Hi Viz positioning.

Luci07

Luci07

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I have to ride on some pretty busy back roads. I went for the pink hi viz option and have a coat. Big Ears sports a matching quarter sheet and pink straps on his breastplate.

Come summer I will be in a tabard or waistcoat but wondered if there was any sort of survey which would suggest where the best place for Hi Viz would be on the horse. Most idiotic buy was fluroscent over reach boots...when we are on clay. I am on a big dark bay horse so was thinking of the drivers eyeline. Are straps on brushing boots best or really, should it be higher? Just pondering. Thoughts?
 
Bet advice is to wear a long sleeved Hi-Viz Jacket so that other road users can see your arm signals.
You can buy lightweight ones worn by cyclists.
 
Something that you can see from the front, we where driving down a country lane and only just saw a rider even thou they had a hi vis jacket on. The front of the jacket was dirty so not nearly as effective, pink would have been a better colour at that time of day as well as it got a bit lost against the green background and going in and out of the front.
Those hi vis ear veils might be a good idea, keeps the flies out in the summer too.
Reflective or hi vis leg bands are good as the movement catches your eye. You can get mesh ex sheets if you still wanted to wear one in the summer but it will still be hot in them.
I think its the movement that helps so I would go for tabard, ears, legs and possibly breastplate and tail guard in the summer, ideally in pink or orange.
 
Depending on the horse's size (mine are big) I think something on their chest is really good as it's in the drivers' eyeline. I have the Equisafety wrap around rug. The rug itself isn't that great but it has a really good detachable chest piece which you can also attach to the saddle for the summer. I also like a hat band as it helps you to be seen over hedges from a distance. Leg bands are useful as the movement helps them to be more noticeable. I also like a mix of colours so put yellow on them and I wear pink. While tail guards can be good for seeing them from behind, I'm not a fan of them as my old horse (who never did otherwise) would buck like stink and kick out if you rode him with anything on his tail. It's put me off for life!
 
Anything that is a big block of colour as this is easiest seen IMO. Jacket with sleeves, sheet, big thick neck thingy (I have one from V Bandz) I don't think hi viz bands/straps are effective as they just get lost from the distance you're hoping to be effective at. If I put hi viz leg bands on I use 2 or 3 on the same leg to make them more effective
 
There's an interesting clip on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FThR0Eoj8Y) of many encounters with horse riders filmed by a motor cyclist. It really gives you an impression how well various hi viz items work.
One thing that struck me in particular is that when you are approaching horses from the front and they have a high head carriage, they can completely block any hi viz on the rider's body (and of course, their quarters aren't really visible). I now have a hi viz (+ reflective, orange&yellow) "necklace" so that my horse has something on the chest/front that is more visible than the thin stripe of yellow on his noseband.
It is also really noticeable that "more is more" - a quarter sheet that covers the entire back end of the horse is simply more visible than a couple of stripes on tail/legs.
 
PS: I agree, for hi viz, bigger areas are definitely better than stripes. For reflective items in the dark, I think stripes (especially when moving) are actually quite good.
 
I love a bit of hi viz here are some pics of my boy! I don't use it all at the same time :D - apparently I'm a bit ott!





I also wear a vest and occasionally a bright yellow fleece under my body protector!
 
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