Another argument for Hi-Viz!

[MrsHutt]

I was so shocked to hear about a friend up at the yard today. She was hacking yesterday, about lunchtime, on her way back to the yard. Suddenly she heard an almighty crack and something wizzed past her face, between her head and her mare's. Someone was shooting at her!

Horse went bonkers (unsurprisingly!), reared and tried to bolt home. My friend (most excellent rider, by the way) thought they were both going to come down onto the fence, but the horse managed to avoid it and landed sideways to the path. My friend hung on and stopped her from bolting.

Friend screamed and screamed 'stop shooting' but whoever it was shot at least one more time, but in a different direction.

She feels that they were directly behind the hedge, only a few feet away from her - she was deafened by the shot. Now, I don't suppose it was deliberate (just bad regard for the fact that there was a bridleway there!), but if she had been wearing hi-viz she would have undoubtedly have been noticed through the hedge.

This is in a pretty quiet and deserted area of woodlands, fields, tracks for walkers etc - no roads/traffic. Although I am a true advocate of wearing hi-viz on the roads, it would never have occurred to me to wear my jacket on this route. I WILL NOW!

Police think it may well have been poachers, who wouldn't have necessarily been aware of where the bridle paths are.

 

[Boxers]

Oh My Life - that's awful - the shot went between her head and her horse's head? One of them couldn have been hit. How absolutely scary!

I rode a route when it was a shooting day, but luckily some of the guns saw me and called out to the others to stop. I was on a bridleway and didn't know it was a shoot day. I always put my hi-viz vest on wherever I am riding to.

Glad your friend and her horse were ok in the end.

 

[Dottie]

Oh my God! How horrific!

I always wear hi viz off road incase my horse and i part company and so the farmers and there tractors see us easily! Awful thought of how that could have ended.

 

[monkeybum13]

How scary.

Another good reason for wearing it. Today I went hacking all off road but still wore hi viz as it's a game farm where you get lots of shooting, particularly on a Saturday!

 

[Feathered]

OMG That is so scary!!! Sounds like your friend coped admirably well under the circumstances.

 

[MrsHutt]

She is actually the coolest of riders (her horse is mental - does the whole ride sideways usually!) - but she copes very well. Loves the horse and enjoys the challenge of her behaviour (not my cup of tea, I might add!). A very sensible lady, similar age to me (old, in other words!). We are used to gunshots from the woods and are usually made aware when a shoot is going on, but this was a bit too close to home and surprising. I think it was poachers. Lots of deer round here.

We were just contemplating what would have happened if it was some of the younger riders or more nervous, older ladies!

Doesn't bare thinking about!

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

How awful for your friend and her horse, I am very glad to hear they are both ok.
I do personally always wear hi-viz, every single time I ride, be it spring, summer, autumn or winter, off road, on road, I always wear it

 

[Booboos]

That sounds extremely scary! I am all for hi-viz, but no one should be shooting through a hedge without clear site of vision of what they were shooting at in the first place! The shooter sounds downright dangerous...and armed!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PeterNatt]

I always carry a whistle to draw attention to shooters that I am there. Always wear long slevved Hi-Viz as well so that other road users can see my hand signals clearly.

 

[ISHmad]

Yikes that was a close call. I just dont get why people don't wear hi viz when out riding full stop. Like PeterNatts idea of the whistle if you are in an area where shooting goes on. I'd be avoiding anywhere like that like the plague I think!

 

[MochaDun]

That must have been terrifying for horse and rider. And so lucky they weren't hit. I always wear my hi-viz regardless of where I'm going so always wear it even if just going to the end of the bridleway and back - mainly because we get a lot of dogwalkers, joggers and cyclists and it's narrow so I want them to see me in plenty time. We also have had people (illegally I think) cut through the fields that border those tracks to go out shooting deer so I'm all for making myself seen. Also I think it helps farmers who might be cutting hedges alongside the track or baling etc to spot you and stop the hedgecutter or pause until you've gone by when maybe you can't make them hear you then hopefully they will see you.