Do you ride in the dark?

Demolition_Derby

Demolition_Derby

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I was just wondering how many people do/would ride in the dark. A girl at my yard has started riding in the mornings, at 6am in the pitch black
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. I don't really see this as a problem in itself but she rides down the road which is a windy country lane and used by a lot of cars as a 'cut through'. The cars are bad enough in the daylight and they drive very very fast
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. She doesnt wear ANY reflective clothing, has a dark bay horse and always wear her black coat. Her horse is a 20 something cobby type and is more than happy to only be ridden at wknds. She doesn't compete and it doesn't need to fit for anything as such. Her arguement is 'horses were on the road before cars' which I personally think is very naive and arrogant
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. She also says that 'they won't hit me, a horse on the bonnet will cause too much damage to their car'
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!!!!!!! Just to add more
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we have hacking on the 400 acre farm directly from the yard, no roadwork needed!! Please tell me I am not the only one who thinks this is a bit 'silly' to say the least?! Or is this quite normal???
 
I ride in the dark from November - Feb but we live on a huge estate so no need to ride on the roads. Just need to remember where the rabbit holes are!!

So dangerous to ride on the roads in the dark - cars just don't expect to see a horse.
 
This does sound quite silly. Maybe she thinks her superpowers of forcefields will protect her from a speeding truck or similar..... I think someone's in cuckoo land!!
 
why would she do that??????? she has a death wish!!!!!!

she is being very naive and very stupid.

I have ridden in the dark, but only in the school and to be honest i don't make a habit of it because I find Frankie spookier for some reason. I don't know why! I think he's taking the mickey

I can't believe she won't even wear hi viz???
 
Definitely has a death wish. I've ridden in the dark lots of times, but even off-road I'm lit up like a Christmas tree. I recently moved yards and misjudged the distance back from the heath via the lanes. It seemed to go on forever and was about 5:30pm, so all the commuters were going home. I had on so many lights and reflectives, though, they slowed down sooner than in the daylight - probably thought that aliens had landed!

Your yard acquaintance does seem to be a bit thick, though. Is there any reason why she won't wear Hi-Viz? Not even a flashing vest which costs £12.99???
 
I ride in the dark, on the roads at least once a week.
I wouldn't dream of going out without lots of hi-viz and flashing gear though, and have told off some of the teenagers on our yard for going out at night without reflective gear on.

That sounds very irresponsible of the girl on your yard.

My old horse was hit twice, in daylight, by cars going at 10 mph max. The first time the wing of the car was dented, the 2nd time it was a landrover and it didn't even dent
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I've posted this photo a few times now but will do so again to get the message across to anyone who is lingering about Hi Viz!!

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Which horse can you see more clearly?!?! Yes, there are two there!
 
I have told her all this, as has the farmer who owns the yard but she doesn't seem to listen
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. I don't ride in the dark but even when I go out in daylight I am literally head to toe in hi-viz. The farmer has made her aware of the consequences of her actions but he said he cant actually ban her from doing it, which I suppose he can't
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. I even offered to lend her my hi-viz stuff this morning but she refused it
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You should tell her to look at the small print on her insurance (if she has any). Some nowadays have some sort of statement about wearing hi viz, and that insurance is null and void if not wearing any whilst out hacking........
 
Why is it that some people think that £20 for a high viz set costs more than their horses life, or maybe their own life. If you can afford a horse then surley you can afford at least a tabard.

I would never ride in the dark on the roads, I dont even go out if the light is fading or the vizability is poor. And when I do go out, in broad daylight I always have on at least a tabard.
 
Holy cow, I just looked at that post, too. Very near miss and what an idiot. Someone did post on there that they didn't wear any hi-viz off road. I had a serious accident off-road in September (in the dead centre of Ringwood Forest) and very nearly had to have the air ambulance (it was out on call already, the only reason I didn't get it). Imagine how difficult it would have been to spot a loan rider under a forestry canopy. The horse had run off, so I was well and truly alone. Makes me even more determined to ALWAYS wear my flashing vest, then if I'm in a similar predicament, I can turn it on. My accident happened late afternoon and it was getting dark when the ambulance got to me. A helicopter wouldn't have stood a chance of finding me.
 
Eventually there will be legislation to enforce the wearing of Hi Viz...... legislation shouldn't be needed really, common sense should prevail. To wear a tabard at the minimum isn't alot to ask & you can by them for £2-3.
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IMO Hi Viz should always be worn when out on the roads regardless of time of day.
 
when my pony worked in the riding school but lived elsewhere it used to be starting to get dark as i rode him home, if i was going to be caught in the pitch black on the way then i went the longer way home which was only road work for first 5 mins, took longer and was a bit scary sometimes but id rather that than not be seen! i never left the yard in the dark as my boss would just let my pony sleep over if need be!
 
I think too much of my life and my horses life to risk riding in the dark! Once I was riding back from my mates place when it was getting dark but 90% of it was lane, I only had to go along 1 road for about 2 mins and then turned off!
Bugger that for a laugh! I'd rather have an un-fit horse than a dead 1.
 
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This was Stan and I taken at 8.30a.m the other morning as you see I have all the high viz and it seemed quite light when we set off but this was down a lane I always wear high viz the woman you are talking about needs her head examined !
 
she must be bl**dy mad, does she not care about her horse, her life or her family? What about the car that hits them, the driver/passenger could very easily be killed too - is she going to laugh that off? You can bet your bottom dollar that she would have no public liability insurance cover with no lights/hi-viz, so assuming she wasn't splattered across the road she could be faced with a huge huge bill.

What an idiot.
 
I hack out in the dark all winter, but it is off road in Epping Forest. Personally, I really cannot understand why some people have such a big problem with wearing Hi-vis. It comes in so many colours and styles now, and I just have so much fun buying as much pink as I can!
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She is irresponsible and putting lives at risk...her horses and the unsuspecting deiver of a car for a start...let alone hers which she obviously doesnt have much consideration for but that is her choice.
Even in the summer I wore hi-viz...you just go under trees and you can be difficult to see.
I know someone standing at a junction on a grey mare in the middle of the day...they still got hit by a car...you cannot think drivers will not want a horse on their car bonnet so nothing will happen.
 
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