The safety of body protectors and air jackets is being assessed by the international body for equestrian sport the FEI following a huge increase in use by riders, for hacking as well as horse sport.The working party is made up of medics, biomechanics specialists and sporting bodies, and includes Claire Williams of the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA).Claire said: Whilst we have a pool of anecdotal data of the role body protection in all its forms plays in reducing the severity of injuries, there is surprisingly little formal research conducted in this area.The FEI work on this will not only identify gaps in data and attempt to fill them but also facilitate the input of manufacturers to that knowledge pool. Through sharing knowledge, we will be able to improve performance and design of garments in the future.Chest and spinal injuriesThe working group will first look at current knowledge around chest and spinal injuries in equestrian sport, with a focus on understanding how and when these injuries occur, and whether safety vests play a significant role in reducing the severity of injuries.While there is growing support for the use of body protectors and air vests in both sport and recreational riding, there is still minimal data to fully understand their effectiveness, Dr Mark Hart, chair of the FEI Medical Committee, explained.We lack critical data on how and what specific injuries occur during falls and how protective equipment performs under real-world conditions.Athletes and others in the community are asking important, constructive questions relating to how air vests perform in real-world settings, how they affect the athletes movement, and whether their use might influence the horses behaviour. These insights are essential and are helping to drive the discussion toward more effective and evidence-based safety solutions, continued Dr Hart.This is why the FEI has tasked the Working Group with undertaking a comprehensive review of current safety standards and will include developing improved testing protocols that more accurately reflect the realities athletes face in both training and competition environments.Body protector or air vest?Sometimes its hard to know what safety equipment is advisable to wear when riding your horse. Claire Williams of BETA talked Your Horse through the differences and benefits of wearing a body protector and an air vest.Think of your body protector as the seat belt in your car and your air vest as the air bag. Your body protector offers continuous protection, whereas an air vest offers protection only when triggered to do so.Therefore, your body protector will offer you protection at the first level, whether on the ground or in the saddle, while an air vest comes in as the second level of protection, as you need to be thrown off a horse for it to inflate.Therefore, for falls during which you tumble with your horse (such as a rotational fall), rather than being thrown clear, air vests will not always be triggered to inflate. We have often seen that air vests are best suited to falls when the rider lands flat on the ground, but some dont offer a great deal of protection from pointed kicks or falls onto pointed or sharp objects once youve landed.Air vests are commonly worn on top of body protectorsCorrect wearThe challenge when selecting safety equipment is knowing when you are going to need them tricky when you dont have a crystal ball, added Claire. Whichever you choose, make sure that they are correctly fitted. In the case of body protectors, the most common cause of complaints around bulkiness or comfort are linked to poorly fitting garments.Modern foams are lighter, more flexible and softer and should always be worn as close to the skin as possible. However, there is no getting around the fact that they do add an extra layer of bulk, which you will need to get used to.[Body protectors] are brilliant in the winter as an extra layer of warmth, while in the summer wearing as light a base layer as possible helps with temperature control, said Claire.Air vests are lighter, but must always be worn as the outer-most layer. Some users have reported their horses disliking the sound of the canister being triggered to inflate, and there is an ongoing cost in canister replacement and annual servicing.Whichever you choose, make sure that you do use it and dont just leave it hanging in the tack room.Combined wearAnd finally, added Claire, the best form of protection, according to research undertaken by British Eventing some time ago, was the body protector and air vest combined.In the case of an air vest, as there are moving parts that can seize up over time, it should be serviced on a regular basis just as you would your car.Follow the recommendations of the vests supplier for care and maintenance. Also store it carefully away from rodent attack (it wont inflate with a hole gnawed in it) and make sure that you replace the canister immediately after any triggering fall.Not looking after it will risk it not working when you need it the most.Main image Your Horse Library/Kelsey Media LtdRelated contentAir jackets currently on the market6 ways to care for your body protectorHow to rebuild confidence after falling off out hackingRider paralysed in fall credits Air Ambulances life-saving serviceThis is what you need to do with an unconscious riderThe post Safety of body protectors and air jackets to be assessed by the FEI appeared first on Your Horse.