Hi vis - what do you deem necessary?

[hanny93]

Hello,

Long time lurker on the forum and the amount of tips and tricks I've got from you lovely folk is unreal!

However I am concerned I'm not visible enough when out hacking.

I have recently taken up a loan on a happy hacker which suits me to a T as I lost all but a shred of my confidence on previous loans that were definitely not suitable!

Pony is a bright chestnut gelding and I wear an orange workmans jacket and a hat band. However after seeing pictures I'm concerned that I don't have boots/exercise sheet/rein bands.

What do people wear out hacking off road? And how are exercise sheets measured? So sorry for the long post! Thank you to everyone who can offer advice!

 

[Orangehorse]

I think something on the horse's legs and/or tail are very important, as they are at the driver's eye level. I have some wraps that simply go round the horse's legs that I use every time I ride on the roads.

 

[Bernster]

At the moment I have a vest and leg wraps for the hind. If it's darker I have a light that goes on my hat, bit like the old miners lights! On my Xmas list, I've got a neck strap/martingale and a red light for the back of my hat.

An exercise sheet would be a good idea, some of them run on the same as your rug size, others you need to measure for. There's usually a description of how to measure.

 

[Snowfilly]

I like having Hi Vis on the horse in case of accidents and them getting loose. I use simple wraps which do up with Velcro on all fours, and I slip rein covers on everything. My old boy who loved for hacking had an actual Hi Vis synthetic bridle with reflective strands woven in.

If I wear gloves, I make sure I use hi Vis ones as well.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I have off road hacling, so dont need to be visible to road users.

But horse wears: high viz neck band that fastens between girth, high viz leg wraps, high viz slip on rein covers.

I used to wear a hatband, but it doesn't stay on my current hat! I have a few top half options: for Spring or Autumn I have a couple of long sleeved pink high viz tops and for the summer I have a couple of pink high viz polo shirts (all from a sports shop) & I wear a yellow tabard.

In the winter, I have a pink high viz fitted jacket.

 

[ycbm]

Orange because it shows up best in bright sun. Exercise sheet on the horse, full hat cover, full sleeves on jacket or light top. Full sleeves, for some reason, seems to make quite a big difference to how much space drivers give me on narrow lanes.

 

[hanny93]

Thank you very much everybody, currently scouring eBay and preloved for a (4'6) exercise sheet and leg bands.

My current jacket is orange, but don't fancy putting orange hi vis on a chestnut. Going to go for yellow, my hat band is yellow.

 

[Sukistokes2]

Thank you very much everybody, currently scouring eBay and preloved for a (4'6) exercise sheet and leg bands.

My current jacket is orange, but don't fancy putting orange hi vis on a chestnut. Going to go for yellow, my hat band is yellow.

That's good, a mixture will mean you show up in all conditions

 

[Nicnac]

My current jacket is orange, but don't fancy putting orange hi vis on a chestnut. Going to go for yellow, my hat band is yellow.

I think being seen is more important that whether the colour suits your horse! Orange is more visible than yellow, especially when the sun is low and on summer days when the yellow can blend into leaves.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I have a hivis tabard, hat band, arm bands, tail wrap, wraps for all four legs, neck band and exercise sheet
I dont think you can reLly have too much to be honest!!!

 

[hanny93]

I just thought it would blend in to the horse's colour too much, whereas an orange jacket on top of a yellow sheet might be more eye catching than a big (and it would be big) chunk of orange!

I'm not particularly bothered about how we look when we're out as long as I have maximum 'HELLO WE ARE HERE' effect

And as sukistokes said, wouldn't a mixture show up better than a single colour?

 

[tamsinkb]

I wear pink reflective jacket, hat band and my jods have pink reflective strips down the legs...horse wears yellow reflective breast plate, noseband sleeve and leg wraps....sometimes an exercise sheet. I think the combination of colours helps visibility.

 

[ycbm]

And as sukistokes said, wouldn't a mixture show up better than a single colour?

I don't think so. Camouflage is broken colours for a reason. Yellow is invisible in some conditions. Pink and orange are visible in all conditions, I think. There's a reason why most outdoor workmen are given orange.

 

[MasterBenedict]

I really like the exercise sheets and just got this one for my boy. It has a great tail strap bit that keeps the flap down in the windiest weather and a flashing butt light with different settings for those dull days -

 

[Rowreach]

I don't think so. Camouflage is broken colours for a reason. Yellow is invisible in some conditions. Pink and orange are visible in all conditions, I think. There's a reason why most outdoor workmen are given orange.

There are in fact different safety standards for different colours of hiviz, so I would go with what you seen workmen/people wearing as they tend to have a higher safety standard. They don't wear pink

Basically there is no such thing as too much hi viz, and it's sensible to wear it even riding off road (you will be found more quickly if, god forbid, you end up lying in a ditch somewhere and you are wearing hi viz). Also as you say OP, a good idea to deck your horse out in it too in case you part company, and also because your horse moves and you don't. Leg bands are brilliant (and cheap) because the movement of the horse's legs attracts the attention of drivers more quickly, and something that is visible from behind is invaluable (most horse related accidents involve the horse being hit from behind). A tail guard is handy, or a goose rump, which gives the benefits of a hi viz exercise sheet without making the horse too hot.

Hi viz arms on your jacket, and white or hi viz gloves are also great for getting you seen in all lights.

And wear it all year round - sunny summer days are a prime time for horse related accidents.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I think being seen is more important that whether the colour suits your horse! Orange is more visible than yellow, especially when the sun is low and on summer days when the yellow can blend into leaves.

