Eventing Safety – Air Vest Protection from Hit-Air
Air vests are proving to be an essential piece of kit for anyone contemplating Eventing these days. Mike Ryan was recently converted to air following a demonstration by Hit-air at Ballindenisk. He was amazed by how unobtrusive the vest was to ride in and how much protection they give once triggered. He was most impressed though that the vest inflates outwards rather than inwards, taking away any possibility of winding the rider – but still giving the stabilising effect required to help protect against whiplash injuries.
Watch this video demonstration of the Hit-Air Pro Vest with Mike Ryan while competing at Ballindenisk.
Hit-air provide leading-edge shock buffering protection to the neck, spine, lower back, chest and vital organs when inflated. The inflation is automatically triggered in the event of a fall, when the horse and rider become parted. They are renowned for safety and reliability in the rest of Europe and the US and were only recently introduced to the UK and Ireland to great acclaim. The Hit-air Pro vest was recently awarded 5* in Eventing Magazine.
Riders who use the Hit-Air vest include the Olympic Event Gold Medalist Phillip Dutton “I am really excited about the new technology of the Hit-Air vest. I have researched other protection on the market and believe that Hit-Air is the best. I feel confident that I will be more protected when I fall and believe that this is the way of the future.”
Sam Watson, 4* event rider recently stated, ‘Until I saw the Hit Air I had no desire to ride in an air jacket. However, the Hit Air is so light and unobtrusive that I literally don’t realise that I’m wearing it. ……. I was shocked by the extra protecion from the Hit-air and how much it cushioned my fall. I never want to fall without my Hit Air again…there’s too much at stake!’
The unique features of the Hit-Air vest include:
- Enhanced neck protection. The patented popper design helps to prevent hyper extension, whiplash and other associated neck injuries.
- The Hit-Air vest has integral ribcage airbags which provide unique shock buffering protection to the ribcage, helping to protect vital organs in the event of a fall.
- Supporting, shock buffering protection to the spine, from neck to lower back.
- The only outwardly inflating air vest, enabling hit-air to be worn neatly over the body or body protector. The outward inflation is crucial as it removes the possibility of winding during the inflation process, making it safe for riders with pre-existing chest conditions.
- Unique internal adjustments mean that the same air vest can be worn over a t-shirt in the summer or over fleeces and jackets in the winter.
Protection for all equestrian disciplines
At last, body protection that people can wear every time they ride without even feeling it!
Hit-air have also been instrumental in opening up the market to equestrians of all disciplines from hunters, people breaking youngsters, schooling at home or simply hacking out.
Children and adult sizes are available so visit www.hitairuk.co.uk to find your nearest stockist.
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