Hacking in dark - well dusk really!

[miamibear]

Hello just a quick poll or trying to do one anyway on hacking in dusk, we have an of road hack, just a small farm track but you have to go down a village street to get to it. I rode it last night and cars were putting their head lights on when i was coming back but it was only 1/4 to 6. So here are my questions

 

[Rambo]

Can't vote yet, but Yes, I do hack in the dusk, but No I wouldn't hack on the roads at dusk. I don't wear fluorescant gear either....I don't think the deer would appreciate to be honest, and they're the only other creatures we're likely to bump into

 

[samp]

I try to be back in the yard before dusk as the roads are too dangerous anyway, if I think I may hit dusk/ light fading I hack out in rerflective gear as my mare is dark bay

 

[Weezy]

Dusk is, I think, the most dangerous time to hack on roads - so nope, never have, never would

 

[RachelB]

I have to hack on the roads to get to the woods, but I make sure I plan my hack so at the latest I'll be coming back along the short stretch of road to home just before it goes dark. I wear flourescent (sp?) gear as often as I remember (most of the time), at least a tabard, even when riding in the woods. One lady fell off in the woods once and had to be airlifted out to hospital, they only found her lying on the ground because she had a tabard on. When it gets darker in the days I shall be putting more flourescent stuff on.

 

[miamibear]

Sorry about the poll voting time its my first one and im sure i requested for it to start now but i must have done something wrong!

Anyway i guess the hacking in dusk is out then, the road to get me to off road is about 300-400m long but is used quite a bit but is lit with street lights all the way.

I was just thinking as nights draw in i would still like to use if for after work hacks but maybe itsnot safe.

BTW i would be wearing exercise sheet, tail guard, jacket, hat silk, martingale,leg straps all in flourescents

 

[Super_Kat]

I usually do hack at dusk but I'm always coming up the long farm drive at college where theres strict speed limits and plenty of places to pull into. Would never hack ut onto the road that coes through the village I hack through. We get made to wear reflectives when we go out hacking.

K
x

 

[fairhill]

I ride on the roads in dusk/darkness in the winter. I wear fluorescent gear, and use lights on my leg and arm.

I have no off-road hacking, and to be honest I don't see the problem with hacking on the roads in the dark. Most of the streets round us have got some form of street lighting, and I go out on them a couple of evenings a week.

 

[Rambo]

[ QUOTE ]
I have no off-road hacking, and to be honest I don't see the problem with hacking on the roads in the dark.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh...so what happens if just ONE car driver doesn't see you then

 

[TheresaW]

I gave no choice in the winter. If I want to hack out, I hae to go out in the dark. Luckily, I don't have to ride on any roads, just have to cross a pretty busy one to get into the forest. I do wear a fluorescent tabbard and hat band and I have as much fluorescent stuff on my horse as possible.

 

[fairhill]

TBH I've had more problems hacking on the roads in daylight. Accidents can happen on the roads at any time, and you will get idiot car drivers at any time of the day.
I wear reflective/fluorescent gear ALL the time, and am very traffic aware. I just think it's a shame that people are scared of hacking in the evenings.

 

[Tempi]

i would NEVER hack in the dark around my yard!!! altho its al off road we have to walk along this track through a wood to get out to the fields and it scares me!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kelly1982]

Nope dont hack at dusk or in the dark, will only hack in broad daylight at the weekends.

 

[miamibear]

I would never hack in pitch black but im talking about dusk, when its not daylight but not dark. If i hit it early mornings there is hardly any traffic anyway.

Im just not sure im doing the right thing.

Thing that made me ask was i saw a cyclist last night cycling in the dark on my way home after my hack. It was pitch black, he had no flourescents on and only 2 lights one on the front of his bike and one on the back.

I would have been easier to be seen on my horse with my flourescents on.

Then i started to wonder if it was against the law like it is to ride your bike with no lights!

Hmmm dont know still!!

 

[JACQSZOO]

I think if you are sensible and your hacking on streets that are lit up, wear plenty of flourescent gear then why not? I go out looking like a christmas tree at this time of year.

 

[Quarrybank]

I would never hack in the dark. Partly due to drivers not expecting to see a horse on the roads after it's got dark, even though I would only have to do a v short strech on the road. But mainly agree with Parisienne that it's too scary to be out in the woods in the dark with only my boy & the deer for company!!!
Alway wear flouresent too. Even in daylight. If it gives a driver a few more seconds to see me, it's well worth it.

 

[Soph83]

<span style="colorurple">I regulary hack in the dark. I go out looking like a christmas tree and the road I have to cross to get to the park is a main well lit one and other roads small and quiet but also well lit. Horses can see in the dark and I have a light on the top of my hat so we're fine in the park. It's actually quite relaxing as there's no one else about and the horses seem more relaxed too. If I'm on my own though I just stick to our own land. If there's a group we go out.

