protective vests

[appendix100]

I am getting old. The IDEA of getting dumped is starting to affect my actual riding. I am working on getting out of my own head, but am considering almost anything I can do to help. With that note, I’m looking at protective vests. Definately would like one w/ more rather than less neck protection.

Have a couple of questions.

1. looking at the HIT inflatable vest. anyone with any experience w/ that one or others that can give me pros/cons/experience w/ use?
2. any recommendations on the inflatables generally
3. is it possible to wear them under a hunt coat in the show ring? My biggest concern is what happens if it is deployed under the coat? I don’t care if the coat is ruined, I just don’t want to be suffocated by the expansion or have it not expand properly. Along the same lines, during the summer over clothes is fine, but in the winter if we are out on the trail & a coat is required, what happens? How does that work?
4. If the inflatables just don’t work under a hunt coat, are there any static options that would?

Thank you for any help you can provide.
Kind of depressing when I think about the kind of things I used to do as a kid. (bareback, hop on anything, rode without girths, no helmet, no sticky pants, etc. Rarely fell off & seemed to manage to land on my feet when I did… times have changed sigh).

[asterix]

I don’t think it is a great idea to try and wear an air vest under anything even remotely fitted. Some kind of big puffy winter coat with lots of extra room, sure. Otherwise you should wear it outside. Unless you buy a combo vest, the straight air vests are designed to be worn on top of a regular vest.
You would probably be better off getting a regular vest - you would need to size up your hunt coat to fit it under, but it could be done, and you could safely wear it under winter layers and so on.

[Blugal]

No vest offers neck protection.

Here is a thread on air vest, studies about them and regular vests, potential pros and cons, and of course lots of opinions:
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/eventing/10408885-finally-an-air-vest-study-air-vest-users-should-read-this

My opinion is based on scientists’ that I respect. They say that air vests do not provide neck protection, collarbone protection, crushing protection, or protection against certain types of fractures of the spine which are not from direct contact; and that air vests may in fact, contribute to injuring you.

[appendix100]

thank you.

[anon40672407]

I got the pro-air hunter style (more jackety and less air-tube-y) in red. It’s a refurb from the vendor, so I paid about 2/3 price. It is made to be worn over the coat.

[appendix100]

So now more questions. I know vests have been discussed extensively, but if anyone is willing to put in their 2cents on options I would appreciate it. Think I am going to just go with a passive vest, but there are so many to choose from & they ALL look really bulky. Tack stores in my area don’t carry many choices, if any at all.

Are there any sites that show them on the riders? that would help.
Personal experiences please. I think I would like to go with a rated vest, but I am not riding XC anymore. Just working on getting back over fences, back up to about 2’. I have never worn a vest, so I’m thinking until I acclimate they will all feel bulky & restrictive.

Of course all of the ads say their vest is lightweight, cool, & non-restrictive. I’m going to call BS on that.
Help please! I have no idea where to even start. If I could not feel like the Michelin man or like I’m in a straight jacket that would be good.

so far the ones that seem most interesting to me just looking on line are:
charles ownen jl9
racesafe provet 3
aieowear flexion
kanteq
tipperary XP

[Janet]

Personally, I like my Kanteq. It is a little bit of a hassle getting it on (I sometimes have to ask someone to help with the zipper). But once it is on I barely notice.

I am 66, and I only wear vest when I am competing or schooling cross country (or riding a horse with known behavior issues). But I ALWAYS wear a helmet.

[gardenie]

Good on you for looking at more protection. Also consider ensuring you have good hormone levels which in my experience keep the body more resilient and your courage and energy levels more like that of one’s younger years. Testosterone and estrogen are depleted at menopause. Find a doctor who is good at bio identical hormones. Good luck.

[pk1027]

I started wearing the hit-air for every ride. I also have a Tipperary vest I will wear for cross country with the airvest over it. I feel more secure with the airvest on and at least it offers more protection than nothing. I have a bit of a rowdy 4 year old now who bucks a bit so I feel better I found it on ebay for an affordable price. Just forget to unclip before getting off!

[horseshorseshorseshorses]

I love my race safe. Fits well to the body and is well ventilated. Most people who try it on also like it

[alhunt]

Tipperary Eventer Pro vest is my favorite!

[sherian]

I wear an tipperary eventer pro, it do wear it under a show coat, feels a bit restrictive the first time you put it on,but you adjust pretty quickly and it isn’t bulky

[the_rook]

I have both a Charles Owen AirMesh and a Champion Ti22 body protector. The Champion one has blocks similar to the Tipperary which makes it really flexible, but is Beta 3 certified unlike Tipperary (it is one solid piece of foam with indents rather than individual blocks). The Charles Owen one is kind of a flat piece of foam on each side and is also Beta 3 certified. Neither one is my favorite thing to wear because I hate tight fitting things and I get hot easily but honestly you get used to it pretty quick. You just have to get over it the first time or two and then it’s not so bad. However, of the two I feel like the Champion vest seems more thoughtfully constructed.

Doversaddlery.com has pictures of the AirMesh vest on some people, and Toklat.com has the Ti22 vest pictured on people as well.

Just as a note - body protectors are actually made to protect your organs, and any reduction in bone breakage or bruising is a plus. An injury to an organ is usually life threatening (think kidney rupture) whereas a broken collarbone or rib usually is not.

