Head Torch

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onebigjump

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I recently brought a head torch to use down the yard, As i have to hack out in the dark on weekdays i was wondering if i could put it on my riding hat? I have never seen any one else do this so was wondering if it was legal??
 
Don't see it could do any harm if you are off road, but I wouldn't even entertain the idea if you need to use a road.
 
I have used one - along with a red flashing bike light on the back of my hat - anything to make me more visible.

I also had a hat band with flashing lights, flashing lights on the martingale, reflectors all over the exercise blanket, flashing red light on the tail, reflectors on the leg bands, reins and bridle. Flashing light bands on my arms and legs, plus stirrup lights - we were like a christmas display going along.

My TB didn't seem to mind all the flashing lights once they were introduced to her, and we could been seen glowing along the forest tracks at a great distance when we did evening rides.
 
I used one last year, it was so cold some nights that the floodlights wouldn't work, so I wore one over my hat so I could at least do a bit of schooling. Stuck to walk and trot, George was a bit spooky to start with (as was I :rolleyes:) but ok once we got going.
 
ditto glosgirl
I have schooled by headtorch in an indoor school during a powercut last winter, but no way would I hack anywhere I could meet a vehicle in the dark.
 
Sorry if im being a bit thick :o I thought it would be ok if i had it on flashing mode whilst riding on the road. Unfortunatly I can't avoid doing abit of road work and I want to make sure I am seen
 
Absolutly no way if on the road. You have a responsibility to allow other other road users to stay safe aswell as yourself and your horse. There is a reason cars and motorbikes have lights back and front - it isn't just to give the driver a good view!! I think you would be hard pushed to find front and back lights with the same brightness as headlights to give people a fighting chance of missing you. For alot of people (us included) hacking just can't happen during the week in the winter. Is just tough unfortunatly.
 
It's illegal to be on the road without a FIXED light red to rear, white to front 9and yes, I know a lot of cyclists do it anyway).

I have a fixed headtorch on my hat to hack in the dark and at present a vest with flashing LEDs, but I only cross over a lane and don't actually stay on the road. Aside from the vest, you can also get cycle lights and attach them to the same band the headtorch is on, for the fixed red light option. That's what I do!
 
I once wedged a torch in between my ponies ears under a headcollar to ride him bareback across the field. Worked but he was a little bemused by it :D
 
Personally, if I was driving down a road in the dark and came across a horse rider I'd have something to say to them...providing I haven't already hit them!

It is a danger to you, your horse and the driver(s)

If your off road and you know the track well go for it. Being a bit whipish...I'd be worried about ditches, and all them other things that may be a bit scary in the dark.

Can you stick to the school?
 
Unfortunately I don't have a school and I can't ride in the field, I think I am going to have to just ride at the weekend for the time being and hope she doesnt get too crazy lol. It will only be for a couple of months, once she is moved to our other field I can hack off road.

Thanks for everyones advice.
 
I used to ride out in the dark as I was in the same situation as you and I had to keep my hunter fit.

I used to wear a hiv viz coat, hi viz leg straps, hi viz hat. Flashing lights on my legs (white at front, red at back). Horse had hi viz sheet, hi viz boots, hi viz on noseband and reins, flashing leds on all 4 legs. I could probably been seen more on a straight road than on a dull winters day. The problem was people who believed they could go round a blind bend at speed as they couldn't see headlights coming towards them. I had to have my wits about me to make sure I was off the road as soon as I could hear a car coming.

I would wait til the worst of the homeward bound commuters had got home and then hacked around my two local villages. I generally met the same cars each night and they would keep an eye out for me.

Having said that, this was about 10 years ago and the traffic, even down my single track lanes has increased. I don't think I would entertain it now.
 
bounce said:
I used to ride out in the dark as I was in the same situation as you and I had to keep my hunter fit.

I used to wear a hiv viz coat, hi viz leg straps, hi viz hat. Flashing lights on my legs (white at front, red at back). Horse had hi viz sheet, hi viz boots, hi viz on noseband and reins, flashing leds on all 4 legs. I could probably been seen more on a straight road than on a dull winters day. The problem was people who believed they could go round a blind bend at speed as they couldn't see headlights coming towards them. I had to have my wits about me to make sure I was off the road as soon as I could hear a car coming.

