Do you and your horse wear hi viz clothing?

[xRobyn]

Even when walking down the road to the school (2 yards 1 minutes away from each other) I wear my hi viz tabbard. We normally head out like this:

On rainy/foggy days I add an exercise sheet

In a way I don't get annoyed seeing riders out with nothing if it's a bright (not low sun!) day and they're on quiet roads, but where I keep Phil is next to a main road and supermarket, so I'd NEVER be without it. I get fuming when I see riders wearing dark clothes on dark horses on rainy days

 

[MileAMinute]

Always, always, always!

Our new yard has pretty much all off-road hacking, but I continue to dress up in bright pink hi-viz. Why?
What happened if I fell off, mare cantered home and no one knew where I was? At least if someone was air-bound looking for me I'd be easier to spot.

I don't see the point in not wanting to make yourself as visible as possible. Why risk not being seen and safe?!

It is a slight bugbear of mine to see young people (like me!) go out in nothing, no doubt because it's cool. Give me a break.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I always wear hi viz when ever I ride, and I always will. I wear it every time without fail, no matter if on or off road and whatever the time of year

 

[katastrophykat]

erm... yes!!!

you cant see the flashing lights though... theres a few of them!

 

[monkeybum13]

Always wear it when hacking out and also when leading in hand on the road.
I don't understand why you wouldn't wear it.

 

[debsg]

Yes always when hacking.
xRobyn, love your horse! What is his/her breeding? (can't tell sex in the pic )

 

[J&C]

I always wear my hi-viz vest. I admit that sometimes in the past I have forgotten it and gone out anyway but now I keep it in the boot of my car so I always have it.
All of my horse hi-viz gear is pony sized and doesnt fit my new big lump so at the moment he doesn't wear any. It does cross my mind that we might get separated and he wouldn't have any on so I will get him something soon.

We are in a tiny hamlet and mainly stick to off road hacks and in daylight so we are low risk anyway but it doesn't hurt to be extra safe. If I am going to be riding on a road I would always wear it.

 

[muddygreymare]

Always, I never hack out without, especially with some of the eejits around up here, it's really not worth the risk!

I always wear my jacket or tabard, depending on the weather and my horse always wears leg bands, sometimes exercise sheet and now has reflective bits for her reins too, and I have some fluorescent pink ribbon with the reflective bit on it which i'm going to put on my hat too.

Better safe than sorry imo

 

[xRobyn]

xRobyn, love your horse! What is his/her breeding? (can't tell sex in the pic )

Thank you

He's Hydehouse Prince of Darkness (by Foxglen Borealis (by Uplands Cosmonaunt) out of Marlais Mary Rose (by Ffoslas Welsh Pilot)).

http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/hydehouse+prince+of+darkness

 

[ebonyallen]

Always Summer Winter,does not matter always wear it,and my black girlee does as well, better safe than sorry

 

[miss_wilson]

Always wear hi-viz now have heard of far too many accidents with riders wearing none!!!

 

[emma.is]

I do, but I don't go overload. I figure if the driver can't see my florescent coat and his sheet then nothing will help us!

 

[hcm88]

I always at least wear a tabard, as otherwise I doubt insurance would be valid. Hi viz is so crucial, I despise driving on roads in low light and then coming across riders without hi viz on (or cyclists/walkers for that matter).
If I have time/patience to find them the horses have hi viz boots too and if it's raining a hi viz sheet.

Not worth the risk.

 

[Kiristamm]

100% at least a tabbard. I am a riding and road safety trainer and i must say i tell people i meet whilst driving if i can't see the. Normally get shouted down but at least I tried. The horse did not choose to hack on the road.

Also it only had to be said to me once that insurance providers may quibble about paying, if the rider hasn't done everything available to be seen in an accident (ie wearing fluorescent gear). Might not be always the case, but I don't want to take the chance.

 

[CatStew]

I've always worn a hi-viz tabard and the horses have leg bands. Recently, I've invested in a hi-viz excersise sheet and it makes so much difference! I definitely feel a lot safer with it too. I've noticed that the majority of riders wear hi-viz now, which is brilliant. I want to get a hat band next!

