High Viz Riding Gear - do you wear it?

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tye_bo

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As per the title really. I have to admit I never wear it either on me or my horse.
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I only ride in the day time in good weather although I know its no excuse but the thought of looking like a Christmas tree I just can't do.

When I was a kid all this high-viz stuff just didn't exist so I suppose I am a bit old fashioned in that way.
 
I were a tabard .... but thats only because it says ... 'does my bum look big on this'
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I don't hack out on roads though ... If I did I would be more pro-active
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Yep always even if it's a nice sunny day. I know as a driver it's so easy to be driving along and suddenly see a horse and rider who is hardly visable.

I usually wear a tabard and leg straps - so don't look too much like a Christmas tree LOL ! However couldn't care less what I look like if it means trying to avoid an accident.
 
I always have a tabard and hat band on me but they don't have any high viz for the horses....when I had mine they had sheets, leg bands etc on too
 
Without fail. I look like a xmas tree, but do not care. Its better to look like a live berk than a mashed one.

I have a flo jacket or tabbard, pink hat cover, flo boots, and a flo martingale for my horse. When it is raining, we have an exercise sheet with a light on the back. I have also been known to ride with one of those 'headlight' things on my hat too.

I have no choice other than to ride on a 60 mph road to get to off road hacking and there are some idiot drivers around.
 
I don't have my own horses at the moment so only ride twice per week. When I did a lot of hacking with my mare I always wore a tabard and hat band and always put a reflective tail wrap, neck strap and bandages on her. Maybe a little over cautious but I didn't mind looking like a berk so long as drivers could see us
 
Yes, i always wear a tabard, or a hi-viz jacket in winter. the human brain sees yellow about 3 seconds sooner than other colours apparently, plus i think there's a totally automatic "slow down, it might be a cop" reaction to hi-viz yellow... that's a LOT of stopping distance.
i've had it make pilots swerve aside from going straight over my head too...
If I was ever in an accident and not wearing hi-viz i would feel eternally guilty for endangering my horse unnecessarily. it isn't possible to say sorry once he's lying there with a broken leg because someone didn't slow down enough and something stupid happened.... this has happened to a few friends of mine, btw.
i've written SLOW PLEASE, THANKYOU on mine, drivers always slow down and are very nice about it.
i don't care if i look like a christmas tree as long as my horse is safer. a former employer told me it was "unprofessional" to wear bright colours... the silly f****** b****!!! words cannot describe my contempt for that attitude. my horse wouldn't care if i was in fancy dress, and as long as we're as safe as possible nor do i!
 
I always wear a tabard. Leg wraps and an exercise sheet if it's gloomy. I'm lucky enough to have entirely off road hacking, but still wear it so I can be seen by RAF peeps. Apparantly, there is some insurance clause now, that in certain circumstances, if you get hit by a car and are not wearing high viz you can be held responsable...?
 
i always wear my tabbard out and in grotty weather the horse has his hi viz sheet as well

its all well and good riding in the sunny weather etc, but sun makes SHADOWS!! I was driving along earlier and didnt see a horse and rider cause they were riding in the shadowy bits on the road. despite the fact the horse was white and the rider had light clothes on to

hi viz all the way!
 
I always wear Hi-viz, minimum of tabard and hat band for me, leg wraps for the mare. I cannot understand the attitude of 'I don't want to look like a christmas tree'. I also began riding long before the advent of hi-viz, in the days when there were fewer cars, which were slower anyway. In the days when horses on the road were a novelty rather than a nuisance (round here anyway). I consider it irresponsible to leave the yard without Hi-Viz and reflective gear, you can do what you want with your life and limbs, but you have a responsibility to your horse and other road users.
 
Always wear hi viz - the more the merrier! Have got everything - flashing tabards, hat band, leg bands, exercise sheet etc. I think the world of my horses, so anything that makes us more visible to motorists is fine by me. No other riders round here will use it, but I have noticed that a few of the dogwalkers are now copying me and one has a hi viz tabard for his dog
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The yard where I bought my last horse from had a rule, all riders had to wear hi viz when hacking out - I was very impressed
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I used to wear Hi-Viz when Hacking my lad. Black Tabard with Dayglo pink stuff (wear it on my push-bike too).

Leg wraps one pair of Dayglo pink and one pair of lime green and he wore them on alternate legs.

Why so Bright - hacking along the Dual Carriage way by J12 M5 they drive along it like a racetrack. The only other thing I would like is a dressage whip with a Hi Viz end.
 
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I know its no excuse but the thought of looking like a Christmas tree I just can't do.