I think it depends on your hacking as to what colour is best - we have lots of farm tracks & forestry. At this time of year, orange high viz is just not visible at all on forest tracks. Nor is yellow against the rape fields at that time of year - so I personally use mainly pink as it shows up more in our surroundings.

 

[hippocobamus]

Tabard plus something on the horse - either a neck strap/breastplate or something on the tail.

 

[PeterNatt]

Hi Viz, Crash Hat Band, Nose Band, Reign Bands, Long Sleeved Hi Viz jackets so that other road users can see hand signals more clearly and double sided dog tags on saddle with vets details on one side and owners details on the other side.
Also avoid riding out on roads when low bright sunlight as mororists get blinded and can not see you.

 

[Goldenstar]

I wear a coat or a waistcoat .
I wear pink .
I don't put boots on the horse ( I don't believe in boots full stop and only use them for XC )
If I am riding out in winter if the light is in any way poor I use a sheet on the horse .
I avoid riding on the road in poor visibility I am lucky I don't need to .
I wish I could find decent high viz gloves .

 

[sywell]

I spoke to a rider the other day and they were taken aback when I said they should wear high viz at all times when out on the road. On busy sections of road i would follow in a car during peak hours if necessary. What happened to a south northants study on a 40 mph limit on all minor roads in rural areas?

 

[Auslander]

I saw two riders out theother day, one n pink,and one in yellow, and it really surprised me how much more obvious the pink was.
I wear orange (workmans polo shirt with reflective strips in summer, and fleece workmans bodywarmer, also wth reflective strips, in winter. Horse wears a yellow mesh quarter sheet in summer, and a waterproof yellow sheet in winter.

Currently considering getting some pink, which goes against everything I believe in!

 

[Merlod]

I think an absolute must for hi vis is for it to be on the rider e.g. tabard/coat etc as it can be seen from any direction, plus more chance of being found if you fall, also to be seen above the hedgeline too for hedge cutting tractors etc.

I like breastplates and exercise sheets, for additional visibility boots on the horse are small and low down so i'm not too sure if they make much difference to other road users as they are..

Another must for me is to have something on the horses bride (browband/noseband sleeve or ear bonnet) if I am having to cross a busy road on a hack as his head will the the most forward point into the road.

Pink is good all year round, yellow can blend in during the summer and orange can blend in during the autumn but vbandz have made a combination range if you want to look super bright!

 

[Goldenstar]

I spoke to a rider the other day and they were taken aback when I said they should wear high viz at all times when out on the road. On busy sections of road i would follow in a car during peak hours if necessary. What happened to a south northants study on a 40 mph limit on all minor roads in rural areas?

I just don't understand why people don't leave other people to take their own choices I would never dream of stopping a rider and saying your position is not good enough for you be riding on the roads you are a passenger please go and learn to ride better before you take to the roads again .
Because doing that would save more injuries .

 

[Antw23uk]

I wear a high viz jacket or fleece. My hat has a high viz band and I put those velcro leg wraps on the horse. I do have a yellow whip as well but thats mainly to hit cars with if they get too close

 

[Natch]

I don't think so. Camouflage is broken colours for a reason. Yellow is invisible in some conditions. Pink and orange are visible in all conditions, I think. There's a reason why most outdoor workmen are given orange.

I don't think the camoflage rule applies when we're talking neon and fluorescent colours

I do think there's something in different colours of high viz for different situations.

I also think it's handy to have high viz on the horse as well as the rider, in case you get seperated. Even if you only hack off road - horses with reflective strips on rugs are so much easier to find on the field than those without rugs and if I'm injured I want to be found quicker.

 

[Jasmin2013]

I'm a massive hi viz lover. I go out in hi viz ears, neck strap, leg straps, rein straps and on my bridle, hi viz sheet and tail streamer. As well as hi viz jacket or tabard on me and gloves. Don't think I could be missed from space.

 

[milliepops]

Also avoid riding out on roads when low bright sunlight as mororists get blinded and can not see you.

^^ this - i have to reverse my hacking routes at different times of day so that I'm not hidden in the hedge as people are driving into low sun.

My horses always wear reflective boots, I remember seeing a study that said the movement of the legs that they highlighted made it easier for motorists to tell that the glowing object was a horse, rather than a pedestrian or cyclist.

Also usually a neck band, and I wear a tabard - can add more like exercise sheets etc if we are going to be pushing it light-wise.

 

[Damnation]

I like horse and rider to have Hi Vis on - each.

Rider - incase something happens it may be the only part of you that is visable and obviously for traffic.

Horse - Incase horse and rider part ways, horse is visable in their own right.

Also - in shade, it can take a car driver a minute to work out what the floading neon blob is in the distance whereas if both horse and rider are visable, it gives the car driver that extra second or two to (hopefully) slow down and give them room.

The more the better, don't give inconsiderate drivers an excuse to be reckless!

 

[hanny93]

Thankyou all so much for your very helpful comments, it seems the more the better is the most popular opinion.

I have ordered a yellow exercise sheet, leg bands and rein/bridle bands.

I will wear my orange bomber and orange hat band.

I got seriously taken the p*** out of at work by my non horsey colleagues, with my reply being

'Well you'd only whinge if I didn't come into work because I was led in a ditch somewhere..'

😂

 

[On the Hoof]

I put the leg bands for horses round my own boots and on my forearms as I prefer to wear a high viz tabard , drivers can then see most of me ...horsey has a high viz sheet and neck band.
Don't really get horse leg bands as they are too low down and not in eye sight although I take the point about movement, perhaps I should get another set for horsey. (In a different colour)?