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This page explains what governing bodies, standards bodies and veterinary bodies publish. It is not a substitute for instruction from a qualified coach or riding school, and it does not replace medical or veterinary advice.
The FEI: recommended, not required
The FEI Eventing Rules in force from 1 January 2026 (Annex O 3.2), as reproduced in Equestrian Australia's 2026 rulebook, say the use of air vests is recommended for the cross-country test. Body protectors stay compulsory, so an air vest is an addition, not a substitute.
The FEI's caution goes back to a press release of its Eventing Committee on 12 July 2021. The committee recommended that national federations and riders stay informed and consider the possible benefits of air vests, noted that there were no internationally recognised industry standards for them, and said specific data had to be evaluated before it could say more. Its chair, Giuseppe Della Chiesa, said protective clothing was "not the magic solution" and had to go together with training, responsible riding, course design and fence construction.
National rules
| Body and document | What it says about air vests |
|---|---|
| Equestrian Australia, eventing rule EA 3.1.1 (2026) | Not to be used without a body protector underneath, unless the vest is a hybrid |
| Irish Pony Club, cross-country tack sheet (2026) | Not compulsory under FEI 2026 rules; in cross country it must be worn over a permitted body protector; a vest alone is never enough for cross country or any phase with solid fences |
| BHS Events Body Protector Guidelines (2022, v1) | Where a body protector is mandatory, an air jacket must be worn over a permitted Level 3 protector and, if it goes off, deflated or removed before continuing; alone only where a protector is not mandatory for that phase; hybrid and blouson-type jackets allowed on the same terms |
| US Equestrian eventing rule EV9.2 (from 1 October 2023) | Allowed in addition to a body protecting vest in the cross-country phase, and without one in dressage and show jumping |
| US Equestrian dressage, DR120.1.3.1 (2026 booklet) | A body protecting or inflatable vest designed for equestrian sport may be worn in any division or class without penalty from the judge |
The vest clause comes from US Equestrian's general rule GR801: the text of rule change 030-22 lets any exhibitor in any division wear a body-protecting or inflatable equestrian vest without penalty from the judge, and the dressage rule in the table cites GR801 for the same point. US Equestrian said in May 2020 that no discipline then required an air vest.
When air vests entered the US rules is disputed. The USEA reported on 7 March 2010 an extraordinary change to the USEF eventing dress rule (EV114), effective immediately, allowing inflatable vests only over a body protecting vest. The Chronicle of the Horse (2019) dates the change to 2012.
Is there a standard?
The sources disagree, at least in wording. The BHS (page reviewed October 2026) says air jackets do not currently meet any recognised safety standard, and the FEI Eventing Committee said in 2021 that no internationally recognised industry standard existed. US Equestrian (2020) and the Chronicle of the Horse (2019), on the other hand, cite the SATRA M38 specification (Issue 3, February 2015), written by the UK test house SATRA, as a benchmark that some vests meet. The two positions can both be true: M38 is a test house's own specification, not an international or European standard. It is not the BETA or EN 13158 standard that applies to body protectors.
The BHS adds that worn alone an air jacket offers little protection, that makers' guidance is to wear one with a BETA Level 3 EN 13158 body protector, and that it gives limited protection, if any, against a direct kick.
What the evidence shows, and where it conflicts
US Equestrian says air vests were designed mainly to reduce crush injuries to the chest. Two pieces of research point in different directions:
- Laboratory, 2016. The Chronicle of the Horse (2019) reported a laboratory study linked to British Eventing and presented at the IRCOBI conference, in which an air jacket reduced the modelled probability of a serious chest injury from 94% to 81%.
- Field data, 2015 to 2017. US Equestrian (2020) reported a study by the Universities of Sydney and Melbourne of falls on FEI cross-country courses, which found that riders wearing air vests had higher odds of serious injury. The study did not show that the vests caused the injuries.
US Equestrian quoted Mark Hart, chair of the FEI Medical Committee, as saying the findings raise questions that have not been answered. That is where the bodies quoted here leave it: the FEI recommends air vests and requires a body protector, and national bodies set their own terms for wearing one with the other. A suspected injury after any fall needs medical care.
US Equestrian's 2020 summary of makers' servicing guidance for air vests is on the helmet and protector lifespan page. Whether a particular vest and protector combination is accepted on the day is for the body's current rules and its officials.
Sources
- Equestrian Australia, Eventing Rules 1 January 2026 (reproducing the FEI Eventing Rules, 27th edition)
- Around the Rings (Infobae), FEI Eventing Committee evaluates potential of air vests (12 July 2021)
- Irish Pony Club, cross country tack sheet 2026
- The British Horse Society, Events Body Protector Guidelines 2022 v1
- The British Horse Society, body protectors (reviewed 1 October 2026)
- US Equestrian, equestrian air vests: what you need to know (8 May 2020)
- Chronicle of the Horse, vested interest: what to know about body protectors and air vests (26 August 2019)
- US Eventing, new eventing rule changes going into effect 1 October 2023 (27 September 2023)
- US Eventing, USEF rule change regarding inflatable vests (7 March 2010)
- US Equestrian, Dressage Attire and Equipment booklet (1 May 2026)
- US Equestrian, rule change 030-22 GR801 helmet certification