body protectors?

[danielb]

Why are body protectors worn? Just curious as I see some people wearing them and some not? Is it to protect against getting kicked or falling when riding?

Daniel

[taffy]

i wear mine every time i ride incase i fall off. I dont think they can protect you very well from being kicked.

[amylou_84]

people wear them for riding incase they fall off and mainly when learning to jump! i was going to get one but iv fallen off once and survived and they are expensive so i just do without! its mainly a matter of how safe u feel and if u are prone to falling off! depends on ** confidence really!

amy :D

[maverick927]

Body protectors do help if your kicked. I was kicked on the lower back by a little pony one time. It wasn't very hard but it didn't hurt at all and I wasn't left with a bruise.

I do wear mine for XC only basically because of the solid fences. the back protector gives support.

[Helen_G]

I always wear mine out hacking, sometimes when jumping and hardly ever when schooling. Personally I would say they are a good investment I know at least 2 people who it stopped becoming permanantley disabled and 1 girl whose life it saved when you think about it how much is your life really worth!

[bobbo]

I wore it for all of my riding including lessons, but after a while I started to notice that it was making my posture very stiff and altogether wrong. It felt really restrictive. I asked my instructor and she gave me some advice, but I don't wear it anymore because it makes me stiff.

I think they are a great idea, especially when hacking out, and particularly on roads, but be very careful what kind you buy and try as many as you can for fit. Also, in a shop try it on but make sure you sit as you would on a horse, most shops have a saddle in to try it out.

I think if I had done this where I got mine from I would have tried a few more and ended up with a better one, I don't wear mine very often now and it was £75 so I feel a bit foolish - we live and learn!! I think I will sell mine on to someone who it fits properly and then buy a different one for myself.

[james]

The 2nd time I wore my body protector, my horse reared up (in the school) and I was thrown off and landed on the fence. I would probably have broken my collar bone without it. Now, I only wear it for hacks in the woods as it is too hot an restrictive.

[Em 1]

I wear my body protector every time I ride an unfamiliar or unpredictable horse. Although I very rarely fall I have had a couple of nasty falls and have been very thankful that I was wearing a body protector. They are made so that the foam material absorbs and therefore spreads, the pressure of impact. If you think of the dent an elephant would make in the ground when wearing stilletoes compared to just with their own feet, you get the idea - a small surface area concentrates the pressure making the damage greater!

If you find them particularly restrictive you might need to try another size or make. Mine is very comfortable all the time although it is very hot in the summer. It's a bit like wearing a hat - it depends on how much you value your body!

[Debutante]

There's an interesting thread in the 'MATURE RIDERS' forum called 'Body Protectors'. It was started by Stella2 on August 22 and it discusses the pros and cons of wearing body protectors. You may find it worth checking out.

Cheers,
Debutante

[Debutante]

OOPS!!! I apologize.

The ‘Body Protectors’ thread I was referring to in my previous post was started by Mikka, much earlier.

Cheers,
Debutante