Shane Ledyard of Ledyard Equestrian is a riding instructor, horse trainer, judge, and author specializing in the hunter and jumper industry. Available nationwide for clinics and judging, he helps riders in Bucks and Montgomery County, PA accomplish their competitive riding goals. Shane is the author of the Amazon best-selling Horse Gone Silent trilogy. https://www.shaneledyard.com/ Tue, 19 Oct 2021 16:38:52 -0700 https://www.shaneledyard.com/blog/equestriansafetyvests https://www.shaneledyard.com/blog/equestriansafetyvests <p>Ledyard Equestrian clinic riders and my regular clients know how passionate I am about equestrian safety-especially when it comes to my daughter Kaydy. (Bubble wrap, please!) Thankfully, she is very good with everything Dad says as far as doing the right things around the horses to stay safe. I am also happy to share that she has been wearing a safety vest regularly for the last two years and a lot of my regular clients are doing the same. While safety vests have been the norm in racing and eventing for years, they are just starting to gain ground in the hunter, hunter seat equitation and show jumping world. </p><p>The vest seems like a logical, straightforward way to be safer in a sport that is one of the most dangerous in the world. However, as with any relatively new technology there is some confusion and even pushback regarding efficacy and necessity. I have had conversations with some great horseman that have brought up some fair points, both for and against the use of protective body wear when working around horses. Fortunately for the advancement of the widespread use of the equipment, the ‘against’ argument so far has been exclusively situational. I hope to answer some of the critical questions you may have here in this article, in an effort to get more people thinking “pro-vest”.</p><p><span style="display: inline-block">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="font-size: 83%;"><em>                        Here I am working "Tyger" in a "Pessoa" rig. I have a protective vest on underneath my coat in case of a kick. </em></p><p style="font-size: 24px;">Types of Vests</p><p style="font-size: inherit;"><strong>Impact Style</strong></p><p>Equestrian safety vests break down into two categories; impact absorption and airbag style. </p><p>Impact covers just that - hooves come flying, you land on a rock, you get stepped on, etc. These vests are designed to distribute that impact to minimize damage to the wearer. I wear one of these in certain situations; when I lunge a...<a href=https://www.shaneledyard.com/blog/equestriansafetyvests>Read More</a>