I just almost hit a horse with my car - then someone did hit it!!

Z

zoeshiloh

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I have just witnessed something that was so easily avoidable!! I was sent out to get milk for the office, and whislt driving the country road to the local shop, I saw an odd shape at the side of the road - to be honest it looked like a funny shaped tree!! I was not going that fast (windy road) and as I got nearer, literally about twenty yards away, I realised it was a horse and rider!! The horse was piebald (more black and white) and the rider dressed all in black. I hit the brakes, and narrowly missed the horse! The rider waved thank you, and I resisted the urge to wind down my window and lecture her on reflective wear. As I drove off, I heard the squeel of breaks and a horses hooves skittering on tarmac - looking in my rear view mirror, the rider was now on the floor, the horse cantering down the road towards me, and a car with a small dent in the bonnet, and a smashed light... I stopped, caught the horse (who had slowed down to eat the verge) and returned to the rider - thankfully neither were hurt, and the car just clipped the side of the horse - although smashed glass etc, horse was not cut - thank god, this could have been much worse!! The driver was really shaken, and apologising profusely, the rider was quite abusive. Police were called, and my statement was taken - it seems everyone (even the police) in agreement that the accident was so easily avoidable if the rider was wearing something brighter - it is sunny here today, and the shadows of the trees obviously cast dark patches which the horse/rider got lost in. Such a near miss, and a lot of hassle for all parties concerned! The way the police were talking, the rider will be liable to pay for damages to the car as well!

I preach all the time about wearing reflective gear, and I wish I had a picture now of how this horse/rider did not stand out! This could have been so much worse, I am still shaking as I type!
 
That just goes to show why it's better to be safe than sorry and wear reflective gear. Glad their ok though. My horse is grey and I always wear bright colours but I wouldn't go on a hack without reflective gear on. If it gives the driver 3 more seconds to react that's 3 more seconds braking time. Although as driver hit them you wouldn't of thought the rider would have to pay?
 
Good lord as you say that could have been SO much worse.

In my teenage years I rode coloured cobs quite a bit, and was of the opinion that their colouring would make them more visible on the roads - perhape even more worrying was that my mum and the RS owners thought so too! :eek:

Now of course, I know better, and in the last few years in particular I have nearly not seen horses of all sorts of different colours.

Such a simple thing to wear a tabbard, so much knowledge around these days about how visible a horse and rider really are, and such a horrific consequence if the drivers don't see you...
 
Oh my word that horrific!!!! I must admit i never wear reflective wear but I do make sure I wear bright or light colours but this story has just made me think I would never forgive myself if it was my fault that my horse was hit and lost confidence or even worse her life !! I will invest!!

I do how ever have the ride safe wrist band and tag for saddle just incase something does happen! I would strong suggest investing in one of these
 
How scary for everyone involved! As you say had the rider been wearing hi-viz she would have given drivers a much better chance of noticing her - no reason not to wear hi-viz all the time really.
 
Thank goodness it wasn't any worse and both horse and rider (and driver) are okay. I am so glad you were there to help in whatever way you could - it might not seem a lot, but you did well, girl! I can understand that you're still shaking - I would be too. Agree with you 100% about reflective gear and never hack out without it.

Take a few deep breaths and go get yourself a hot choccy.
 
This is why I have my hi-viz on every time I got out hacking, I have loads of different types from hi-viz t-shirts to massive thick coats!! Even my dog and OH have hi-viz on when we all do hacking together.

Agree with wipeout hope she realises how lucky she is!!
 
I really hope she learns from this. Sadly, she'll probably just rant to her friends about 'damn car drivers'. Light colours are simply not enough. You need something to REFLECT the light.
 
God how scary- my friends horse was hit and seriously injured a few years ago, ever since she has had issues with him on the road and cant hack out alone anymore. Although it could have been worse, she could have lost the horse this is also something riders should be aware of. Being hit can completely screw a horse up even if they recover physically.
My Y/O screams at us if anyone attempts to leave the yard with out reflective gear on and its really drummed it into me. Before being at this yard i never even owned any.

