Hi Viz gear - how many of us actually wear it?

Sweeties, love or hate?

  • Total voters
    0
T

Taboo1968

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 May 2004
Messages
3,727
Location
The Moon
Visit site
whilst driving from yard to field yesterday, came across lady hacking a bay horse, wearing dark blue jods and brown coat - have to say she blended extremely well into the winter scenery too!!
So how many of you actually wear hi viz gear whilst out and about?
 
I do wish the riders around here on Exmoor would where hi vis, but they seem to prefer tweed which blends in so well with the landscape. Personally I would quite like to be easily spotted by Search and Rescue/the air ambulance/NASA when I'm laying injured in a ditch....
 
I passed two people on the moors the other night in the dark, with no hi-viz at all. I literally came right up behind them before I had to slam my brakes on. What idiots!
 
I don't hack out much these days but when I do venture out I always wear Hi-viz. I was hit by a car whilst out hacking in 2001 and my horse had to be destroyed due to her injuries. This happened in the middle of the afternoon on a sunny day. In fact the driver blamed the sun and said that she didn't see me because the sun was in her eyes. Its doubtful in my case that Hi-viz would of made any difference but it does go to show that its not just dull or dark days that make us difficult to see.
 
I think they should make in conpulsary!
Quite suprised at the amount that said they do, no one round here wears it and it drives me mad!!!! So irresponsible, it's not just your life you're putting in danger! The MOD said air craft can see a rider wearing hi viz 50% better and sooner than if not worn, enough evedence for me. I wear a vest and in winter my horse wears v vanz martingale which is incredibly bright. Even my dogwears a hiviz jacket on dark winter nights so i can see himin my field.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I don't hack out much these days but when I do venture out I always wear Hi-viz. I was hit by a car whilst out hacking in 2001 and my horse had to be destroyed due to her injuries. This happened in the middle of the afternoon on a sunny day. In fact the driver blamed the sun and said that she didn't see me because the sun was in her eyes. Its doubtful in my case that Hi-viz would of made any difference but it does go to show that its not just dull or dark days that make us difficult to see.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes especially at this time of year when the sun is low in the sky.
 
I totally agree and also think it should be made compulsory to wear.... there are so many riders in this area that dont use it..... even being a horse owner, there have been times when I've had a few near misses whilst driving because you just cannot see them until its almost too late!
 
On a bright clear day I wouldnt, but in low light or rain I do wear a hi Viz vest. I mostly hack out with my friend and she rides my orange horse so we are very visible
grin.gif
You have just reminded me of a bizarre ncident a couple of weeks ago I saw some girls out hacking with no hats but HiViz everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
confused.gif
 
I wear mine all year round when hacking - I think we owe it to our horses to protect them as much as possible on the roads. It is just as important in summer as in winter, bright sunlight casts deep shadows from trees and hedges which can make horse and rider nearly invisible.
 
[ QUOTE ]
You have just reminded me of a bizarre ncident a couple of weeks ago I saw some girls out hacking with no hats but HiViz everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
confused.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Obviously choosing to highlight the fact of their brains being splattered all over the road then! Thats sheer stupidity!!! I know I am guilty of riding without a hat in the school at times, but these are only on horses I know, and have known for a long time!! but I would never hack out without a hat on!!!
 
I must admit I wear mine all year round, because it my just save your life one day!
Gives the drivers that extra seconds notice, which is fine by me!

I always get the jibes about what I am wearing, and in fact me and my friend are called the hi viz queens at the yard!

But I really don't care!

I would rather be safe than sorry!

I must admit though, around our area there are 4 big yards and only a handful of people we see have any sort of hi viz on!
Even mum's with there children riding out, all covered in head to toe black or dark coloured clothes!
And yet if something happened to there kids because a driver was unaware of them, they would be the first to complain and want to su, etc.
We see one rider every night between 4.40pm / 4.45pm trotting down the very narrow lane which people use as a cut through with absolutley no hi viz on what so ever!!
You can't tell me it is light enough to ride at the time, let alone with no hi viz on!!!
Not in the last few weeks.
It is just mental, and makes me soooo angry!
Just put one thing on!
Be it on your horse, if you are too proud or a fashion icon to wear it!
I would rather be alive, than too proud and fashion icon!!!
 
I always, always wear it but I am the only one round here that does. Someone actually came up to me in a shop once and asked if I was the person who always rode in all the fluorescent gear - she told me she could always spot me a mile off!!
I just can't understand why so many riders still refuse to wear it. However, I did notice that at YHL this year they were selling a lot of it - so maybe there's hope yet.
 
