A new equestrian air jacket for children is about to hit the market in a few weeks.
Point Two’s children’s version of its air jacket weighs about 900g — the same as the adult’s — and will cost £370.
Point Two managing director Lee Middleton developed the children’s jacket in answer to public demand. He said it allows for up to 4in of growth, which could last a child three years.
Unlike the adult version, the children’s air jacket must be fitted by a Point Two retailer.
“We’re not trying to rob people. It’s a high-tech jacket, it’s expensive to produce, but it’s reliable,” he said.
The jacket is designed to be worn over a body protector. The maker claims it offers greater protection for the child’s spine and twice the inflation capacity of the adult model. It comes in small, medium and large, to fit children weighing four stone or over.
The adult Point Two jacket came under fire earlier this year, with industry figures, including the British Equestrian Trade Association and the British Horseracing Authority, calling for more testing.
But Mr Middleton said the children’s jacket has undergone rigorous tests by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) this summer.
The TRL report concluded that “the Point Two almost eliminates the risk of life-threatening chest injury from a horse fall resulting in a severe chest impact” and “a rider wearing a Point Two could sustain a four-times more severe impact than a rider with no chest protection, with approximately the same predicted injury outcome”.
Find out what H&H readers think of the new product, including their reactions to the price, in today’s magazine (21 October, ’10)