I would wait til the worst of the homeward bound commuters had got home and then hacked around my two local villages. I generally met the same cars each night and they would keep an eye out for me.

Having said that, this was about 10 years ago and the traffic, even down my single track lanes has increased. I don't think I would entertain it now.
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Are you for real?

Am I reading this right? You are telling her it is ok to go out in the dark, on a road, on a horse?
 
Why not? I ride all the time at night! On roads! OMG! Shock Horror! So do bikes... and some people even WALK at night! And many of them walk without lights! OMG! The sky is falling!

Honestly people! In the right place, in the right conditions, with the right equipment it can be a damn sight safer than riding many other places youd find acceptable in the day time!

Here in summer it is sometimes over 50*c during the days....we get periods of weeks at a time when it doesn't go BELOW 35*c at night! Riding at night is a necessity! Reflectives, flashing bike taillights clipped to stirrups and a head torch showing to the front and folks notice you a hell of a lot sooner than they would during the day! Quiet roads, that are deserted at night (I often ride after midnight, days are for sleeping under the AC) are great rides and can be great fun... Of course theres also riding at night because we HAVE to sometimes for searches...people don't alway go missing at conveinient times...at you sometimes have to use a rd from staging are to search start point....although I tend to have a unit member use the reds and blues in front and behind us mounties....OHS means you take every precaution you can or get asked why not....lol
 
guido16 said:
Are you for real?

Am I reading this right? You are telling her it is ok to go out in the dark, on a road, on a horse?
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You obviously didn't read my last sentence did you!

I did this for two winters and had no problems - BUT, it is busier now and I wouldn't risk it.
 
gekko said:
Did you miss the first 2/3 of my post about riding round here at night simply because it's cooler? That cos I want to (and don't enjoy heatstroke)!
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You obviously missed that the OP is is Surrey, not Oz.
Last time I looked, heatstroke wasnt a problem there at this time of year.
Dont need to wait for temp to cool down at night!
 
So you also missed the bit about with the right gear in the right place it being just fine and dandy? Quiet roads on a clear night with the right gear and it's all good! Honestly you lot come off as such a bunch of sooks with some stuff it makes folks wonder how you ever built a British Empire! lol
 
gekko said:
So you also missed the bit about with the right gear in the right place it being just fine and dandy? Quiet roads on a clear night with the right gear and it's all good! Honestly you lot come off as such a bunch of sooks with some stuff it makes folks wonder how you ever built a British Empire! lol
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A bit harsh lol.

We have hacked back in the dark before now and we live on the edge of a town. We normally use a battery lamp on the upper arm which shows white at the front and red at the rear as well as a high viz exercise sheet and high viz riders tabbard. It is no different than what is asked of cyclists.

This is the guidance on it from the Highway code in the UK

51
At night. It is safer not to ride on the road at night or in poor visibility, but if you do, make sure you wear reflective clothing and your horse has reflective bands above the fetlock joints. A light which shows white to the front and red to the rear should be fitted, with a band, to the rider’s right arm and/or leg/riding boot. If you are leading a horse at night, carry a light in your right hand, showing white to the front and red to the rear, and wear reflective clothing on both you and your horse. It is strongly recommended that a fluorescent/reflective tail guard is also worn by your horse.
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I see nothing wrong in principle with using a head torch set to constant as long as it is not shining in the drivers eyes. With all the high viz on and a high viz hat cover, a rider will stand 10ft tall which is a damned sight bigger than a car.

Of course if the horse is not happy hacking on the road in the day, it is not going to be any happier at night.
 
gekko said:
So you also missed the bit about with the right gear in the right place it being just fine and dandy? Quiet roads on a clear night with the right gear and it's all good! Honestly you lot come off as such a bunch of sooks with some stuff it makes folks wonder how you ever built a British Empire! lol
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Clear night? MMMmmmm how many of them do you think us sooks have in winter in the UK?

Oh, and we built the empire by sending all the convicts to Oz. Made for better breeding back home....
 
