Choosing the right protective vest for horse riding

In horse riding, the protective vest is a very important thing. Indeed, horse riding is a sport that can be dangerous. That said, having a back protector can be an excellent way to protect yourself in the event of a fall. There are riders who wear this type of protection to prevent falls and others because their specialties in horse riding remain one of the most dangerous. How then to choose your protective vest? We talk about it in this article.

What types of protection do riding vests offer?

There are different types of riding vests that offer different levels of protection on different levels of risk. For example, there is the back shell that protects only the rider's back. This type of vest comes in the form of an articulated rigid shell, or under the shell of a softer foam plate that is inserted into the vest. The level of protection offered by the back shell is however lower in comparison to the vest. On the other hand, this is the most economical protection.

Next comes the safety vest. This is a riding vest that protects the back as well as the torso. The safety vest is made up of foam plates and can be approved for cross-country riding depending on the model. The safety vest is generally marketed through intermediate budgets. Within this category of vest, we also find the articulated vest. It is more flexible because it is made up of a set of articulated pieces. We also find the inflatable vest which is a light and comfortable vest because it is equipped with air chambers that are always inflated.

Finally, there is also the airbag vest which offers real protection to the back from the neck to the coccyx, the abdomen, the rib cage as well as the hips depending on the model. When a fall occurs, the connection with the saddle is broken. The system is then released and it instantly causes the vest to inflate.

What level of protection for what security standard?

As you can see, the choice of protective vests for horse riding is quite vast. It is therefore important to select the appropriate protection according to its approval. The standard currently in force is CE EN 13 158. There are three levels of protection within this standard. Protection level number one is the minimum protection which is a protection reserved for professional jockeys. Then there is protection level number two. This is the level of protection that is appropriate for an intermediate risk practice. By "intermediate practice" we mean the leisure equestrian activities practiced by beginners and expert riders.

Finally, there is level 3 which is a higher level of protection that is suitable for both leisure riding and competition riding. However, you should know that back protectors do not depend on the same standards. Back protectors depend on EN1621-2 and they are not always authorized in competition. That said, level 2 in back protectors for example does not correspond to level 2 of the CE EN 13 158 standard.

You will have understood. Based on all the information presented above and according to your riding level, you are now able to choose your protective vest. You can start this choice right now on La Sellerie Française .