The existing state of the art solutions to protecting against sharp and blunt impacts within the equestrian industry utilise air and foam technology. Both of which do not provide the level of breathability, adjustability and flexibility that riders require. Air technology products are required to be worn with another BETA level 3 approved protector as they do not currently meet this standard on their own. Furthermore, issues have been raised surrounding the initiation of inflation as it relies on a physical connection between the horse and the rider being broken, which is unreliable. Foam technology is the most common form of body protector however body protection in the equestrian industry over the last decade has lacked innovation with most products using ‘of the shelf’ technologies, reusing previous designs with slight alterations and are only required to protect against relatively low impact forces as per EN 13158:2018.
FAZE is the first truly comfortable and safe body protector for horse riders designed specifically with the user in mind and not only meets but exceeds, the EN 13158:2018 standards for impact protection, providing up to 40% greater protection than the industry standard, thus, changing rider’s perceptions of body protectors. The company has worked alongside leading universities to rethink testing and create more life-like test protocols, allowing the team to assess energy dissipation, stresses and strains on the skin, muscle, bone and internal organs resulting in the best possible protector for the user and easier international infiltration.
An increased number of riders wearing body protection will see a decrease in the severity and amount of injuries. The introduction of FAZE into various markets would have positive impacts on the wider society and economy as follows:
● A lower frequency of severe sports-related injuries in equestrian and other industries reducing the economic burden placed on an already stretched NHS.
● The adoption of FAZE into various markets would create numerous jobs at both FOMO itself and at relevant manufacturers to meet the demands of fabricating FAZE products. This would lead to an increase in the local and European economy.
● During the FAZE manufacturing process, there will be leftover pieces of foam which will be used to create saddle pads and fly veils, ensuring minimal waste.
● The reduction of the number of overall injuries will improve the equestrian industry’s safety thus increasing the uptake of the sport and helping to counteract the current obesity issues across the globe.