Its such a cheap way of saving your life.

Sorry you had to witness that- cant have been fun xxx
 
I've lost count of the times people from my yard go out late with no Hi Viz on, I always say to them but they don't think it will happen to them, there a particularly dark area at the top of the road towards the woods, car's can't see when you are coming out of the dark towards them its so dangerous, I always wear Hi Viz, i don't give a monkey's if people laugh at me ! I do have rather alot but the more the better I say, I have flashing vest, seperate lights, led lights on the peak of my hat, 360 degree vision equisafety pink exercise sheet, or silver bucas ride on full horse cover rug, leg bands, pink tabard, hi viz tail guard if no rug, pink hat band, stirup thingys, hi viz noseband.

I had a mountain biker in the woods say to me oh I couldn't see you there jokily! ha ha bloody ha, if I didn't have it all on, he would have come hurtling towards me and frightened my horse when he skidded applying his brakes so yeh very funny !

I notice he didn't have any on, for when they come down the hill into the woods that goes straight out onto the road, I've seen them come down that path a few at a time and don't stop in time for the road and go shooting down it
 
Cyclists in Camo we have round here, riding along the hedgerows.
One wonders if they give any thought to the original point of camo gear, or if they just think it's a fashion statement.
 
This really infuriates me!!! i often see riders riding at 7pm (dusky) along a very shaded road dressed in dk colours on dk horses with NO hi-viz - it really really bothers me. The cars drive quickly down these said country lanes and they are difficult to see.
I rode out the other evening with my hi viz vest and a hi viz neck band for mare but still felt concious that it wasnt enough so went the short way round.
 
stacey_lou said:
Oh my word that horrific!!!! I must admit i never wear reflective wear but I do make sure I wear bright or light colours but this story has just made me think I would never forgive myself if it was my fault that my horse was hit and lost confidence or even worse her life !! I will invest!!

I do how ever have the ride safe wrist band and tag for saddle just incase something does happen! I would strong suggest investing in one of these
Click to expand...

Exactly ! its not our horses choice to go along the road, we make them because thats were WE want to go

Can you imagine if a horse got seriously injured/killed just for a tabard or something else hi viz - what a waste, just for fashion sake or whatever else reason people don't wear it.

When I was younger we used to laugh at this woman who did just what I do now! we used to say " oh here comes the flourescent queen snigger snigger " now thats me !

Maybe its an age thing then, where you don't realise until you're older, I don't know
 
cobface said:
This really infuriates me!!! i often see riders riding at 7pm (dusky) along a very shaded road dressed in dk colours on dk horses with NO hi-viz - it really really bothers me. The cars drive quickly down these said country lanes and they are difficult to see.
I rode out the other evening with my hi viz vest and a hi viz neck band for mare but still felt concious that it wasnt enough so went the short way round.
Click to expand...

LIGHTS you need LIGHTS ha ha flashing ones :-)
 
Fransurrey said:
I really hope she learns from this. Sadly, she'll probably just rant to her friends about 'damn car drivers'. Light colours are simply not enough. You need something to REFLECT the light.
Click to expand...

Sadly I think you're right.

The two near misses I have had which stand out the most to me happened in broad daylight with grey horses - one with rider in a white T-shirt, one with rider in a dark jacket.

The T-shirt girl the first thing I saw was the movement. It took me another few seconds to realise it was a horse.

The other was riding against a background of trees - they were perfectly camoflaged until her DOG turned around and I saw its eyes glowing.

Grey horses blend in with tarmac all too well, and if you are passing through trees then nothing bar high viz is going to help.
 
completely agree!

i went out hacking in a HUGE high-vis rainsheet on my 14hh pony (first hack and had only had her 3 weeks!) which came down to her knees XD and i had a high-vis tabbard. this was bright daylight, on a 30 mph straight road and a rather old woman came within half a foot of driving 40mph straight into my ponies bum! my little girl was a saint at 5 yrs old bless her and i dont want to think what might have happened if i'd been without high-vis! some people shouldn't drive! while others shouldnt ride XD
 
I am so conscious of riding in high viz - as someone above has said, I make my horse go on the road, so the least I can do is protect him to the best of my ability! Every time I see someone without high viz I want to yell at them! This girl was of the opinion her horse's white bits would show them up - in all honesty it looked like a camouflage effect with the shade/light coming through the trees!

