Hi Viz Wear - To Wear or Not To Wear - Hackers

[coreteam1]

So, your taking your horse for a ride out and the ride involves road work.

How many of you wear Hi-Viz gear, ie jackets, band around your hat,florecsent leg bandages, numnah etc etc?

I personally have great hacking around the farm and can't venture out along the road as it's a busy 'A' road so I don't own anything remotely bright

I remember when I was a kid galloing along the grass verges along side the very same 'A' road back in the day when there wasn't much traffic

I wouldn't wear the Hi-Viz stuff if I did road work, sorry call me what you like, I've already been called stupid tonight in one post I just wondered how popular it actually is?

 

[monkeybum13]

I'm top to toe in the stuff.

Not only for my own safety but imagine how a driver would feel if they were involved in an accident because they didn't see a horse going along the road quickly enough.

 

[Bozzy]

I'll put a hi-viz vest on if it's a miserable grey day or if I'm hacking out late and it's 'dusky'.

 

[coreteam1]

Sorry I just realised I wrote 'Hackers' in the title!!! won't edit it though. I meant people who hack or anyone who rides out lol

 

[stencilface]

I wear a hi vis fleece gilet, a fleece exercise sheet if its especailly dull/foggy and a reflective hat band.

I don't wear the exercise fleece if its too warm though.

I too used to ride as a kid cantering up the verges of v busy A roads with my sisters and mates. One time as my 12h shyte of a pony would only go sideways up the road, we had the escort of a passing police car to get us off the main road

But, people drive faster nowadays, and hi vis gives me more chance and more respect from drivers. People who ride out in dark clothes are just foolish imho

I don't go OTT though, there is a limit - if they can't see my gilet and hat band, and my horses (and mine ) massive ar*e they really shouldn't be driving.

 

[SavingGrace]

If I am going on the roads I would always wear a hatband, tabbard and leg wraps! I add an exercise sheet if its miserable!

My opinion is each to their own when its comes to things like this and to wearing hats! Its your life so your decision

 

[Tr0uble]

Always at least a hi viz jacket, whatever the weather, whatever the time of day.

Will add neck strap and boots at dull times of day, or in bad weather, or on a hack with known bad spots.

 

[KevinA27]

So if you had a nasty fall off road, it makes you a lot easier to find laid in a bush. Just a thought.

Kev

 

[paddi22]

i wouldnt go out on the road without highviz - and like you i spend my childhood hacking on roads without any highviz!

i think its a really simple thing to do, that just helps motorists react a fraction of a second faster if they need to. plus a lot of horses especially bays and blacks can blend into hedges and aren't that visible to motorists.

everyone is entitled to their decision to wear it or not, but the really anti hi viz brigade really get my blood boiling! a woman at my last yard claimed she thought they were ridiculous looking, and assumed i was a nervous rider being a bit precious, when i put mine on. i dont understand why people wouldn't do something as simple as throwing on a small high viz vest, just to help out other road users. if it helps keep me and my horse a bit safer then what's the harm.

 

[kez1001]

i wear a hi viz vest. didnt buy it it was "acquired" by OH from his work. I feel weird not wearing it tbh. i ride around quiet country roads mainly but there are lots of twists and turns which put me in drivers blind spots so anything that gives them a few seconds to see me/slow down is worth while.

 

[coreteam1]

I'm top to toe in the stuff.

Not only for my own safety but imagine how a driver would feel if they were involved in an accident because they didn't see a horse going along the road quickly enough.

That's true enough but my OH doesn't wear Hi-Viz stuff (I've just asked him) and he is a road cyclist. I asked him why not and he said, because he doesn't go out at night! Well neither do the horses I said, but people and their horses wear it. He just mumbled something incoherent

 

[Chermar]

I always wear a high vis vest when doing roadwork, my theory is that when im sriving i always spot the hi vis first then slow and work out what it is... biker, walker, police, whatever. I only started doing it when i realised how quick you naturally react when you see someone in hi vis it does give you more time to access whats on the road ahead of you. As a rider the speeds the cars travel at i will do anything that will let me be seen and improves our safety on the road

Sadly there are those that will not respect you or any other road user no matter how much hi vis you wear! But we all take our chances when on the public road!

