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The Professional Bull Riders Association encourages Cowboys to wear safety equipment while competing in events. Seven pieces of equipment are available, first is head gear, today headgear is becoming very popular, they are practical as well as acting as a barrier keeping a rider from suffer cuts that may require stitches or even a concussion. Helmets and facemask, similar to NFL helmets, created to shield the vulnerable head area from blows; while the facemask protects the face and jaw. These helmets and facemasks are not required but currently is only a personal preference. Many cowboys feel the helmet and mask restricts vision or that the added weight will upset their timing and balance, most often cowboys will only wear a helmet and mask after a serious face, jaw or head injury.

Bull riding cowboys for protection wear a protective vest, invented by former PBRA bull rider and current Livestock Director Cody Lambert. The vest has two functions: to absorb shock and dissipate blows to the torso and protection against punctures in the torso caused by the bull's horns or hooves. Since the PBRA introduced it to their cowboys, wearing the protective vest has dramatically decreased internal injuries.

The Cowboy also wears a glove on their riding hand; the leather helps protect their hand and fingers, making it easier gripping the bull rope. Some cowboys tape the gloves to their hands, the force of the bull bucking and the friction from the rope will sometimes tear a glove off. Using rosin helps the cowboy's glove stick to the bull rope, being a sticky substance rosin provides a little extra grip.

Every Professional Bull Rider cowboy owns chaps, usually custom-made for a cowboy and usually displaying his sponsor's logo, as well as displaying the cowboys taste in various decorative elements, are an integral part of the armor adding a layer of protection against a bull's horns and hooves.

Bull ropes flat braided out of grass or nylon goes around the bull's girth area just behind the front legs. A handle constructed partially of leather braided into it. This handle serves to anchor the cowboy for the duration of his ride. A cowboy runs the rope through their index finger or pinkie; some riders prefer to use what they call a suicide wrap, the wrap is harder to get out of, but will dramatically increase the chances of the cowboy hanging onto the bull.

Brazilian bull ropes are slightly wider and vary in construction from the braided one in America. The difference in the use of the Brazilian rope is pulling the rope is opposite American ropes. If a cowboy using a Brazilian bull rope, is right hand the rope is pulled from the left side and vice-versa, with American ropes they are pulled from the same side as the cowboys riding hand, in recent years the Brazilian rope has become the preferred rope for the top PBRA cowboys.

Finally, there is the cowboy's boots and mouthpiece. The boots worn while riding have a special spur ridge on the heel helping their spurs stay in place, some cowboys wear the traditional pull-on cowboy boot of old, while the younger set prefer lace up boots that snugly fit the foot. It is hard to believe not one PBRA cowboy wears and Athletic cup, some cowboys wear a pair of tight bicycle style shorts, but wearing a cup while riding a bull is just plain uncomfortable! All PBRA riders wear a mouthpiece to protect their teeth from impact injury during the ride with the bull or the ground similar in construction to the mouthpiece worn by NFL players and made by the rider's dentist.

Learn more about this author, Alfred E. Newman.
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