Horse riding is an incredibly fun sport. But, as always with animals, things can sometimes go wrong. Good safety equipment is therefore not a luxury but a responsible choice!
When choosing the right protection while horse riding, people often let others' opinions come into play. Sometimes, it is also simply the persuasiveness of the saleswoman/salesman in the shop that causes one to walk out of a shop with a body protector and another with an airbag vest. And yes, budget is also not unimportant when buying your gear.
It is important to think for yourself beforehand exactly what you expect and what you want to do with your horse. Are there special reasons why you want to play it extra safe? What is important to you in terms of looks?
Below we highlight some important differences between the 3 different types of safety clothing.
Back protectors
In essence, these are indeed back protectors. The better brands in this range of products also provide tailbone protection. The best back protectors are approved according to the EN 1621-2 standard (standard for spinal protection for motorcyclists). In practice, we often see young people who do not want to ride with a bodyprotector (anymore) and opt for this type of product, partly because this protector is often worn under the riding vest.
Until recently, this back protector was accepted in the driving sport when riding marathons at international level. This is now no longer the case, after a number of accidents, the FEI has decided that in the driving sport for marathon riders, level 3 bodyprotectors are the absolute minimum of protection allowed.
Bodyprotectors
The English term bodyprotector is commonly used as a common term for what we might call ‘a safety vest for horse riding’ .
A first, very important consideration is always to choose a bodyprotector that has the necessary EU certification. There is an official European standard for ‘safety vests for persons handling horses’; with which all bodyprotectors sold in Europe must comply. To meet this standard, bodyprotectors are subjected to a whole series of tests in specialised test houses. A bodyprotector must provide protection not only while riding, but also while working with horses. (Think lunging, grooming, ...)
This European standard is the EN 13158 (stands for European Norm 13158) This standard has already been updated a number of times; the very first standard in 2000 was the EN 13158/2000 and then in 2009 came the update EN 13158 /2009.The latest update happened in 2018 and resulted in the standard 13158/2018 . Within this standard there are 3 different levels described:
- Level 1 (the thinnest/lightest version) is intended for racing. Here, we are talking about body protectors weighing less than 1 kg.
- Level 2 is described as suitable for experienced riders in potentially less dangerous situations. Think of dressage riding in a track.
- Finally, Level 3 is the level suitable for all forms of riding. This level offers the highest form of protection. This level is even suitable for eventing (cross country) riding.
For your information: in England, where horse riding is a truly national sport with several million active riders, testing goes one step further. BETA (British Equestrian Trade Association) guarantees the annual retesting of all BETA-approved bodyprotectors. Specifically, this means that these British bodyprotectors must comply with the EN 13158/2018 standard and must also be offered by the manufacturer to be retested every year. This is to give consumers the guarantee that a bodyprotector bearing the safety label really does meet the said standard.
If you are looking for protection for a child starting to ride, or for yourself, a level 3 approved body protector is undoubtedly a good choice. Look out for the label: EN 13158 -2018 or BETA/EN 13158 - 2018.
An important note here is this one regarding buying a second-hand body protector for a child. If you would consider this there are 2 important issues, firstly the fact that the protector must fit well; too small and too big is not safe . On the other hand, it is important that you buy a bodyprotector that meets a recent standard. ( see standards above)
With an approved bodyprotector, you can expect to be protected both on and off your horse; for example, when you receive a kick to the body from a horse and also when riding. In case of a fall, the bodyprotector will protect your vital organs by absorbing the shock and also protect your body from sharp or penetrating objects such as branches and poles. The body protector goes a long way in ensuring that any injuries are less severe or even prevented. Unfortunately, it cannot be said that the body protector is going to ensure that you can never get injured in an accident. A bodyprotector is going to absorb many shocks but cannot simultaneously absorb the full shock in the case of a ‘rotational fall’ where the horse goes over head and lands on its rider after the fall) To absorb this kind of impact, an airbag vest can help you.
Airbag vest
A third group in riding safety clothing are airbag vests. Here we are talking about a vest, similar to a bodywarmer, in which an airbag is built in. Activation of the airbag occurs by breaking contact between the saddle (saddle strap attached to the stirrup hooks) and the vest (by means of an elastic cord). The air contained in the CO2 cartridge moves at very high speed inside the vest so that the airbag is fully inflated.
Airbag vests are recommended in combination with a level 3 body protector for eventing riders, among others. Meanwhile, there are already hybrid vests that are both a level 3 bodyprotector but also have an air vest. We are thinking here of the Racesafe- Helite Motion air.
Meanwhile, airbag vests are offered in many forms because they are also very popular with the casual rider who does not want to wear a bodyprotector but still wants to be well protected.
Also, airbag vests are well established in sport in various disciplines. In show jumping, meanwhile, airbags are seen at the highest level .
The Helite Zip in 2 is a good example. These vests are extremely comfortable to wear (light, breathable, inconspicuous) and can be either built into an appropriate vest or competition vest or worn alone.
Given the increasing interest in airbag vests in equestrian sports, a new standard for this type of vest can be expected soon.