 

[starryeyed]

I always use hi-viz when I'm out on a hack, even if it's just popping round the block for 15 minutes or up the road for 5. I feel a lot safer and more visable with it, and have noticed a huge difference in cars slowing down for me when I'm wearing the polite range.
Usually I go out with my tabard or coat (depending on weather), hat band, horse has 4 leg bands (and a neckstrap for the ones that don't wear martingales) with an exercise sheet.

 

[caitlineloise]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=508024

Link to the thread to share your Hi-Viz photos!

 

[foraday]

Yes always!

It is in the highway code about hi viz

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069853

I was quite surprised being a passenger in my friends Horse Transport lorry going to Keysoe three days ago there were 5 people all different ages riding around Keysoe and surrounding that WERE NOT wearing hi viz.

I was quite shocked really! One couple of riders were obviously mum and daughter and you could not see them until you were right on top of them as they were wearing dark clothing and the horses were brown woolly bears blending into the hedges!

Madness complete madness! Whilst we have these IDIOTS riding out bringing the standards down we will always have mad car drivers frustrated at us!

 

[PolarSkye]

Yup - Kal has a hi-viz exercise sheet and rein bands and I have a hat band and a tabard. It also helps that he's a grey so usually easier to see against dark hedges, etc.

P

 

[Merrymoles]

Why wouldn't you? I keep my (slightly tatty) roadmender's fluorescent vest in my hat so I never forget it and have that as a minimum even if for some reason I haven't got anything else. It's also come in useful a couple of times when I've been driving and I've had to catch someone else's loose ponies or slow down traffic because of an accident.

 

[turkana]

I was riding & leading 2 bays, off road, along side some trees; I was wearing a bright yellow fleece & both horses had hi viz leg wraps & noseband covers on.
A huge army chinook helicoptor was flying fast & low & heading straight for us, which was quite alarming; fortunately he banked hard to the right, giving us quite a wide birth & then resumed his previous course.
Maybe he didn't see us at all & it was a coincidence but I'll carry on making us as visable as possible

 

[CobSunshine]

All the time me and boy from head to toe, dont care less what people think. Its the horses that i feel sorry for of the owners that dont, If there was.an accident owner had the choice to put the hi viz on the horse didnt.

 

[niagaraduval]

YES ! I actually think horses look smart in Hi viz.

My boy is black we have a yellow hi viz waredrobe, quite often get snide comments from the french! Would much rather be seen by cars and lorries and hunters than be hit or shot !

 

[Barnsey]

All the time, we do have more Pink quarter sheet, I have a pink hat band & waistcoat, and no he has not forgiven me, but it is for our safety and that is far more inportant than what we look like.

And if I could work out how to put a picture on I would.

 

[dogcalleddill]

Absolutely, always. I can't imagine why you wouldn't. When I was down south we were near RAF Odiham and if you wore a hi-viz hat the pilots would do their best to climb/swerve to avoid spooking the horses. To me it's at vital as a hat.

 

[kathantoinette]

Yes always. I have a yellow hi-vis jacket if its cold and then just a vest/tabard for summer.
I might get an exercise sheet thats hi-vis when I have a few spare ££.

 

[spotty_pony]

Yes I do. I didn't used to but I have found that it does make quite a bit difference with driver's reactions (although there will always be the idiots who will ignore you and speed past you! ) I have a Hi-Viz tabard, fluorescent brushing boots and a fluorescent exercise sheet.

 

[maree t]

We all go out kitted out ALWAYS. Anybody who rides mine have to wear it or not ride . I stopped on sunday, as I hadnt seen a huge dark bay horse with the rider wearing dark brown ,until the last minute. I drew up alongside her and said how difficult it was to see her with no hi-viz. She did respond politely but bet it didnt make much difference but glad i said something.
We live near a famous pro SJer and none of those horses go out kitted out , cant understand why when they are so valuable.

 

[benson21]

We were long reining donovan down the road the other day, both me and OH in our high vis, but Don with nothing. We soon rectified that!!! he now has a hi vis tail bandage, high vis boots and a high vis martingale thingy!
We were wearing hi vis when we had an accident, a car hitting me and my loan horse, and my other horse being ridden by a friend. ok, the hi vis didnt save us, but the Police did say, if we hadnt of been wearing hi vis, the driver could claim he couldnt see us, therefore getting a lighter sentence.
Its not only cars that need to see horses and riders, if you come off your horse off road, you will be spotted so much quicker if you are wearing hi vis.