Safety First! (Cross-Country Jumps)

   It's always nice to hear that new inventions are being used to help keep our beloved sport a little safer. FEI has allowed a new device to be used to keep our cross-country athletes a little bit more secure as they approach each jump. This new device is called the MIM Safe New Era Clip and Pin. It's the first jump fixing to get the FEI's approval since their new rules.

   This new device was designed in Sweden to give way when a strong force hits it. Now don't think that this means that cross-country is becoming more like show jumping where the jump gives way at the slightest nudge. This MIM Clip and Pin will only release the jump if the horse and rider are truly in trouble. It was designed so that a fall will happen safer. Instead of the horse and rider having a rotational fall (see picture below), the jump will move to allow the horse to stay more parallel to the ground. This means that the horse will less likely step or fall on the rider once they hit the ground. So, the MIM Clip and Pin is designed to reduce injury, not to reduce falls (though it does sometimes reduce falls too).

   Hopefully, this will keep our eventers a little safer and allow us to lower the number of deaths and injuries in this discipline every year. If you would like to read more about the MIM Clip and Pin, you can click here.

   I hope you have all enjoyed your week and look forward to your weekend. Feel free to comment or request any blog topics either on this blog site or by email (my email address can be found by clicking on the Contact Me tab). I will be writing again next week. Until then, I wish you all the best and that you all enjoy the time you have with your equine friends. Thank you for reading my blog.