Cushion the blow

With the BETA level 3 (2009) standard having been phased out at the turn of the year, Becky Murray speaks to industry experts to find out what to look for if you're upgrading your body protector and what to expect in the future

- Becky Murray

UNLESS you’re an event rider, for many a body protector might have been a garment you associated with wearing as a child or it’s a piece of kit stored in a box in your tack room. But times are changing.

Over the years, the body protector market has grown massively, with much more choice and varied styles, not to mention enhanced protection, design, comfort and wearability.

Body protectors are designed to absorb the impact if you have a fall or are kicked while handling a horse on the ground. British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) executive director Claire Williams explains that while body protectors might not stop an injury occurring entirely, they can reduce the severity.

“They are not an invisible shield, but they will constantly offer you protection,” she says.

Charles Owen’s head of body protection development Jane Ravenscroft says the most common impact-absorbing material used in the company’s body protectors is a PVC nitrile foam.

“Most of them are around 24mm thick, comprising four layers of 6mm foam, which is perforated to allow ventilation and take away some of the weight. The foam is a closed-cell foam, so it can feel quite firm. It’s not like a sponge, which is an open-cell foam,” she explains.

When a rider falls or is kicked, the energy from the impact is absorbed by the foam, rather than by the rider’s body.

Champion product engineer Ben Hanna explains: “We have to be careful in how we choose these foams, because they need to be strong enough and thick enough that they will absorb as much energy as they can from that impact – without being too bulky for the rider to wear comfortably.”