 

[stencilface]

You see, I go out running and cycling on the roads a fair bit- I will run in the dark, but only cycle in daylight. I always make sure I am wearing something bright, I'm probably more likely to fall off my bike than my horse though

 

[lizzie_liz]

I always wear hi viz when out hacking regardless of the weather particularly since my mare dumped me on a hack once and galloped off. Heading back home she crossed a busy road at rush hour, thankfully she was safe and spotted by someone who was on the yard we were on at the time. She said the hi viz made such a difference in seeing the horse. At the time horse was wearing a bright yellow exercise sheet. I dread to think what would have happened if she wasnt wearing hi viz.

Out hacking the horse wears hi viz leg bands and a fluorescent breastplate, if it isn't too warm she wears the exercise sheet.

I think as riders it is our responsibility to ensure that we are seen on the road by other road users. Infact this should also apply to runners and cyclists. I have almost driven into several runners this winter who have been running on country lanes in black clothing.

I am sorry I don't buy the excuse that it isn't fashionable. There is such a range of products out there that mean you don't have to look like a christmas tree, even just wearing bands on the horses leg and a band round your hat makes a difference.

 

[applecart14]

So, your taking your horse for a ride out and the ride involves road work.

How many of you wear Hi-Viz gear, ie jackets, band around your hat,florecsent leg bandages, numnah etc etc?

I personally have great hacking around the farm and can't venture out along the road as it's a busy 'A' road so I don't own anything remotely bright

I remember when I was a kid galloing along the grass verges along side the very same 'A' road back in the day when there wasn't much traffic

I wouldn't wear the Hi-Viz stuff if I did road work, sorry call me what you like, I've already been called stupid tonight in one post I just wondered how popular it actually is?

Depends how much you cherish/respect yourself and your horse. Hi viz has been proven to give car drivers an extra three seconds of thinking and braking which when equated into yards can be several yards depending on speed. This is the difference between life and death in some instances. I am surprised that its not made mandatory and enforceable by the government in the same way that seatbelts are to car drivers.

 

[galaxy]

When I was younger... no. Now always! I'm lucky in that I don't have to go on any roads to hack out, but I do have to cross them and some routes briefly ride down them. So I now always put a tabard on no matter what, and if it's cold and I was to use an exercise sheet I put a hi viz one on.

This is slightly rawer than normal as someone I know died yesterday in a road accident. It was not the drivers fault at all, and the rider was fully hi vized up, but it has brought home how easily accident can be fatal.

I truely don't understand why someone wouldn't wear hi viz. Seems incomprehensible to me!

(And cyclists!!! Don't get me started! They go out in the middle of the day on a dull and dismal today dressed all in black!!!! )

 

[appylass]

I would never, ever consider riding on the road without as much Hi Viz as possible. I had a lucky escape from a road accident with my old horse, yes, I was wearing it at the time, but if I hadn't been I may easily not be here to write this reply.

Hi Viz is cheap and very easy to wear. I respect others right to choose but personally I want to give motorists as much time to avoid me as I possibly can.

 

[SpottedCat]

Always wear it hacking when I am going to go on the roads and always wear it cycling. I like my life!

TBH I do think it's a maturity thing - when I was a kid I used to cycle to school and my mum made me wear high viz (for reasons I now understand ) and I hated it. Now, there's no way I'd venture on the roads without it, because I know how much more quickly I can see people as a driver. As you get older, you care less about 'what it looks like' and more about what an idiot you'd feel if you actually couldn't pay the mortgage/livery bill/whatever, I find.

I also have loads of it for work (I work on building sites a lot) and always always have some in my car/lorry in case I break down. As I say, I like my life!!

 

[coreteam1]

So is it the younger riders (kids, teens) wearing the whole lot, bandages numnah etc and the adults wearing just a Hi-Viz top for instance?

