Equestrian Equipment: Safety Vests for Horseback Riders

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One of the most exciting and risky sports is horseback riding. A horse weighs around a thousand pounds and a little discomfort can frighten it. The rider would then be placed in danger. To ensure that the rider will not be fully harmed, he must have a complete set of equestrian equipment. One of them is a safety vest which will help him sustain only a few injuries or avoid accidents.

There are two types of safety vests. One of them looks like a flax jacket where colored shirts can be worn over it. The other one is lightweight and neon-colored and can be worn over riding clothes or the first kind of safety vest. The first type will help in protecting the upper body of the rider from any crash or collision caused by falling or being hit by any object. The second one will make the wearer be seen by other riders or cars passing by. This is especially useful during night time or when the weather is bad. Such type of equestrian equipment will help protect the wearer.

It must be noted that wearing a vest will not entirely shield the rider from danger. He has to have another piece of equestrian equipment which is a helmet. This will lessen any impact made on the head. The rider must also sit correctly on a safe saddle so as to stay on it when the horse makes a frantic movement. In addition, the rider must also be riding a well-trained horse.

The first type of vest which is also known as a Kevlar safety vest started in the 1980s. It was rodeo cowboys who first wore them followed by jockeys. Later on, horseback riding instructed the wearing of such a vest. The second type was worn in the later part of the 1970s but it was during the 1990s that they were really used.

The Kevlar safety vest has been scorned by many riders. They say it brings discomfort and can make one perspire. They protect the chest and the ribs while the other parts of the body are not really sa[censored] uarded from danger. Such a vest is advised to be worn when the horse-rider shall perform a jockey's crouch or a jumping position where he may easily fall off from the horse. Plenty of riders would rather go for the lighter type of safety vest because of its visible color, especially on the road. They can also print messages on the vest that can be read by others without much difficulty. Such message can serve as a warning to other riders if the horse is not yet trained or if it is deaf.

Many people have suffered accidents from horse-back riding where 60% of them actually died. The reason for such accidents is because of an untrained horse or absence of appropriate equestrian equipment. It is thus important to wear these gears, such as a safety vest, when engaging in this sport.