Why do you think the air vests create more danger? I’ve never seen one outside of pictures or videos, so I’m not disagreeing, just curious as to what danger they could cause.
JER or one of the other brilliant minds on here can probably explain better/more eloquently than I can, but if the vest inflates and you’ve suffered a neck or spinal injury (e.g. if the horse falls with/on you and the lanyard doesn’t detatch since you haven’t “separated” enough from the horse), it can cause a displacement of your spine/neck and cause more damage.
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Interesting, Thank you.
If you search on this forum, there was a thread about a recent study that reviewed all FEI fall data and found a 1.7 times increased of risk of severe to fatal injury when wearing an air vest as compared to just a standard protector. I have it on my computer, but the thread here has a good discussion about pros and cons.
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Thanks. That was some interesting reading. I can see the point if you have an injury as you land and THEN the lanyard gets pulled… all bets are off on that being better. I’m in no shape to go tackle a xc course anytime soon, but was curious. I have always felt better about the hunter/jumper ring because those fences are made to come down if hit. I know rotational falls can still happen, but I imagine it’s more prevalent with solid obstacles.
I suggest you read the study. It’s not just about failure of the airvest inflating before impact.
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Having read through it all, this thing looks like a marketing scam. There’s no proof they’ll prevent injury, they’ve statistically increased injury if anything, but hey, it might make some people feel safer, so let’s market these.
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I was very happy to read in the latest Chronicle the article “Vested Interest”. It pretty much agrees with the info Rayers posted. You won’t see me in one - just wish the exo I bought fit me.
Mary in Western NY
http://www.bpequine.com
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Maybe it’s my imagination or I haven’t been looking in the ‘right’ places, but it seems to me like there is less advertisement/pushing of air vests going on now than there was a couple years ago.
Fall mechanics aside, I really dislike how loud the vests are when they deploy. IMO the last thing a horse needs when sh*t is going sideways and he’s trying to stay upright is a very loud “POP-hisssssssss” right in his ears. I’m sure not all horses mind it, but I could certainly imagine the addition of a sudden loud noise very close by making an unseated rider more likely to get stepped on or dragged, or a horse more likely to panic if he gets hung up.
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Too bad I don’t subscribe anymore, that’s one I would actually like to read!
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I’m dropping this link here for reference, looks like an interesting study, but if you looka t Appendix 1., I think there may be more names for the list that I don’t have, of those who died after a time due to injuries sustained while eventing.
Lots of good resources in the bototm too I need to read when I have time.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4773740/
Interesting fact, 2 sets of siblings have died riding/eventing. Stephen & Sam Moore/ Mia & Shana Erikkson
EN just reported the death of Amazing at Millstreet: https://eventingnation.com/lucy-jackson-takes-millstreet-erm-win-u-s-contingent-report/
Unusual for them, it is a little footnote at the very end of the article. ☹ï¸
Oh, this is getting so difficult. 
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I did not know about the death in XC Warm Up - I regularly volunteer as steward at our local Central Florida HTs so it will require increased vigilance.
The report gives “rotational fall” as the cause - does anyone know the fence type or have any other pertinent details?
While Burghley is absolute carnage, we have lost an event rider in France.
”The discipline of the complete contest is in mourning with the passing of Thais Meheust.
It is with the greatest sadness that we teach you the passing of Thais meheust who was the victim of a fatal accident this morning on the cross of the 7-Year-old French Championship of horses organized as part of the 5th Stage of the grand national ffe - ac print of the pine at haras.
Thais Meheust and his shaman horse dumontceau were victims of a fall on the obstacle no. 2 of the cross course.
Selected and medallist many times at the European Championships ponies, juniors and young riders, 22-Year-old Thais, has been a competitor for several years on the national and international circuit.
She won mid-June her first pro elite in saumur with quamilha
Serge Lecomte, President of the ffe, all elected members, Sophie Dubourg, National Technical Director, Michel Asseray, Deputy Technical Director in charge of the full competition, Thierry Touzaint, National Full competition breeder, the technical staff of the Federation French horse riding As well as the EPA - haras national du pin, organizer of the stage associate with the pain of the family and loved ones of Thais.”
https://www.facebook.com/415048975292993/posts/1737672816363929?sfns=mo
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Can’t say for sure Thais was wearing an air vest for this fall but a quick glance at her social media suggests she wore one pretty regularly.
I don’t own one and am becoming increasingly convinced to never buy one. I know they take a fair bit of pressure to deploy and I wonder how that affects your trajectory when falling. It seems possible it could keep you closer to your horse - which is certainly undesirable.
Quentin Judge, who is sponsored by Horsepilot, was spouting the incredible safety and protection offered by their new air jackets on social media yesterday. I felt my soul cry a little bit as the comments would suggest that people were taking the word of a top rider very seriously.
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Ditto. That’s 3 or 4 deaths and all riders wearing air vests.
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Sadly, what killed Thais was the fact that her horse fell on top of her. So air vest or not… and she was wearing one. Everyone in the French Eventing community is devastated.
And, yes, today’s Burghley xc was absolute carnage.
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Link? I’d like to be one of the dissenters, please. (Or at least say, “So which peer-reviewed scientific study are you referring to?” :lol:)
I asked him on his post whether he had any scientific studies to prove that they actually help. I’ll let you know if he decides to respond… :lol:
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