What age group are you too? Is it because I'm older that I don't want to wear one (if I hacked out) is it a younger generation thing to wear?

 

[nicelittle]

Yes!
I wear a high vis vest, and have just got a jacket too.
I wear it on the road all the time, and if I'm on my own, I wear it in the woods too (I don't have to go on any roads if I don't want) Its easily seen from a helicopter either for rescue or just the normal ones that fly low to the army camp next to us) and also dog walkers see me quicker, and I'm sooo fed up of being attacked by badly controlled dogs, despite riding on private land.

 

[xxRachelxx]

I ALWAYS wear hi-viz. People who don't may not care enough about their own safety but do they also not care about their horses safety? I would never live with myself if I didn't wear any hi-viz and then I got hit, injuring/killing my horse.

Also, even if you ride off road you should wear it. If you were to fall off it would help the emergency services find you alot quciker and could save your life.

I alao agree with other posters about runners/cyclists wearing hi-viz. I have nearly hit several runners that have been out running on country lanes with no pavements in all black clothing.

 

[SpottedCat]

I'm in my 30s, I wear as a minimum a tabard, have a high viz exercise sheet for days where it is colder/visibility isn't great (like rainy days), and have a full on, approved for roadworks-use jacket for those days too.

 

[NeverSayNever]

i dont have to go near a road to hack either....


but we look like this everytime we go out (excuse the dog, who went "arrgh! horse!lol)

this is us on a bleak day where we went on a route using a quiet road

i came off once on a hack on my old horse, we were about 2 mile from home across fields. He took off home but went via a barley field and ended up crossing a road. I was on my way home after him when a 4x4 came speeding up out of nowhere , it was a neighbour who had seen my horse (caught him) and come looking for me and spotted my highviz across the fields. Thankfully i wast hurt at all, but if i had been i would have been extremely glad i had it on.

 

[nicelittle]

Oh, also I wear one daily when cycling, I only have a short section of road, but really noticed the difference in driver behaviour when I forgot it one day last week!

 

[coreteam1]

.

This is slightly rawer than normal as someone I know died yesterday in a road accident. It was not the drivers fault at all, and the rider was fully hi vized up, but it has brought home how easily accident can be fatal.

Ahh no, that's awful

 

[stencilface]

I do have things to go over my horses brow band, noseband and reins, but I don't wear them

I wear hi vis for work alot, so I buy stuff that is not like work stuff, as I don't want the association of my free time with work

 

[Mike007]

I wear my Hi viz coat for hacking, Its also quite warm and comfortable so its a win all round.

 

[ecrozier]

Yet another who never wore when I was younger and now will not venture out without! If hacking exclusively off road generally just pop the vest on, but at home both horses have leg bands, I have vest and hat band (flashing). Roo has yellow ex sheet with red bike light above his tail, j has navy sheet with hi viz striped and a pink flashing line above tail. Roo also has breastplate.
I totally agree with comment re maturity and also with whoever said there is sometimes a generalization that those who wear hi viz are the nervous type. However I like to imagine I've gone some way to reverse that trend on our yard as I'm probably one of the more competitive riders and I wear more hi viz than anyone else! But people def wear more now than they did.
I have the equisafety Polite (police) tabard and think that has a noticeable effect!

 

[nicelittle]

Hmm, think I'll have to buy soemthing hi viz for the horse too, never thought about what would happen if we part company.
What does everyone recommend? not sure about excercise sheet as horse is hot bod!

 

[SpottedCat]

I do have things to go over my horses brow band, noseband and reins, but I don't wear them

I wear hi vis for work alot, so I buy stuff that is not like work stuff, as I don't want the association of my free time with work

LOL, I use all my work stuff on the horse because it was free and I didn't want to spend more money! It's even branded with the company I used to work for!! I had to have it specially made (the roadworks jackets are not made small enough and by the time I'd rolled the sleeves up, I lost the bottom reflective band, so it was no longer legal), so as they were no use to anyone else, I got to keep them!