Orangehorse
Well-Known Member
Following my post about seeing riders out at the weekend with no high-viz, and the replies of those who "thought it looked awful" I wondered how to change that attitude.
I think a vet summed it up well - Dress Your Horse for the Road.
I can remember feeling a complete prat at my first affiliated ODE. Coloured silks, back protector, gloves, horse with boots, over-reach boots, the works. What about dressage?
I once asked if it was in the rules that all the horses had large white saddle cloths, because EVERYONE had them. Not to mention the blingy browbands, fancy bridles, etc. etc.
And what about all the protection horses get when put on a lorry or trailer?
So really, all you are doing is dressing your horse suitably for going out on busy roads. Where people don't crawl along lanes in their cars at 20 mph, but know that they can do 60 mph down a lane, where main roads carry huge lorries, and speeding motorists are keen to get somewhere quickly.
High Viz isn't going to stop every accident - some accidents can't be avoided, but it does give YOUR HORSE just a bit more protection and just a bit more chance of avoiding being hit by something that didn't see you as you ride along on your bay/chestnut/brown horse is your smudgy coloured coat.
I think a vet summed it up well - Dress Your Horse for the Road.
I can remember feeling a complete prat at my first affiliated ODE. Coloured silks, back protector, gloves, horse with boots, over-reach boots, the works. What about dressage?
I once asked if it was in the rules that all the horses had large white saddle cloths, because EVERYONE had them. Not to mention the blingy browbands, fancy bridles, etc. etc.
And what about all the protection horses get when put on a lorry or trailer?
So really, all you are doing is dressing your horse suitably for going out on busy roads. Where people don't crawl along lanes in their cars at 20 mph, but know that they can do 60 mph down a lane, where main roads carry huge lorries, and speeding motorists are keen to get somewhere quickly.
High Viz isn't going to stop every accident - some accidents can't be avoided, but it does give YOUR HORSE just a bit more protection and just a bit more chance of avoiding being hit by something that didn't see you as you ride along on your bay/chestnut/brown horse is your smudgy coloured coat.