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hi viz wasnt around when i was a kid either, but now that it is id rather look like a christmas tree than roadkill.
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I always like to give drivers as little chance as possible to moan and as much opportunity to see me. Also, it is my understanding that legally, if it were to come to that, I'd stand more chance if I'd been wearing hiviz at the time.

I wear a tabard with flashing strips down the fronts and a flashing logo on the back which is blue lights and says 'SLOW'. My chaps have yellow upside down Vs going up the back of them. Then I have a pink wrist band on the off-side. I have a pink hat band. My horse wears brushing boots with hiviz strips on them. If it's miserable like today he also wears a full hiviz set on his bridle, a yellow/pink/purple tail guard and I wear flash-lights on my ankles. I don't think we look awful and it isn't over the top what we wear but I also don't worry too much. I look rubbish in my jods anyway!!! The only issue I have with my tabard is that on a warm day the velcro rubs on my arms as I don't wear long sleeves on warm days!
 
indeed i do wear it, didn't have it when i was younger either, but then they didn't have half the 'gadgets' we have now but it doesn't stop me using them either
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at the very least i wear a tabbard, if it's slightly grey, shell has to wear her flourescent marquee, i mean exercise sheet
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Wasn't around when I grew up either, but neither were the 17-25yr olds who could afford to buy ridiculously over-powered cars and use country lanes as test tracks.

Couldn't give a monkeys what I look like as long as me & the girlie don't end up sitting on someone's bonnet.
 
Always wear a hi viz jacket or waistcoat - again they weren't about when I was younger but wouldn't hack out without it now - it really does make a difference to how quickly you see a horse and rider no matter what the weather. I don't care if I look stupid!
 
well i wear it.i dont care what it looks like if it makes drivers slow down and see you sooner.
my girls wear leg bands and an exercise sheet if its cool.i wear tabbord/big yellow coat depending on weather
does look quite funny when they go out for a cool down hack after working in the school and they still have their diamonte bridles on lol.
 
I do as I care more about my precious horse's safety than my appearance TBH
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...I also feel that putting an innocent car driver through the trauma of an avoidable accident involving a half ton animal is irresponsible and cruel.
AND (lol) insurance is generally void if you don't wear it.

Even on a good day in the shade it's difficult to see horses, I've become much more aware of this since I started driving 8 months ago.
 
It's not only useful on roads. Dog walkers can see you further off & have more time to put their dog on a lead & tractor driving farmers can spot you earlier & stop for you. Well, it happens round here.
 
Absolutely - so do my grandkids, they are never allowed out without - no hi-viz - no ride out!

I am always amazed at mature riders, especially on dark horses, that ride out on busy roads wearing dark coloured clothing and no hi-viz.

Ours only cost £1 each from Tesco's so there's no excuse at all really is there?
 
Wow! All these responses - I should have asked for who doesn't wear it!

Despite my comment about looking like a "Christmas Tree" (which was tongue in cheek no offence meant) it's never been a concious decision not to wear it, it's just never occured to wear it (unless its a gloomy day or there's a chance it will be dusky when we are heading back etc). No one round here wears it and there are a lot of horse riders and few traffic although I know it only takes one car.

I just happened to be watching an ad on sky for hi vis horsey clothing and it prompted me to ask.
 
I always wear Hi-Viz and now have a Hi-Viz jacket with long sleeves so that people can see my hand signals more easily.

I also have a Hi-Viz headband, attachments on the reins and also nose bands.

I am only to happy to look bright if it protects my horse when riding out.

I have known of more horses being hit in bright low sunshine than at any other times because the bright low sunshine blinds/dazzles drivers so I always avoid riding out when the sun is low and bright.
 
Bloomin right I do, I dont care what I look like!
I have vertually every thing possible for reflective and flashing properties......you can see me and my horse about 1/2 a mile away. I was told that by a driver!
I love my horse and dont want him hurt.
 
Always. Lack of hi vis makes me really cross
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- I nearly hit a horse and rider last week simply because it didn't see them. I was paying attention, but it was dark brown horse with a rider in dark green jacket and black jodphurs riding along a narrow country road, under the trees. Anyone who's a driver must realise how difficult it can be too see horses in shade (ESPECIALLY on a sunny day!), or even just against grey dull stone.

'Not wanting to look like a xmas tree' is a selfish excuse for not wearing hi vis. A tabard isn't expensive, too hot or difficult to put on - there is not excuse other than vanity.

After all, it's your horse will come off worse if a driver doesn't see you in time............
 
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