Why you should wear a body protector
It seems that while most of us were made to wear body protectors by our mums in the days we were riding shaggy Thelwell ponies, very few of us carry this on into adulthood.
If you don’t already wear a body protector when riding then I hope reading this will make you reconsider. Today’s blog will cover: why you should be wearing a body protector, types of body protector and some top tips.
WHY YOU SHOULD BE WEARING A BODY PROTECTOR
Unpicking some of the most common reasons I hear for people not wearing a body protector
“I’M EXPERIENCED ENOUGH NOT TO NEED ONE”
A study into equestrian related injuries in children showed that “injury severity is not necessarily associated with the experience of the rider.“ Another study into the causes of horse-related accidents states that “the qualification of the horse as well as the familiarity between rider and horse do not seem to have an effect of reducing of the number of accidents in equestrian activities.”
“I DON’T DO ANY ‘HIGH RISK’ RIDING”
After car accidents, equestrian accidents are the most common accidents for paramedics to attend to. Approximately 70% of accidents occur when hacking or schooling; no one is immune to accidents,and even the most seemingly bomb-proof pony isn’t 100% immune to spooking.
“I DON’T LIKE HOW IT LOOKS”
I think we can all agree that doesn’t really matter!
TYPES OF BODY PROTECTOR
LEVEL 1 - Provides the lowest level of protection that is only considered appropriate for licensed jockeys while racing.
LEVEL 2 - Offers a lower than normal level of protection and is considered suitable for very low-risk situations and professionals such as licensed jockies.
LEVEL 3 - Considered appropriate for general riding, competitions/eventing and working with horses. They should prevent minor bruising that would have produced stiffness and pain, reduce soft tissue injuries and prevent a limited number of rib fractures.
AIR JACKETS - These are increasing in popularity. However these are only activated when falling off so will not provide protection from a kick. However you can wear an air jacket over a traditional body protector or buy a two in one air jacket. When an air jacket is used in addition to a level 3 body protector, spinal protection is increased by 69%! While rib fracture and organ damage is reduced up to 20%.
SHOULDER PADS - If you would like to be extra safe and add shoulder pads to your body protector, you may be interested to hear that studies have shown that a BETA Level 3 shoulder protector can reduce the risk of breaking a collarbone by up to 80%!
TOP TIPS
Replace your body protector every 3-5 years; sooner if needed e.g. after fall/kick/etc. If there are any dents in the foam following an accident, these should return back to their normal shape within 30 minutes. If the foam does not return to its normal shape, then it is unlikely to be offering you as much protection. It is not always necessary to replace the entire body protector as some manufacturers will replace individual panels.
Get all protective gear fitted by a trained professional!
Buy new - don’t buy a second hand body protector, particularly one you don’t know the history of.
Check the label - body protectors with the label “BETA standard 2009” or “BETA standard 2018” meet the current recommended safety guidelines.