What's as explosive as 4th of July fireworks?
A horse that hasn't been ridden in 12 days due to a puncture wound.
And what piece of riding apparel is also explosive?
Yep, an air vest.
I had my first fall off Hemie whilst wearing the air vest this weekend. It worked exactly as advertised - completely inflated before I even hit the ground.
Yeah, apparently it only took 12 days for me to forget how to ride.
 |
| Derp. |
Anyways, Hemie was actually pretty darn good for our first ride back. Even after an extra-long longing he was super hot. Nothing I couldn't handle...you know, if I remembered to actually put my heels down, tighten my lower leg, and keep a contact. Apparently I just sat there like a bum on a log while asking Hemie to trot over some ground poles. He decided to jump them in a playful manner and I just rolled right off.
I made the executive decision to get back on with just my regular vest rather than fiddle with a new canister. We proceeded to have a nice lesson, working a little bit on a number of things (moving foward, coming back but with impulsion, bending, position, etc). Laurie commented that after I got back on she had never seen my lower leg that still and tight before. =P
Hope everyone else had a much less explosive holiday weekend than I did!
Here's to a nonexplosive week :)
ReplyDeleteHere here!
DeleteHope that you and Hemmie get back into the swing of things without any more hick ups (or downs hehe)!
ReplyDeleteLol me too thanks
DeleteEek! Glad you're okay and good thing you had that air vest :)
ReplyDeleteYep...guess its starting to pay itself off, eh?
DeleteWell it looks as if the club is growing. Getting tossed stinks, but it sounds as though you came through it with no damage. Good thing. Even better is to hear that Hemie is sound and fit for riding.
ReplyDeleteYou and I had a quite a weekend, didn't we?
DeleteGood to hear you're okay! Which air vest do you have, and do you think it made the difference between getting hurt and not? How did it feel when it inflated?
ReplyDeleteI have the Point Two Pro-Air 2 vest - their newest model. I bought it in February. It absolutely made a difference. I did get some neck and shoulder stiffness the next day, but at the time I didn't feel a darn thing and I'm sure the stiffness would have been much much worse if I'd not had the air vest on, since it absorbed most of the blow. You don't feel it go off - well, you're free falling in the air at the time, then you just feel the thud of landing in the dirt. Then you feel a little bit like a blimp, but I was able to get up and move around right away. =]
DeleteAlso, when you purchase them at a store, they activate the air vest so you can try it out so you aren't worried about how it will feel. =]
DeleteThose air vests are serious business! Glad you're ok :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks! And yessir they are.
DeleteI really want an airvest! Glad that you are okay.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest it was on my "to buy eventually" list but the local tack store had a special (10% off!) and due to peer pressure from my husband and family I went for it. I am basically swapping a show for the vest since it was like $600. But I do not at all regret using the money that way. =]
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