Despite my doctor's order to never ride again, I rode Raven today.
Sue had been told by HER doctor, no riding for 6 weeks as she heals from abdominal surgery, so I put myself on the same abstention.
But Friday was her release from durance vile, and today was mine.
Oh, gosh, that ride. 6 weeks was a penance but it's paid now. He felt fabulous. I felt fabulous. He was his happy normal self and me...in my vest..felt, well...cool.
Real riders wear vests. Ones who board a 17 hand rocket and go belting, full speed, over a cross country course. Real riders race down tracks wearing vests. Heck, even the smart bull riders wear them. It just looks cool.
I felt it wrapped around my ribs and spine like a protective cocoon. An added benefit is that it encourages me to sit up straight.
An even better benefit...Sue took one look and said, I will wear one, too. Mine fits her as well as it fits me. We're the same shape...flat chested and tall and I am so happy that I can at last contribute something to this team of three..Sue, Raven and I..other than grunt work and insuring the horse has a steady supply of carrots and scritches.
So I share my vest with her.
And it's not so bad riding in a saddle.
At the latest Three Day event, I did some shopping at the inevitable vendor's tents. I looked at the inflateable vests and discussed their merits with one of my oldest, dearest friends who's done just about everything one can do on a horse in an english saddle (to include polo...) I was told by both vendor and friend that the inflatable would not protect my hips. Whereas the non -air one seems to at least cover me from neck to tail bone.
Thus I forego the inflateable.
So I"m back in the saddle, wearing my too cool vest...looking like I know what I'm doing.
And, with the return of cooler weather, Raven is happy bombing around when he's not carrying one of us.
 |
| Raven!! |
3 comments:
Bravo! Stay safe and enjoy Raven as long as you can.
I have also purchased one of the Tipperary Vests. I bought it because to school XC, most instructors now require it, but I have considered wearing it all the time. I'm not sold on the air vests. There's not a lot of data that shows they are really that effective and, knowing me, I'd probably set it off inadvertently and cause all kinds of havoc.
The vests that really did a good job of protecting people were the ones that were like an exoskeleton and those were discontinued because people didn't buy them. Kinda like the original MIPS helmets.
I've been using the Tipperary for two months and like it. It gives me a feeling of security that I didn't know I'd been missing. To me, it's become as indispensible as a helmet-I wear both now every time I get into the saddle.
And in my ongoing search for empirical data on the air vests, I keep hearing the same stuff: the vests going off inadvertantly, mostly because folks forgot to disconnect when they dismounted.
I wish I'd seen the exoskeleton type, but I'm betting the reason they didn't sell well was ..well, probably they made people feel stiff. But I don't know that.
Either way, I'm happy with the Tipperary. I just wonder how I'm supposed to clean it!
Post a Comment