How much hi-viz?

[AutumnDays]

Morning all!

Just curious as to how much hi-viz everyone and their horse wears out and about? I'm planning on starting to walk my two out in hand together soon, and whilst there are plenty of off road bridleways around, there are country lanes/main road to get to most of them, and I want to be safe and seen. Other half is saying I'm being overkill with it, as it's only a short walk on roads to these lanes, but surely too much is better than not enough?! I'm looking at tail tassels, leg bands on all legs, a neck band and me in a high viz bib. What's the general HHO consensus?

 

[Bobthecob15]

Minimum of something on you and something on the horse in case you get separated!

 

[Marnie]

I always think you can never have too much! I like to make sure that I and the horse are well covered - I always worried that if I had a fall and the horse ran off, at least it would be seen. I have also been in situations when I've been driving and I have passed a horse and rider with the rider wearing a tabard and I didn't actually see the tabard due to a combination of tall horse and low car. If the horse had leg bands / tail band on, I would have seen them. Luckily, visibility was good and I saw them in plenty of time - it did make me think though. I also like a hat cover - I have had people comment that they knew I was coming along narrow lanes / high hedges as they saw my hat cover bobbing along!

 

[Ratface]

As much as possible, both on you and the horse, plus a hat cam.

 

[Kaylum]

Hat bands are great as well as you can see riders above the hedges.

 

[Highmileagecob]

If you are not in broad daylight, consider lights as well. The silicone flashing LED armbands are good, and can be threaded on to nylon dog collars and buckled round legs - yours and the horse!

 

[Bernster]

Yep, gear up! Agree with getting lights too. I have a hi vis vest, front and back lights on my hat, neck strap and/or boots on the horse, at all times of the day if we’re out hacking.

 

[cauda equina]

I'm not a fan of bibs, they're not very visible from the side
Something with sleeves is better imo - I wear a Dickies fleece, half the price of horsey stuff

 

[Pippity]

My bare minimum is most people's overdoing it.

Horse wears: quarter sheet (with good bum coverage); neckband; noseband cover
I wear: hi-viz top (t-shirt, long-sleeved t-shirt, gilet, waterproof, depending on weather); hi-viz and/or lights on helmet

If it's gloomy, the neckband lights up, my whip lights up, lights on the helmet, and lights on the horse's bum. Edit: Also LED slap bands on my wrists, to make signalling clear.

If I'm doing a lot on the roads, I'll add legwraps.

I'll often approach a rider who's wearing exercise sheet and bib, so are really visible from side/behind, but from in front, the horse's head and neck completely covers the rider, so they're invisible.

 

[webble]

Be safe be seen!!

 

[AutumnDays]

Thanks guys, looks like I best get shopping! I have a leading rug for one of them, so whole coverage, I think I'll see if I can find another for the lad. I have the bib or my work clothes (the joys of working with heavy plant!) Don't know if a hat band would make much difference as I'd be on the floor rather than on board...
Edited to add picture of lead out rug for context, mine also has the tail flap added.

 

[vhf]

Morning all!

Just curious as to how much hi-viz everyone and their horse wears out and about? I'm planning on starting to walk my two out in hand together soon, and whilst there are plenty of off road bridleways around, there are country lanes/main road to get to most of them, and I want to be safe and seen. Other half is saying I'm being overkill with it, as it's only a short walk on roads to these lanes, but surely too much is better than not enough?! I'm looking at tail tassels, leg bands on all legs, a neck band and me in a high viz bib. What's the general HHO consensus?

Anything that moves about is more easily seen - heads, legs etc.
Mixture of colours as some work better in certain situations.
Give thought to width of the group as well as height.
Also being visible off-road is just as important on on-road so it's not overkill because you're only on roads for a short time (and that assumes all goes to plan and none of you ever get separated!)
Thinking of myself, if it's faffy I might think 'I won't bother today because...' so if you know that's you, go for maximum visibility with minimum fuss so you will always be bothered! I have a minimum of hiviz ride-on fly rug and a hiviz cycling anorak, plus a hiviz hat cover is a permanent fixture. I can probably be seen for miles in those without anything else and they take moments to put on - so no excuse.

 

[Cocorules]

More the better. I cycle too and so mine is a hybrid of what works on both. The horse and the bike both have their own too.

 

[Pippity]

Thinking of myself, if it's faffy I might think 'I won't bother today because...' so if you know that's you, go for maximum visibility with minimum fuss so you will always be bothered! I have a minimum of hiviz ride-on fly rug and a hiviz cycling anorak, plus a hiviz hat cover is a permanent fixture. I can probably be seen for miles in those without anything else and they take moments to put on - so no excuse.

My thinking is, "If I'll be wearing it anyway, it might as well be hi-viz." So, stack of hi-viz workwear as riding tops, waterproofs are hi-viz, my riding skirt is hi-viz. Hi-viz LED band lives on my hat and on my bridle's noseband/browband. Whips are hi-viz or light-up.

The only things I have to consciously put on are exercise sheet and neckband, and it's so ingrained to put those on for hacking that I don't even notice.

