in one and without one taught me that they do work to reduce or eliminate injuries.

[KBC]

I wear my vest every time I ride, I felt strange to start with, now I would be lost without it. Kids need to be kids and to go out and do risky things, parents should be doing their best to take reasonable precautions to protect them, helmet and vest seem very reasonable when riding, same as choosing the right mount for them, it all helps.

[danceronice]

[QUOTE=Calvincrowe;7664820]
Hm. I’ve crashed twice in mine, both hard landings, the last one onto a rail on the ground. While not a horse stepping on me, I can tell you I had no bruises, pain or damage. I disagree that a vest does nothing in a step on situation. A bull rider is facing a 3000 pound bull, not a horse. And, honestly, how often do we horsemen get stepped on, on our torsos? Not what the vests are designed for, but certainly wearing one will minimize damage. Would you poo poo helmets because they crush under the weight of a horse hoof?[/QUOTE]

Even a lightweight animal (700ish lbs) stepping on you with one foot or kicking you in the chest with one foot is directing all that weight to a small surface area. No, plastic foam will not save you. I wear a helmet to prevent long-term brain damage and slow-bleed deaths. Vests may save you from cracked ribs, they’re not going to keep you out of surgery if a ca. 1000lbs animal’s single, 6" foot comes down with all thos e pounds PSI on your liver. Sure, helmets and vests prevent some things. But you can bubble-wrap to your heart’s content and you’ll still die/see a kid get killed from the really dangerous accidents. Straight step to the chest, a forward fall landing on the neck…heck, non-fatally there’s not a piece of protective equipment in the world that would have helped the fall that misaligned my hip. My right leg is “shorter” than my left because of it and it does affect how I walk and joint deterioration on that side.

Sure, wear a vest. Just don’t kid yourself. No safety equipment on earth will prevent every injury or render the worst ones non-fatal.

[KBC]

[QUOTE=danceronice;7665316]

Sure, wear a vest. Just don’t kid yourself. No safety equipment on earth will prevent every injury or render the worst ones non-fatal.[/QUOTE]

That is true of course, but safety equipment improves your odds of surviving, or being less damaged, so when it comes to the kids I just like to try and manipulate the odds in their favour.

Now if someone could only invent a vest that would prevent my 30 year old kid having his heart broken by the wicked witch of the west…