I nearly ran into the back of a rider in dark clothing on a steel grey gelding two days ago at 8am when the light was at that point when headlights don't actually make much difference but things in shadows are very difficult to see. I was on the point of stopping the car to alert the rider to how invisible she was when it became clear she was having a bit of difficulty controlling her horse and probably wouldn't have appreciated a middle-aged motorist trying to tell her what to do!

I always wear hi-viz even when offroad. Hardly anyone else round here does.
 
I admit I never used to wear it , but I think now with having kids you want to set a good example plus I tend to think of it as If I where to have an accident where a car couldnt see me and something awful happen , What would use would I be to my boys ??

Now I wear it to even walk the horses across the road into the field . Plus I think now Im driving I tend to see what drivers see when driving along , It makes a massive difference with hi-viz .
 
99/100 times I do wear it but yesterday I was more than half way to where I was going before I realised i'd forgotten to put it on
crazy.gif
There was low winter sun and I felt very alarmed at me not wearing any
frown.gif
Only had 20 mins on a back lane (lots of driveways, residential) to go which is very safe so I carried on but I was painfully aware of how potentially dangerous it was
crazy.gif
 
My husband calls me and my horse "Health & safety pony & rider"! We wear a hi-viz vest, exercise sheet plus leg bands (with optional flashing red lights!) on all four horse legs. Was looking into getting a hi-viz neck/chest thing also for front visibility.

I also have my headtorch on my hat with white light to front and a wee clip on red light to the back which can be a plain reflector, solid red light or flashing red light.

I've started converting the other liveries to my hi-viz way of thinking also. When I first got there not many folk used it. I'll loan out bits and pieces to people riding with me if they don't have any.

Wear the hat lights, vest and sheet all year round (it's lightweight, tightly woven mesh so doesn't overheat the horse in summer!) and leg bands are just for winter or dull days really.
 
Yes, We wear something all year round, more if the weather/light dictates
cool.gif


I always wear a tabard and a hat band
My mare aways wears at least one thing,sometimes all !
Bridle kit, neck strap, exercise sheet, PC sport medicine boots

All in pink LOL
 
I chose the middle option, because I don't wear it absolutely every time I go out. Usually I wear a tabard, and my horse's exercise sheet has fluorescent stripes down it. I have two armbands with flashing lights on them.
 
All year round for me I have a dark bay horse and a black horse. So full hiviz on legs, neck me hat and coat or summer waistcoat. A very posh yard near to me have clients that wear full desiner gear but would die rather than were anything yellow or pink I fancy with the roads in our area that they are accidents waiting to happen !
 
Daughter and I never ever go out on these narrow Devonshire lanes with no Hi Viz on. Both of us always wear a full jacket. We were stopped some years ago by a car driver who thanked us and said "I wish everybody dressed in those H Viiz coats, I could see you half a mile down the road"
 
Tests have shown that cars wil see you 2secs earlier if you have high viz on, even in good conditions. That may not sound alot but if you think how far you travel in 2 secs as you drive at 60 then it gives them an awful lot more braking room.

I also think that going out with hi viz on sends a message to drivers. I think it shows that you are aware of road safety and that other people should do the same. Kind of "Yes I know that I'm a nuisance but if you'd be kind enough to slow down and pass wide I'd be really grateful."
 
I always wear it all year round - and get some really stupid comments from people at my yard as I am pretty much the only one who does. One guy met me out hacking and said 'oh, certainly can see you comming!' - to which I politely replied 'yes, that is the idea' rather than my preferred response of 'what a total f***wit you are, you aren't wearing any!'

Yesterday was pretty gloomy round our way and I was really pleased to pass 3 riders all in hi-viz (rugs, jackets etc) - then a little further along the lane I nearly didn't see a woman on a dark bay horse with a dark green coat on against the dark murky hedge....
 
I would not get on a horse to hack out without high viz at all end of story. I have always worn it and always will. Interestingly I used to wear a tabbard before and then got bought one of those big high viz builder type jackets one year. It was so much more effective and I had several drivers stop and comment on how they could see me for miles on the horizon....result!
 
I'm actually paranoid and won't go out on the roads without it. Fluorescent/reflective quarter sheet, tabard, leg wraps and reflective necklace (like neck strap).

Too many near misses when younger (though, to be fair, that was more due to idiot drivers than my inability to be seen!).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top