Back several years ago when I busted four ribs, I bought the same
riding vest to wear when I got back on a horse since according to my MD
I should have had more sense than to get back on six weeks after the
accident. I wore it for awhile but found it to be somewhat restrictive
in motion and hot.
When I was looking for a vest this one seemed to offer the chance of
being the least hot I saw but it was still too hot for me in the FL
heat and humidity. I used it for about two months and then stopped
using it. I've loaned it out to a friend that is recovering from broken
ribs.
The one thing I'd recommend is to go to a shop that has multiple brands
and styles and try them on before you buy.
Make
sure you get one that is ASTM approved, just like we do for our
helmets. The most popular vest, Tipperary, does not appear to be ASTM
approved. They are hot, and they all come in dark colors, which makes
them even hotter. I bought mine at Dover Saddlery, you want it to fit,
not be too big. This is the one I got:
This one goes regular price for $109, but Dover runs sales all the
time, I got mine for $94, but that was in 2005.
I wore one for a 25 when it wasn't too hot outside and it was
reasonably comfortable and did not restrict my movement.
Carolyn Burgess
Newton, Texas
-- “I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in
pseudoscience
“I maintain there is much more wonder in science
than in
pseudoscience. And in addition, to whatever measure this term has any
meaning,
science has the additional virtue, and it is not an inconsiderable one,
of
being true.” Carl Sagan