I don't think it's more dangerous at all. I've hacked back from evening jumping at 10/11pm the only problem I had was being freezing cold! </span>

 

[Soph83]

[ QUOTE ]

Oh...so what happens if just ONE car driver doesn't see you then &lt;img src="http://horseandhound.co.uk/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /&gt;

[/ QUOTE ]
<span style="colorurple">
If you go out like christmas tree that is unlikely but I agree it can happen but it can also happen in daylight if a driver isn't concentrating. The sort of roads I ride on though you'd have to be blind not to see me.
Touch wood! </span>

 

[Doublethyme]

Yes I hack in the dark and dusk, but not on any proper public roads, just the dead end farm lanes around the yard, but we do still have local traffic on them. Mostly I can get off the road anywhere along them to get out of the way and there is good vision mostly so you can see cars coming, plus I go out looking like a cross between a UFO and a Christmas Tree covered in fluorescent gear (me and horse) and with flashing lights too (all very effective and I actually find cars slow down about 1/2 a mile away as they haven't a clue what is flashing away ahead of them!

I don't think I would ride on normal roads though at these times of the day and to be honest, this year we have a school at the yard, so won't be doing so much in the dark riding out this year, as it is a risk, even if you do everything to make yourself seen.

Most of the drivers on the round the block farm lane, are people that live or work on the lanes or other horse owners going to the many yards around, so are quite used to meeting flashing fluorescent riders.

 

[Nic]

To be honest hacking in the dark/dusk is something I am seriously considering for this winter as I will have 3 to keep fit sun-wed &amp; 2 the rest of the week.

I don't have a menage so that is not an option and most of winter our field (clay) is too wet/frozen to ride in.

I wouldn't manage to get mine fit until about May if I didn't hack out in dark/ dusk so yes I am considering buying enough lights to make me resemble a UFO and going for it.

Though it wouldn't be so much hacking on the roads as crossing them to get to the off road tracks nearby.

*awaits fallout*

 

[Soph83]

<span style="colorurple">I'm lucky in that the main road I have to cross has a pedestrian traffic lights with a button at horsey height for us! </span>

 

[Greyhound]

Gah cant vote.

I have hacked out once so far trying to make the most of the failing light lol. At the bottom of the yard there is one quiet lane you have to cross before going off road into the woods. I wore my baggy flourescent jacket and proceeded off.

To be fair it was getting a bit spoooky for my liking and S decided there were monsters in the woods lol, as there was a slight breeze and started spooking

.

Regarding the spooking I rode her forward from there on to home to keep her brain on me and not on horse eating squirrels.

When I got back it was pretty dark

I shall not be rushing out in the dusk / dark again.

Gh

 

[cobwithattitude]

Would ride in dusk on farmland if didn't have to cross busy road/go down lane to get there. Always wear flourescents. Like you, noticed that car drivers have lights on now when i return from hacks and it's still light not dusk. Am getting back to yard now by 5.30pm - not much point in going out for 5 min hack soon- plan B pay extra for floodlit menage on week days. However, daughter's pony now on walk only after collateral ligament injury - ho hum, how am i going to fit that after school? 40 mins walk after half term, I work, daughter in school. All walk/5 mins trot to be done on level ground, not menage. One to ponder, I feel!

 

[miamibear]

I havent really considered being scared in the dark because it really will only be dusk not dark and only on the way back will i get on to roads in the dusk (because it will be light when i set off) Plus the road is fully streetlit.

I know in winter there will come a point when its too dark to venture out but until then i would like to pop out once or twice a week on this short hack!

Decisions, decisions. May have to get a flashing light next!!

 

[druid]

Yes, no, no.

Hack in private forestry during winter and aim to be back by about 6pm....

 

[Nic]

OOoh thats handy!

 

[Greyhound]

[ QUOTE ]
Decisions, decisions. May have to get a flashing light next!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Miners lamp on your hat?

Gh

 

[Soph83]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Decisions, decisions. May have to get a flashing light next!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Miners lamp on your hat?

Gh

[/ QUOTE ]

<span style="colorurple">That's what I do!!!! </span>

 

[Happytohack]

Would never hack in the dusk/dark and wear hi-viz every time I hack out in the daylight. I don't think motorists round here would expect to come across a horse in the dark, no matter how much fluorescent gear it had on. Also dusk seems to be the time when a lot of people are driving home from work so there is more traffic, but then there are no street lights and just narrow country lanes. If you are in a well lit area with good visibility I can't see the problem.

 

[brightmount]

Be careful at around this time of year as fireworks are now on sale for Hallowe'en, and then obviously for bonfire night, which seems to go on until Christmas

Dusk doesn't seem too early for some people to let them off.