With regards to the car driver claiming off of the rider, I think the police were talking about something like dangerous riding (as in not being as safe as she could have been) and putting drivers at risk, but I didn't really get involved in the conversation, did my statement, contact details left etc, and got out of there quickly before I hit the horse rider!
 
So this selfish rider endangers the life of her horse and other road users by not wearing hi viz. And then has the cheek to have an attitude about it? I appreciate she will have been in shock but she really does need to take a close look at herself and the fact that she was the cause of this.

Hope the poor horse is okay both physically and mentally after this very near miss.

Sorry if my post offends anyone btw, I'm just saying how I personally feel.
 
Perhaps some of those that don't bother wearing hi-viz might actually bother now... after reading this.

Not a nice thing to witness is it.:(
 
Thankfully both the horse & rider came out unscathed but it could of been much much worse.

There is a lady near to me who rides a dark bay & always wears dark clothes herself, she is an accident waiting to happen. Many a car that has had to screech it's brakes is unbelievably & her horse isn't great on the road either.

I always go out looking like a christmas tree with hi viz both me & my horse.
I never think you can have enough hi viz on.
 
this ones a cracker! town near me has a yard and the YO rides down a busy main road in black, no vis, no body protector and NO HAT!!!!
if i hadnt have wanted anything bad to happen to the horse i would have honked!
 
How horrific, glad everyone involved is ok!!! go get yourself a nice big glass of wine or sugary tea :)
I never used to wear hi viz but do now :)
I used to be one of the 'my horse has more rights than you so pee off brigade' but after seeing other riders in my area be totally arrogant i am now on most of the drivers sides.
there are 3 girls who keep their horses near my yard, on Tues afternoon, rush hour time they were riding up the busy main road not one wearing hi viz, not one wearing a hard hat and all riding 3 abreast, reins really tight, necks pulled in and all booting their horses up the road, horses prancing sideways and not happy i was goint to wind my window down and tell them to sort their act out but i had way too much traffic behind me and horse nearest to middle of road would have probably hit my car if i`d stopped, its going to take an accident for these 3 to change their ways and its the horses to suffer. I`m tempted to write to the YO about them but dont think anything will happen as he owns competition horses and his riders dont always wear hats on roads!
 
I was hit on the road years ago, whilst wearing hi-viz, by a driver who simply belived that horses didn't belong on roads. The fact that others witnessed the collision and the fact that I was wearing my tabard literally made all the difference.

I do think that those that don't wear hi-viz are very selfish, because they obviously think more of their image than they do of their horse or even (and this is incomprehensible) of their own safety. There were lots of riders on our yard who didn't bother with hi-viz and actually looked down on those who wore it. It is interesting how few people now go out without it.

My husband and I hack out lit up like Christmas Trees and people have said that they think that we are the mounted police. I don't think that is any bad thing myself.

We got brilliant prices on hi-viz jackets from this company:

http://www.redoakdirect.com/acatalog/High_Visibility_Clothing.html
 
I don't really hack on the roads, but still try make sure I put my florescent jacket (not reflective though) on if i'm riding Herc out. He's a dark horse and I have a habit of wearing dark clothes.

Me and my dad passes a women from our yard the other day, Drizzley day, dapple grey and wearing a dark jacket. He was about to gun it at the time and only saw the paler tail, but as he said it could have been very easy to mistake that for a white line on the road. I've passed her before while i've been out under similar weather conditions and i couldn't see her well either. TBH I don't have the guts to say anything - she's a bit scarey, but all she does it hack and i've never seen her in hi-viz.
 
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