Kanteq Body Protector - NEW Discount for DFs

[SuzieP]

I've been to Bramham today and tried one of these on! And now I'm going to save up for one because it is the most comfortable body protector I've ever tried. It's shaped for the female form - ie it has hollows for your boobies to fit in. It has an inner belt to adjust for fit and I was amazed by the foam demo.

Wendy - the woman who designed this product - was on the stand....and was actually a really nice person. There was no hard selling, she just demonstrated the product. She put a piece of normal BP foam on the ground and hit it with a hammer - it dented! She did the same with a piece of Kanteq foam and no dents at all. She also did a demo of what happens if you fall over a jump or land on something on the ground - the normal foam bent, the Kanteq foam didn't.

If you need the BP altered to fit, Wendy will do it.

When I had the BP on it was snug, but it didn't restrict my breathing as others do. When I'm jumping I sometimes forget to breathe properly and so give myself panic attacks LOL! I don't breathe properly because I feel so restricted and it is such an effort to do more than shallow breathing. I didn't get that feeling in the Kan BP.

I promise I'm not on commission! LOL I was just very, very impressed.

Here is a link to find out more: www.kanteq.com

[drummersmum]

How much are they retailing at, I couldn't find a price!

[oakgatefirefox]

ditto above

[SuzieP]

Around £225 - look on the stockists page and try the websites.

[olivia]

Hi Sue,

Thanks for the link. I'm interested in how the foam works if it doesn't deform. My understanding of body protectors and riding hats is that they offer protection BECAUSE they deform (so dissipating the energy of you going splat before it reaches your body).

Does anyone know?

Olivia

[SuzieP]

You could email Wendy, the creator of the Kan BP - she said she'd be very happy to receive any questions. In fact I gave her the address for DFs in the hope that she might join and add to this thread....maybe she will yet, once Bramham is over.

[Debbie]

It looks like they might've borrowed from very high speed motorcycle racing technology....which means some of the highest protection in the world. These guys have been pushing the envelope in what they can do with their bikes, and taking some spills along the way that should have caught them a coffin.

I think for what you're getting, that's an exceptionally reasonable price!!!

Any ideas how long the body protector lasts? How many years of hard use you should sorta expect before you need to replace it?

LOL, does this woman have a helmet? ;D

[SuzieP]

Apparently the foam in the Kanteq doesn't break down in time like the normal BP foam does...so in theory they should last for years and years.

The normal foam bends on impact so is a cushion. If you fall over a jump or the horse stands on you the normal foam will bend and may not be enough to prevent injury. The Kanteq foam doesn't bend. Even hit with a hammer there was no dent. It does absorb the shock though.

This is what the website says: "The Kan body protector provides the ultimate protective barrier in the incidence of an equestrian fall. Its moulded foam panels are manufactured by protective sportswear experts Planet Knox, from a secret formula used in producing their market-leading motorcycle protectors. The foam panels have an outer skin containing thousands of tiny air pockets providing strength and comfort. On impact the air trapped within the pockets absorbs the force of the fall or collision, offering maximum protection to the wearer. The foam panels are semi-rigid - firm enough to hold their shape, whilst remaining soft and flexible. "

[wendykan]

Hi everyone, I'm the "Wendy from Kan Teq" that Suzie has mentioned, thank you so much Suzie for making such a great effort to introduce and describe the Kan body protector on my behalf. I have been so busy after Bramham with other events that it is only now that i am following up on the contacts made there!

Anyway, Debbie is absolutely correct - it is high speed motorcycle racing technology and our foam is manufactured by Knox - the best company in the world at developing protective foam technologies visit www.planet-knox.com for more info on that. the foam used in the Kan body protector has been developed especially for high impact and it actually hardens on impact so the shock does not travel on into the body, instead it is transferred across the foam which is why it is so good to have large single pieces of foam instead of smaller moveable parts. There is so much that I could say about the advantages of this polyeurithane foam in terms of its moulded shape and its inherent strength so please do ask if there is more that you would like to know.

I will tell you that the sides extend with each breath that the wearer takes so you can get a full diaphriamatic breath which is essential for optimum rider performance as oxygen gets into the bloodstream and heart rate lowers which reduces stress. Also the back is entirely supported and actually puts the rider into a good position. there is no gap at all at the centre front behind the zip because the foam is actually anchored in position and will ot slide back once worn revealing space which is so often the case on traditional styles. All these advantages come from the technological foam that Knox have created.

Quick bit of background - I am a keen and mildly competitive horse rider (not much time anymore unfortunately) also a clothing designer with experience of developing bullet proof vests for a couple of different companies over the years. I had to research motorcycle clothing for a project with Greater Manchester Police and first discovered Knox. I asked if they did anything for equestrian bps and the answer was no. In 2004 I approached them to develop a product that would be suitable for a garment that i was going to develop, they did, although it took nearly 4 years.

We have gathered amazing testimonials over the past year and I will be posting all these on our new website which I hope will be up and running soon - I'm not too good at updating info I'm afraid and our existing site is not too user friendly, so please bear with me and just ask if there is anything else that I can describe for you.

Thanks for your interest

Wendy

[olivia]

Hi Wendy lovely to have you here

The foam and body protector sounds wonderful, and it's great to have something designed for the female body shape

Having had both my mother and riding instructor swear within days of each other when the realised how heavy my current body protector is - made me think I probably ought to find a new one now this is 5 yrs old

So - one question - any plans to bring to market a BP for us larger ladies who match our HW cobs?

Many thanks

Olivia

[SuzieP]

Hi Wendy! So glad you found us.....

I'm still saving up LOL - shouldn't be long now!

[SuzieP]

Wendy at Kanteq is offering a special £30 discount to any DalesFan who purchases a Kan Body Protector before 31st August. I have a voucher and will email it to anyone who would like to take advantage of the offer....just send me a PM with your email address and I'll forward the voucher to you.

Full details of how to order are on the voucher together with some questions about your size and shape so that Wendy can send you the right fit for you.

If anyone would like to see the product before they buy, I'll take mine to the Summer Show. Just let me know if you want to see it and I'll look out for you.

[dalesponyrider]

So how much is she actually selling them for? I've found them at £116 here -

www.tds-saddlers.com/ProductDetails.asp?PCLinkID=13960

[SuzieP]

Not sure how they do them at that price - but note they're all sold out anyway apart from the very smallest size.

[Debbie]

Thanks for joining us Wendy, and for giving more info. That seems a very good offer with the coupon


How often do the protectors need to be replaced? Ie, how fast does the polyurathane break down from sun exposure, or body heat? Or is it not really effected by these factors?