[Foxglove]

I wear a Tipperary pretty much every time I ride here at home because I ride alone where no one would see me if I came off. I also wear it when I fox hunt. When I first decided to wear one after falling and cracking ribs on a fence at the hunt, (DR told me not to crack ribs again --I’m an old lady) --I asked the event riders at the club for suggestions --two of them are MDs and one an orthopedic surgeon. The suggestion was the Tipperary --and wear it as close to the skin as possible --that meant under hunt clothes. Two reasons: better protection and I wouldn’t need two vests --over my hunt clothes -shirt, vest, coat --I’d need a size larger than I would in the summer wearing it over a single shirt. My hunt coat is a triple lined wool monster designed for very cold riding that we have in MI all winter long. It would take a whopping big vest to fit over that. And, as a fox hunter, like many, I’m all about “the picture” —we dress a certain way to look the part when we hunt. A green helmet or purple stock tie does affect “the picture” and enjoyment of the day (at least for me, and since everyone who hunts formally dresses correctly, I’ll assume I am not the only one). I didn’t want to spoil “the picture” for others with a vest over my coat. So, most reluctantly, I bought a vest and remade all my hunt attire to fit over it. This was hard for me because I have struggled all my life to p resent a slender figure on my horse. I felt I looked like a pumpkin riding in the vest. Amazingly, after I saw a video of the hunt, I realized that only I could tell the difference. The coats I use (one heavy, one light) are cut and tailored so I present a respectable appearance. I felt better about wearing the vest after that. My vest goes over my shirt, but under my vest and stock tie.

I will warn you that the vest is a bit addicting. I LOVE the warmth it adds —it is the first thing I put on and the last I take off before the club meets for brunch after the hunt. I find it comfortable here at home, too.

I do not wear it to do Mounted Archery (some wear air vests for that) because it affects my draw --but I would if it did not.

[lizathenag]

FWIW, I am 68 and have worn a protective vest for years (decades!). I used to have a Tipperary laced side vest but have used a Charles Owen’s vest with sides since 2002. Probably not made anymore. You might be able to see it in my profile pic. At any rate, I have had two bad falls that have resulted in broken ribs (once with a punctured lung but I digress). My understanding is ribs often break because you land on your arm. So I think rib protection is important.

[RAyers]

@the_rook

…
Just as a note - body protectors are actually made to protect your organs, and any reduction in bone breakage or bruising is a plus. An injury to an organ is usually life threatening (think kidney rupture) whereas a broken collarbone or rib usually is not.

No. Flip that around. Vests can NOT protect internal organs. They will slosh around on impact just as easily with a vest as without. A kidney can be ruptured without direct impact simply by rabid deceleration.

Vests are ONLY tested to meet puncture resistance and coverage. There are no real tests as to how a vest can reduce internal focus on organs, unlike helmets and their testing.

[the_rook]

@RAyers

No. Flip that around. Vests can NOT protect internal organs. They will slosh around on impact just as easily with a vest as without. A kidney can be ruptured without direct impact simply by rabid deceleration.

Vests are ONLY tested to meet puncture resistance and coverage. There are no real tests as to how a vest can reduce internal focus on organs, unlike helmets and their testing.

The body protector vests are designed to reduce overall impact to your internal cavity, so they can and do reduce impact to your internal organs. https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/vested-interest-know-about-body-protectors-air-vests The reason I mentioned this is because people often refer to body protectors as “back protectors” which isn’t the entirety of what they are intended to do (because obviously it can’t cover the entire spine) and are often concerned with spine or neck injury but don’t think about other organ damage due to impact trauma.

While internal organs are less structured than bones, they do have membranes that keep them in place (which can tear…).

[RAyers]

@the_rook while I am not going to argue your attempted point, as a member of ASTM, I can sure you, the industry can’t design or test vests in a way that determines if they protect internal organs.

Testing can examine possible torso force reduction, however, these tests are so oversimplified as to not be relevant to the real world applications, e.g. only examines the external crushing forces on a torso but not organ forces or accelerations. Thus, it becomes incumbent to the manufacturers to prove if they reduce internal organ damage. But, as several people mentioned in the article and I discussed the last time there was a vest symposium, this is also an impossible (even if it could be done affordably) task.

[the_rook]

@RAyers

@the_rook while I am not going to argue your attempted point, as a member of ASTM, I can sure you, the industry can’t design or test vests in a way that determines if they protect internal organs.

Testing can examine possible torso force reduction, however, these tests are so oversimplified as to not be relevant to the real world applications, e.g. only examines the external crushing forces on a torso but not organ forces or accelerations. Thus, it becomes incumbent to the manufacturers to prove if they reduce internal organ damage. But, as several people mentioned in the article and I discussed the last time there was a vest symposium, this is also an impossible (even if it could be done affordably) task.

What about BETA testing and certification? I don’t have any insight into ASTM testing of vests.

[fanfayre]

@the_rook
RAyers is a TRUE expert in the field of testing science! (See his avatar). Believe him and trust what he says is accurate, although I will admit to thinking “this is gonna be GREAT” :winkgrin: when I saw you were arguing with HIM, of all people :lol: