Hi-Viz - new converts for the saddest reason

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Hexx

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I have had 4 or 5 people from my yard asking where I got my hi-viz stuff from this weekend. I was more than happy to tell them, and very pleased that so many people asked.

However, this has been sparked by the death of two horses in Ascot/Winkfield last week and the subsequent serious injuries to a mother and daughter - they were mown down by a drunk driver on a dead straight road at 2pm in the afternoon.

I think it has given a lot of people a wakeup call - especially as it happened only round the corner from us.

It is so very sad, but maybe it will give people cause to think and get themselves hi-vized up.
 
Terribly sad story but glad you have seen the hi-vis "light" and will be joining the rest of us Bertie Bassetts. Bought my new boy a hi-vis neck band before he even got his own saddle as am only able to get out of the yard on a busy road (already had my own gear) and will be adding a high-vis exercise sheet as soon as I am solvent after buying said saddle.
 
I've been an hi-viz "addict" for years, but recently bought the Polite wraparound sheet which makes us really stand out!

My aim is to get everyone on the yard to at least wear a tabard while out hacking.
 
That's right by me and it's so terribly terribly sad. I always wear high vis and I always get laughed at leaving the yard but that's why. I hope the mother and daughter involved recover well and there are no lasting injuries :-(
 
RIP horses.


I was hacking this afternoon, I had yellow coat yellow brow band yellow rein thing yellow leg boots all round and yellow martingale ( all hi viz) rug was wet so did not put it on.

Past some riders in the woods. They said full attire there are you going night riding???????:mad::mad::mad::mad:

felt like saying NO!!! making sure my horse is seen by the traffic. grrrrrr if i wasn't still morning the death of my mare she would have got a mouthfull
 
Years ago when I worked part time, at a rural racing yard, I wore my own hi viz on road exercise. The other riders commented that the drivers passed slower when I was with them, due to the hi viz. (they had none of their own)
I always wear it all year round. Also v useful off road, when meeting mountain bikers and dog walkers, as they spot us coming before they hear us. And a fallen rider is much easier to spot from the air or across open land in hi viz.
I owe it to my horse to make us visible - he can't choose.
Rip those involved in horrible accident.
 
I passed 2 riders today, about 3pm, sun was very low. Back horse fulli Hi Vis'd up, nearly pulled in after passing then realised there was another horse in front, dark bay, rider in dark clothing.
 
Such an awful thing. My mum was hit on the same day, in full hi-viz, clipped the side of the horse and sent the wing mirror flying, driver didn't even stop straight away and luckily the 2 horses in front shot forward at the noise, otherwise he would have gone into them. Said he couldn't see them!

If it were a cyclist, they would be dead as they never look behind.

My sister was in the middle and only looked behind and shouted to mum as she had the awful feeling of a car not slowing down much, mum only just made it sideways enough.

Maybe if he couldn't see he should not have been going so fast, or barely moving perhaps.
And, he had a passenger, who was also not looking out of the window, who said the 'damage would have been worse if we were going faster', nice eh?

Police called, who rang back to say as nobody was hurt they were not sending anyone out. Nice.

Took all the details of the driver, who lives just down the road, so knows the area well.

Horse is lame so its all going thru vets/insurance.

For a split second I wonder if the driver thought they had hit a policewoman, due to what my mum was wearing?

The insurers have there could be no argument that they could be seen on the road, regardless of how poor the eyesight was of the driver who nearly killed them, PLEASE ALWAYS WEAR HIGH VIZ, IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE, ANYTIME. USE IT FOR YOUR OWN PROTECTION. ;)
 
I'm the only one that uses hi-vis at my yard, but out riding yesterday, almost all the riders that passed us were wearing it, so maybe it's catching ;)
 
I am a new convert to hi viz, very quiet lanes by our yard & no one ever wears it. Following that awful accident I hacked out this week in a tabard & will always do so in future, it may just give me a split second more & save our lives.
 
I always ride out in a long sleeved Hi-Viz jacket so that other road users can clearly see my hand signals.
Sadly there have been a number of incidents were riders have been hit and in a number of cases it was due to low bright sunshine blinding the drivers vision (no excuse I know). So please avoid riding out when the sun is bright and low.
 
Desperately sad for the people injured and the loss of their horses but Hi Viz isn't going to make you any safer when the bumhole driving the car is Drunk.

My previous horse was 'clipped' by a van whilst we were out hacking and I was in a flourescent coat and horse had a flourescent rug on. 11am on a Sunday morning on a straight road through the village.......
 
It's sad that such a terrible accident needed to happen for riders to take notice.

I have always ridden in hi-viz in low light/dark days - even hacking - fellow riders can see me in the woods and know to slow down sooner if we're to cross on the canter tracks. Walkers often use the horse trials so they can see me too.

I'm using the fabulous reversible hi-viz gillet from Aldi (14.99) ATM and Ponio has a full hi-viz exercise sheet (only cost £7 from Argos outlet on Ebay) - small price to pay for a little extra safety.

Hi-viz is only used by me and two others at the yard - It amazes me that the riding school side don't insist on hi-viz when a hack is going to need to use a road.
 
CarefreeCrimbo said:
Desperately sad for the people injured and the loss of their horses but Hi Viz isn't going to make you any safer when the bumhole driving the car is Drunk.

My previous horse was 'clipped' by a van whilst we were out hacking and I was in a flourescent coat and horse had a flourescent rug on. 11am on a Sunday morning on a straight road through the village.......
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Your point is more than valid.

I suppose it does indeed depend on the circumstances. Unfortunately there's far too many drivers out there you don't have a clue - either being 'foolish' (read T***s) or over cautious.
 
CarefreeCrimbo said:
Desperately sad for the people injured and the loss of their horses but Hi Viz isn't going to make you any safer when the bumhole driving the car is Drunk.

My previous horse was 'clipped' by a van whilst we were out hacking and I was in a flourescent coat and horse had a flourescent rug on. 11am on a Sunday morning on a straight road through the village.......
Click to expand...



I don't agree with this. If you had not been wearing the hi viz there is every chance that he would never have seen you at all, and run straight into you and killed you both. As it is, your hi viz registered into his fuddled brain just in time, he pulled out and "only" clipped you. Bad enough but it could have been a lot worse.



I never go out without a rug on the horse, hat and full sleeve coat or polo shirt on me. In bright sunlight I wear two colours because yellow can disappear. I am constantly amazed by friends and neighbours who continue to ride with none, on narrow roads with blind bends. They must have a deathwish :o
 
Thats a clever idea to wear 2 colours, I may get some orange leg bands to replace my worn out polite ones, I saw a cyclist in orange the other day and she really showed up.

When passing horses I always see the riders with a jacket as opposed to a tabard is so much better, must make you look 'bigger'.

Polite do a mesh sheet and were talking about a lightweight jacket to go with the range too, so good for the warmer days, if we get them;).
 
Twinkle Shy said:
I just don't think hi vis has caught on in the hunting community, which is a huge shame. Whether out hunting or not, it is obviously "uncool".
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To be fair, if you can't see a hunt going down the road then maybe you shouldn't be behind the wheel ;)

I always wear my hi viz to hack but not to hunt. The pack I hunt with very rarely go on roads and it is such a popular pack that when we are on the roads you would be blind to miss us. Oh and I keep a hi viz mesh tabard in my coat in case I end up hacking back on my own along roads which I haven't had to use yet.
 
ChristmasPTrees said:
I don't agree with this. If you had not been wearing the hi viz there is every chance that he would never have seen you at all, and run straight into you and killed you both. As it is, your hi viz registered into his fuddled brain just in time, he pulled out and "only" clipped you. Bad enough but it could have been a lot worse.



I never go out without a rug on the horse, hat and full sleeve coat or polo shirt on me. In bright sunlight I wear two colours because yellow can disappear. I am constantly amazed by friends and neighbours who continue to ride with none, on narrow roads with blind bends. They must have a deathwish :o
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He didn't pull out which is why he caught me. He pulled over, got out and apologised as 'he hadn't seen me'
He shouldn't of been behind the wheel if he can't see half a ton of grey horse lit like a beacon or maybe he was on his phone ?
 
In reference to the person who asked about wearing hi viz off the roads there have been several cases of riders coming off their horses in fields or wooded areas and the only reason they were found quickly was because of their hi viz clothing. If your hurt or unconscious you need all the help you can get and if the people searching use a helicopter or are searching on foot they will need all the help they can get.
 
CarefreeCrimbo said:
He didn't pull out which is why he caught me. He pulled over, got out and apologised as 'he hadn't seen me'
He shouldn't of been behind the wheel if he can't see half a ton of grey horse lit like a beacon or maybe he was on his phone ?
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What people say is not always what they have done. None of what he said means that he did not see you subliminally or move out and miss you by a fraction of an inch. If he didn't pull out at all, and caught you, then he was driving a hell of a long way out from the edge of the road.

I would just hate to think that anyone would take your original post as some good reason not to wear hi Viz because in your case it appeared not to work because the driver was drunk. I still think it is entirely possible that you owe your life to it.
 
Thistle said:
I passed 2 riders today, about 3pm, sun was very low. Back horse fulli Hi Vis'd up, nearly pulled in after passing then realised there was another horse in front, dark bay, rider in dark clothing.
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This did happen to my friends sister. Her poor horse lay in the road for 40 minutes bleeding to death before he vet got to them, his ribs smashed. The driver of the car was a little old lady who just didn't see the horse in front, just as you describe Thistle.

Imagine too, being that driver:(
 
I am always 'hi-vized' up. I wear a high viz full jacket and horse wears a big hi viz sheet and front leg wraps. It doesn't stop the maniac drivers though :( and I ALWAYS thank everyone who even remotely slows with a nod and a smile or a wave.

Today I was passed at high speed by a huge heavy noisy quarry lorry (they should know better as a horse was killed only in the last 2 years by one when it shied out at the airbrakes) - he whizzed past me and then scuffed the kerb with both sets of wheels taking out minor branches of the roadside oak. No sooner had he passed me a taxi sped past so close and so fast.

I rang the waste company as soon as I got home to complain and they said they would look into it, but had always been complimented on their drivers consideration. I told them this one was obviously a rogue one!!!

I hate hacking on the main roads - my mare is very good, but horses are horses and she can be spooked like any horse.
 
PeterNatt said:
I always ride out in a long sleeved Hi-Viz jacket so that other road users can clearly see my hand signals.
Sadly there have been a number of incidents were riders have been hit and in a number of cases it was due to low bright sunshine blinding the drivers vision (no excuse I know). So please avoid riding out when the sun is bright and low.
Click to expand...

Very good point.I had my trailer written off(no horses on board) by a driver who was blinded by the sun and I am aware when driving the lanes that the rare moments of sunshine can leave you guessing.
I always wear hi-viz and avoid riding in the sunshine late in the day....I am also not keen on riding in the rain.....very limiting!
 
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