Buying Hi VIz

Goldenstar

Goldenstar

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Ok everone what should I buy, I am going to invest in hi VIz and am interested in what you all find the most useful
Do you find coats or waistcoats best ie most useful and easy to wear
I want sheets for the horses including one that can go on a lead horse who is wearing no saddles.
I have been looking at the polite range what do you think of it if you have it and what is the sizing like?
Does any one have thermatex one if so is it worth the money and can it be used with a roller.
 
I have a waistcoat and find it really handy as I can just bung it on over whatever I'm already wearing. Mine is just a builders one from the market (think it was about £3!!), super bright and very light and comfy to wear so doesn't make me cook in the summer either!
 
i have the polite vest waiting on the excersise sheet ariving i find that the vest is not as hard wearing as it should be have had to re sew the zip but then thats nothing to major and could have just been a bad batch, would have taken it back and got a replacement but the shop i got it from are a pain to deal with.

i would recomend a hi viz vest/waistcoat then it doesnt matter what jacket your wearing underneath, and a hat band, for the horse, hi viz necklace, possibly the hi viz ear veil, excersise sheet and leg bands, thats what i ride out in, just awaiting excersise sheet
 
Does the polite vest 'work ' by that is there difference I. The way drivers react between it and 'normal ' hi VIz, has anyone ever experienced a driver getting annoyed by feeling conned when they realise your not police.
Thanks for the comments on waistcoats verses coats think that's what I will do
 
I have a Hi-viz vest for summer
A Hi-viz showerproof running jacket for wet/cooler days - from sports world/direct
& a Heavy-weight waterproof Workman Jacket (i.e. like construction workers use) for winter! - think from a DIY store (brought by my dad)
I also have a bright yellow hat cover - most people say they see this first & it was only like £5 off ebay.

I have fluorescent brushing boots for the horse. (ebay again)

I did have an exercise sheet (attached to saddle) but it's gone walkabouts at the moment :/
 
I have never had a driver get annoyed that i am not the police riding in a "polite" waistcoat. Having thought about it i do ride a stonking great 17.3 so they might think i am! I do get lots of smiles from people and that is not normal round my way.
I have also had to repair mine (twice) i managed to put my hand on the adjustable velcro tabs while dismounting and ripped them but i think thats more me being clumsy than shoddy goods!
 
We have neck bands for the horses that don't need attaching to the saddle so that would be usfull for your lead horse, also I have a pull over hi vis bib that is elastic in the sides find this great as it goes over any thing and is not to heavy in summer, if u get a plane one from some one there are many printers who will put text on the back (I work for a company who do this and we do loads!!!) so you can even make it more for you and just horse, we did have couple of years ago saying "slow down horse! Till kick at speeding cars" and when I spoke to the owner a group of months after she said it had worked a treat no one had ever wizzed past her horse again!!
 
I am adding to my collection of Hi-Viz as time goes on :D I am currently up to, One fleece, one lightweight running jacket, one waistcoat with flashing lights. If I wear the waistcoat then I tend to wear old horse leg bands as wrist bands and Hi-Viz glovces, one hat band and one leg band for me with a white light to the front and a red light to the back. The horse has four leg wraps, one martingale thingy, one tailguard, with led lights, and both a winter and summerweight exercise sheet.
I would recomend that if you go for a waistcoat that you ensure that you have some Hi-Viz on your arms so that traffic can see you signaling :)
 
I do try and get as much Hi-Viz on the cheap as possible :) The other thing about the leg bands is that they are quite soft, much nicer than the arm bands they make for children :)
 
I have loads of hi-viz as I used to have to ride along some awful roads to get to the bridleways. The best thing that I bought was a mesh exercise sheet from V-bandz. I use it from the spring, all summer and autumn. (I have a different warmer one for winter.)
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http://www.v-bandz.co.uk/EQUESTRIAN...afety/Mesh-Quarter-Sheet-with-Tail-Piece.aspx
Click to expand...
 
Mesh tabbard
Other tabbards
A padded waistcoat
A padded coat

All are hi viz, some yellow and others pink.

I also have some chest bands for my horse.

Personally i like the coat best as it means you are visible from any angle, but in the summer that's obviously not always feasible to wear as it is too hot!
 
I've got £1 hi viz vest from poundland.
Workmans coat for ebay about £15, fabulously warm and great for bad weather - use we have to cross a busy road from stables to field. Use as my winter jacket now, its great.
Clip on lights, £1.99 from BM bargains. They are cycle type but clip on front and back of rug for leading across the road, an extra bit of security incase street/car lights don't work.
HiViz stripes for rugs, delivered today will add and review soon .
 
I like long-sleeved workman's yellow/reflective tops for the rider - that way cars can clearly see your arm signals so I figure it is worth an extra 4quid or so.

For horse I use yellow reflective
- leg bands (back)
- strips on bridle or hi-viz head collar
- flashing tail guard (although the one I have has a tendency to slide off so isn't used as much as the rest)

I figure both horse and rider need to be visible from all angles either together or (worst case) apart.
 
If you only want to get one piece of hiviz clothing (ie: tabard/waistcoat or jacket) i'd probably go for the waistcoat as you can wear it all year round over any type of coat - they're very adjustable so can go from just a t-shirt in summer to a padded coat in winter. I've spoilt myself and got one polite waistcoat & one bright pink jacket, so one for all weathers haha.
The POLITE range really does work, i always notice a huge difference when I'm wearing my polite outfit than when I'm just in my pink, drivers really do slow down and pass a lot more carefully. I'm saving up for the exercise sheet too.

Boots or leg wraps are really good for horses legs, you could have a set on each horse, along with a neckband - they make some that don't need to be attached to a saddle.
 
I have the equisafety jacket, the polite range waste coat and also the polite range padded waste coat, it doesn't have polite written on it just the blue banding. The jacket is brill and a generous size, the wastecoat is fitted so you really need a size bigger. I have a Mark Todd fleece lined exercise sheet and I love it, great fit.
 
I've just recieved my Polite range hi viz winter sheet for Spot, i did have a shires sheet, while it was lovely it wasnt really big enough, the Polite sheet is a warmblood size and will be tried on said ponio tomorrow :D

i've also bought him some leg bands, and i always ride in a hiz viz tabbard, but am eying up the Polite range for this too! hehe :D :D

Im amused to see if it makes much difference as its meant to slow drivers down quicker, and as spot is 17.2 he would make a lovely police horse! hehe! :D
 
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