Body protectors - to wear or not to wear?

[XelaM]

Having just spent £200 (😱) on my daughter's latest body protector, I am told that many actually advise against wearing them because apparently they restrict movement and could make an injury worse? It doesn't quite make sense to me how not wearing one can be safer than wearing one, but apparently it's a popular school of thought.

My daughter does a lot of SJ and the yard (large riding school) we are currently in says body protectors are a must for SJ, but the yard we are moving to in a few weeks (which actually is much more specialist SJ yard than the current one) advises against wearing body protectors for SJ. I find that so strange and quite scary. Surely it is safer to have a buffer between your body and the ground?

So what do you all knowledgeable horsey people think about body protectors?

This! They break in a bit, like new shoes and get softer/more flexible. Also making sure it's properly fitted is a huge help - too many are too long and hit the cantle on the saddle which is uncomfortable and can affect the rider's balance.

Totally agree. Sadly as a naive novice I went to a v expensive equestrian store (recommended) and bought a Race Safe protector, ‘professionally’ fitted by a Race Safe trained person, which is so long I physically can’t ride in it. Knocks my hat forward in a general purpose saddle! Instructors agree it’s too long. I’m 5ft 3 and it’s a ‘tall’ with a ‘long’ back! Saddlery insisted it’s fine. 😡 Anyway I’m sorting it now with Race Safe, who have been v good, but it’s hard sometimes as a novice with no one to take with you to know who you can trust!

Just to say I love these threads and others on the Tack Room. Learning a lot!

@XelaM not sure if this helps, but as a jockey I broke my back wearing Racesafe body protector (because it does not stop this type of injury). I have worn one before, after and I wear one now every day no matter what I ride (flatwork on my own sensible horse - walk, trot - always have it on).

It has saved me countless times, funnily enough on the ground from being squashed, bitten etc. I know I am semi-professional but honestly I cannot advice wearing it enough.

I hate to mention stories from when things do go wrong, but there are instances where a horse bolted, person (child sadly) got caught in stirrup and squashed against gate at the arena. So anything can happen, and I know both my kids will be wearing one once they do anything on their own in terms of riding.

Yes I grew up without one, and did not even wear a hat those days, yes I know we are all alive but still, I wear it, and so will my kids.

I always wear one, I used to ride motorbikes and had a couple of nasty accidents, I'd be in a wheelchair without it. I use the same logic for horses.

My friend broke his back after falling off a horse at trot, he wasn't wearing one, his doctor said he'd had just been a bit sore if he'd been wearing a back protector

If you're worried about movement there's several people I know, who wear the air back progenitors with the gas canisters. No restriction on movement whilst riding. You just have to remember to unhook yourself before dismount

They're often called back protectors as the first versions were literally just a bit of foam/board that strapped to your back (showing my age here 😂) They were really restrictive and definitely made riding harder. These days body protectors shouldn't get in the way of your riding at all if they are correctly fitted - I don't ride anymore but I used to always wear one when jumping and out hacking - the only time I wouldn't bother would be flatwork in an arena (although ironically this is where I had my worst falls!) I always found Airowear the most comfortable; I'm fairly short and they are nice and short at the front so as not to catch on the saddle, I would barely notice I was wearing mine.