ACROSS the board, and under the rules of both the Irish Pony Club and The Pony Club, if a body protector is worn for any Pony Club activity in Ireland from January 1st onwards, it must now meet BETA 2018 Level 3 standard (the blue and black label).

When worn, body protectors must fit correctly, be comfortable and must not restrict movement. BETA recommends body protectors be replaced at least every three to five years, after which the impact absorption properties of the foam may have started to decline.

While most of us would like to reduce, reuse and recycle to help the circular economy, this really doesn’t work with body protectors – or helmets – which, disappointingly, should end up in landfill sites or incinerators.

“The worst thing anyone can do is use the old standard body protector at home,” said Donal O’Beirne of Hoofprints Innovations. “You are only competing 5 to 10% of your time, so the chances of being injured at home or schooling are far higher.

“Unfortunately, while you could take out the laces in some models and perhaps bring the foam to recycling places where they accept pillows and mattresses, the best thing to do with a body protector is to cut it up and put it in your black bin,” concluded O’Beirne, who is always happy to provide free fitting for body protectors at events.