Seems you sent out all the solid breeding stock, cos honestly, I've seenwhat you kept at home, and the backpackers that you still let escape every now and then....and ummmmm....it ain't impressive! LOL (BTW, you can keep the singing budgie)

P.S. ( I don't mind Liz and Phil, but can you PLEASE keep that big eared offspring of theirs at home, we have yet to recover from him being here for school-and how lang ago was THAT!)
 
The backpackers aint on holiday.
They have one way tickets............

Hey, at least we arent squatting in someone elses country....

Squatting convicts, now theres a nasty picture.
 
Theresa_F said:
I have used one - along with a red flashing bike light on the back of my hat - anything to make me more visible.

I also had a hat band with flashing lights, flashing lights on the martingale, reflectors all over the exercise blanket, flashing red light on the tail, reflectors on the leg bands, reins and bridle. Flashing light bands on my arms and legs, plus stirrup lights - we were like a christmas display going along.

My TB didn't seem to mind all the flashing lights once they were introduced to her, and we could been seen glowing along the forest tracks at a great distance when we did evening rides.
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Ditto this........
I used to ride my arab out with flashing lights on his martingale, i had flashing boot lights and stirrup lights a head torch, front and back and i put flashing lights on his tail and he had reflective boots, reflective bands for his martingale, hi vis jacket and a reflective tail wrap....took bloomin ages to get kitted up :-D but it was really effective.
I never went out on main roads....but around lanes etc.

One word of warning.....do not put a reflective strip on nosebands...or flashing lights on the browband........the glare from the reflector if a car shines on it and the flashing from a light on their forehead really affects their vision a bit.

Robinsons equestrian do tonnes of hi-vis/reflective/flashy stuff and all bike shops sell a fantastic range of small flashing lights for you to put on your arms, around horses legs that are either on elasticated adjustable bands or clips.

Have fun riding out looking like something out of a carnival :-D
 
gekko said:
We have developed a method of dealing with backpackers.... Have you met Ivan?

Can I suggest Belangalo State Forest for a picnic should you visit... Don't bother with a head torch tho, you won't need it.. LOL
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As I will never be a backpacker, I am sure I would have a lovely picnic there.
But thanks for suggesting I get myself murdered.

Will try and do it during the day so you dont have to search for my decompossing body at night in the dark.
 
bekib said:
I recently brought a head torch to use down the yard, As i have to hack out in the dark on weekdays i was wondering if i could put it on my riding hat? I have never seen any one else do this so was wondering if it was legal??
Click to expand...

I do if its a very dull day, its very dark in the woods where I ride, I switch it off if I come across any walkers, I don't ride out in the dark but I would think its the same as using a light on the front of a bike
 
Theresa_F said:
I have used one - along with a red flashing bike light on the back of my hat - anything to make me more visible.

I also had a hat band with flashing lights, flashing lights on the martingale, reflectors all over the exercise blanket, flashing red light on the tail, reflectors on the leg bands, reins and bridle. Flashing light bands on my arms and legs, plus stirrup lights - we were like a christmas display going along.

My TB didn't seem to mind all the flashing lights once they were introduced to her, and we could been seen glowing along the forest tracks at a great distance when we did evening rides.
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That sounds what I look like going out ! they all laugh at me on my yard but I don't care, at least I can be seen ! I even have a hat on my horse ! called hothatz they sell them I notice on fast tack direct website, I had mine direct from the maker when they first came out, it makes a huge difference, even though it does look like a pair of lycra pants on his head !
 
can i just add to my post....common sense must come out to play though if you decide to ride in the dark.
For me it was never a big issue....where we live is the middle of nowhere....most of the roads lead to dead ends so there isnt really much traffic.
You HAVE to keep your witts about you and make sure you keep a look out for lights in the distance and keep your eye on your horse and their actions. Im partially deaf but my horse was amazing in traffic and would always alert me to any vehicle which was approaching us either from infront or behind.
I would never reccomend it with a horse that isnt comfortable in traffic.
Dont go out in thick fog.
Make sure you never go on a new ride you wont know where the laybys/passing points etc are and also you risk getting lost.
Always make sure someone knows where your going and that you have your mobile phone with you.
Dont ride somewhere where you know traffic will be travelling at speed.
 
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