Hit Air - the airbag to wear

In Germany every year 30,000 people are involved in riding accidents according to the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft “Mehr Sicherheit für Kinder e.V.” Even though it is now common practice to wear a riding helmet, wearing protective vests is still not the norm for a variety of reasons: - They are uncomfortable; - They are Restrictive; - They are heavy, bulky and cumbersome; - They make the rider too hot in the summer; - They are awkward to put on correctly; - They still can cause injuries when you fall; - They have to be replaced every few years; In short, the rider often has a decision to make ….. Do I wear the vest?  bearing in mind the above or not.  Wearing a protection vest should not be a dilemma, but, much like a riding Helmet a must without being faced with a dilemma (wearing one as second nature).   The dilemma has finally been answered with the hit-air safety airbag vest for riders!  With its  successful introduction in France and Germany these simple to use and effective vests are now entering the UK market and are being officially launched at The Olympia horse show in December 2007 with the addition to the range of the much anticipated  hi visibility children’s version. The concept is so simple, the vest is easily adjustable, extremely lightweight, and very comfortable and most importantly has a built in airbag that is activated if you fall, and it even has spare pockets to carry your mobile phone and keys! Key benefits of hit-air - Effective for all horse riding disciplines! - Or just for training or breaking in horses. - A second skin – Lightweight and flexible. - Hi Tec wicking materials used - Easily adjustable (on the move) and washable! - Superior cushioning if/when you fall - Re-usable - Extra pockets for mobile phone, keys, money or hoof pick! But how does it work: Easy mobility is the key to the design and so with this in mind a plastic coated coil wire is fixed to the airbag vest. There is another coil that clips into this having first been attached to the holding strap, or the D ring loop for the holding strap at the pommel of the saddle frontal saddle side. After the rider has mounted the horse he/she simply clips the two coils together or as we say clips his ‘seat belt’ in….. The coiled wire enables the usual mobility in the saddle weather you are hacking, jumping or racing.  The vest is activated by the coiled wire being pulled from its fixed point on the vest which activates a small compressed gas canister cylinder neatly concealed hidden in the vest. This activation takes less than one second!! This is worth repeating activation of the airbag protection system takes less than one second. Upon activation the concealed airbag inflates around the neck, body (both front and rear), pelvis and base of the back. Once activated the released gas remains in the vest for 10 seconds until it slowly starts to escape through the outlet. Now the gas cartridge cylinder can be removed and the gas disappears completely when the air cushions are pressed together. The vest is reusable (unless damaged). Only the cartridge cylinder has to be replaced and the key ball needs to be reinserted into the activation mechanism. Changing the cartridge: 1. Unscrew the used gas cartridge by turning anticlockwise.    2. To remove all remaining gas from the air cushion, spread the Hit Air vest face down on a flat smooth surface. By gently pressing down each cushion using your hands, knees and legs this will remove the  gas completely. Do not fold or roll up the Hit Air Vest to avoid damage inside.   3. insert the “setting bolt” into the hole at the bottom of the “key box” and tighten up by hand.     4. Then tighten further with the 5mm hexagon wrench slowly until the hole for the “key ball” with a ring in the aluminium cylinder is placed at the center of the hole of the “key box”.   5. Insert the “key ball” with a ring deeply into the hole of the “key box”.     6. Pull the wire attached to the “key ball” downwards and lower the red slide cover over the hole. If it is blocked by the ring and does not come down, tighten or loosen the “setting bolt” and/or press down the edge of the ring around the “key ball” by the fingernail until the “key ball” fits in the hole and the slide cover comes down.   7. Loosen the “setting bolt” by the 5mm hexagon wrench to remove it. Remove the “setting bolt” from the “key box” without fail. Otherwise the Hit Air will not activate.     8. Lift the red slide cover to the unlocked (up) position to reuse.   9. Screw an unused gas cartridge fully into the bottom until it can not go any further.

 

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