 

[Fransurrey]

I'm also not a fan of bibs. I have a long sleeve mesh jacket for this time of year, or a pink running lights vest that has shoulder and side hi viz reflective bands, with white (front) and red (back) LED lights for gloomy days. I plan to start taking him out on the forestry soon after work, so also have running lights for his legs (orange to front and red to back) with a head torch, too. He also wears a 'mercury' exercise sheet. Mine is yellow, but I would have chosen orange, as i find yellow dirties/fades too easily, and blends in to greenery on sunny autumnal days.

 

[JGC]

I work on wanting something bright and reflective visible from the front and the back on both me and the horse, then adding in lights for poor light conditions.

ETA - I mean, as a minimum. I'd usually have more

 

[SEL]

My minimum walking out in hand is high viz jacket on me and high viz rug on the horse. I find drivers approaching from the rear seem to spot us (the mare concerned has a backside you can see from space) but from the front I get more surprised drivers. Orange jacket seemed to get their attention more.

 

[Pippity]

View attachment 127413

Be safe be seen!!

From the side and behind, that's fantastic, but I'd want to add something to make you more visible from the front - martingale, ears, noseband/browband sleeves, etc. Your body would be shielded by your (gorgeous!) horse's neck, so a lot harder for somebody at ground level to see.

 

[Tracking_up]

whilst following a horse being ridden in suburbia yesterday (with a car in between me and horse) the rider had a high Viz something on with 2 reflective strips round the chest, but nothing on her arms or the horse.

Overall, it difficult to see
a) the horse - dark bay, and
b) her right arm when she was signalling right to turn right.....

so i'd suggest more than she was wearing!

 

[AutumnDays]

@Pippity where did you get your light up browband from? And everyone who mentioned running lights? Looking at those blinky dog collar ones, but unsure they would be enough

 

[JGC]

I know Kramer have LED browbands and big horse-sized collars.

 

[Hallo2012]

hat
jacket
whip

bridle
pad
boots
exercise sheet in winter

if we are off road there is no traffic, so wear silver reflective jacket just so we can see each other!

 

[Pippity]

@Pippity where did you get your light up browband from? And everyone who mentioned running lights? Looking at those blinky dog collar ones, but unsure they would be enough

I got it from a site that's now vanished, and always looked pretty dodgy! It looks very similar to the Kramer ones, though.

I imagine it wouldn't work too well for a horse with a big forelock, but you could always pop it on the noseband.

Running lights, I just get off Amazon. I tried having them on her legs but even the ones advertised as waterproof barely lasted two hacks before dying.

 

[Fjord]

I used to use the led runners/cyclist armbands on my girl's legs. You can also join them together to put round the horse's neck.

 

[seriously festive equine]

personally as much as possble...I think hyvis gloves are a must! And I also use leg wraps from hy equestrian!

 

[webble]

From the side and behind, that's fantastic, but I'd want to add something to make you more visible from the front - martingale, ears, noseband/browband sleeves, etc. Your body would be shielded by your (gorgeous!) horse's neck, so a lot harder for somebody at ground level to see.

He is sadly gone now, current beast has hi vis ears and breast plate

 

[Fransurrey]

@Pippity where did you get your light up browband from? And everyone who mentioned running lights? Looking at those blinky dog collar ones, but unsure they would be enough

I got my running lights from Start Fitness.

Hi-Vis & Lights | Start Fitness

Safety when training, running and cycling is paramount for ensuring that you stay safe while out and about. Start Fitness supply a range of safety accessories including reflective vests, lights, snap bands and torches.

startfitness.co.uk

 

[Rowreach]

No such thing as too much!

I am known for being attracted to anything hi viz in the shops, I even bought a pack of hi viz cable ties a while ago, which have proved very useful. Cycling and running stuff is excellent to use and is much cheaper than anything labelled "horse". Lidl's middle aisle and the local hardware shop are my go to suppliers.

 

[expanding_horizon]

Morning all!

Just curious as to how much hi-viz everyone and their horse wears out and about? I'm planning on starting to walk my two out in hand together soon, and whilst there are plenty of off road bridleways around, there are country lanes/main road to get to most of them, and I want to be safe and seen. Other half is saying I'm being overkill with it, as it's only a short walk on roads to these lanes, but surely too much is better than not enough?! I'm looking at tail tassels, leg bands on all legs, a neck band and me in a high viz bib. What's the general HHO consensus?

Leading I think you need more on the horses than riding (as the nandler is sometimes obscured by the horse), and if leading two there is an increased of one getting loose.

I would say you want something on front and back of horse, and something on yourself as a minimum. Hiviz ears, hiviz tail tassles and high viz tabard on you would be ok. More is fine, but I wouldnt say essential. Though if your road is busy, I do think more can sometimes slow traffic down more.

 

[Cloball]

I'm adding LEDs on the stirrups and noseband. She's got too much hair for anything else. I think bright hands and/or arms is good for signalling, on the head for being seen over hedges and I prefer a mix of colours or at least not just yellow, I find yellow hard to see in bright sunlight and again foliage.