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

he way the police were talking, the rider will be liable to pay for damages to the car as well!
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Good luck to them on that one. They'd have to prove that the rider was negligent in some way - and as wearing Hi Viz is not the law - they can't.
 
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OMG hope the rider and horse are fine and she learns from this, however I really hoped you are OK as it is quite a major thing to see. I have reflective everything! All the way down to brushing and over reach boots!
 
Brilliant Ayla - I will be ordering one as soon as my pay comes through!! Everyone on the yard comes to me for high viz, as I have about half a dozen vests of varying sorts, two exercise sheets, hat and rein covers, and leg wraps!! Over the top?? Perhaps, but better that than have my horse injured!!
 
thats horrible! thank god everyone was ok! that was nice of u to catch the horse, some people just dont know whats around the corner!
 
zoeshiloh said:
Brilliant Ayla - I will be ordering one as soon as my pay comes through!! Everyone on the yard comes to me for high viz, as I have about half a dozen vests of varying sorts, two exercise sheets, hat and rein covers, and leg wraps!! Over the top?? Perhaps, but better that than have my horse injured!!
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Awesome aint it and police approved :) roll on pay day next fri...wonder how good it will work on my roads :) Can see people driving at 2mph mwahahahahahahaha:p
 
It's a yard rule where I am that we DO NOT go onto any road, even the reasonably quiet lane outside, without hi-viz on.

Stupid girl. Lucky she's still got her horse after that. Hope she's learnt her lesson.
 
Unfortunately there are so many people who dont wear hi-viz....having experienced drivers going past me at crazy speeds and too close even with Hi Viz I could never ride out without it (tabbard, flurescent hat cover, neck band around horse, and flurescent rug - maybe a little OTT but better safe than sorry).

Having seen that new tabbard from equi safety, I seriously think I may invest in one as I think that would make people look more closely and slow down....not just for my safety and my horse but also for their safety as well....

The way I see it I see wearing Hi Viz just as important as wearing my helmet -wouldnt dream of going for a ride without it......the rider was very lucky that neither she or her horse were not seriously injured or worse.....hopefully she will learn from this and invest in some......
 
Like most I am glad the horse and rider are ok and it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

One of the first things drummed into my head was if you can't be seen then expect the worst, even now I still rider out regardless of weather and time of day with hi vis stuff on me and the horse I am riding
 
I was zipping up a long straight A road at about 60mph, which is a perfectly acceptable speed on that road.

I realised as my bumper was level with the horses nose (opposite sides of the road) that there was a horse there - totally couldn't see them at all. Very scary moment.

I have loads of hiviz, and friends often borrow bits to hack out - I am tempted by a set of ears - VBandz do the little ear cover hats for horses.
 
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
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Stacey_Lou, where do you find said ride safe wristband and saddle tag? I live in Belgium and you hardly ever see people wearing Hi-Viz, apart from me I have only ever seen one other person wearing it, and people laugh at my hi-viz exercise sheet - "Oh can't miss you in that!" Duh, that's the point moron, they can't miss seeing me so they will miss me!!!!!
 
oh my,, I commend YOU for NOT hitting her ,well done and GREAT eyesight,:D
Im sure she must have learnt some lesson from this , especially if she is being made to pay the car damages,, Im sure Daddy is going to be mad, she was so close to NOT being alive her or her horse, you can get those little bike lights that flash so easy to clip on the back of the saddle along with the high viz leg bands,waistjackets etc , might be worth noting if you think your going to be out late in the dark , to pop something in your pocket ,
 
I am glad that the horse is o.k. This is is yet another example of an arogant horse rider who puts fashion before the safety of her horse.

I always advise people to wear a long sleeved Hi-Viz jacket when riding out on the road as it makes the riders hand signals far more visible to other road users. I also suggest wearing a Hi-Viz hat band so that there is more chance of being seen over hedges on a bend in the road. Hi-Viz reign bands, nose bands leg bands, and tail covers also help.
 
sorry but its high time either horses are banned from the road or there is is a automatic asumption that if a car/ lorry hits one or a pedestian they are in the wrong.. so drivers will always be going at a speed they can see whats round the next corner and stop in time. there are far to many morons driving down country roads at speed yes both genders but women seem worse I blame sat navs and a selfish irisponsable attitudes..
 
I'm glad there was no serious injury to any-one concerned, although I'm not surprised that every-one was shaken and upset. Can I just add that in addition to a hi-viz vest/tabard, hi-viz boots for the horse are a must. They are on the only part of the horse/rider combo which really moves. This movement catches the eye of the driver, which gives just the extra little bit of warning time. I have been told by a passer-by that my pink boots on a grey are more visible than yellow on a chestnut but that could have just been on that particular occasion.
I really cannot see how any-one could possibly justify not wearing the most visible equipment available and it doesn't have to be expensive.
 
perfect11s said:
sorry but its high time either horses are banned from the road or there is is a automatic asumption that if a car/ lorry hits one or a pedestian they are in the wrong.. so drivers will always be going at a speed they can see whats round the next corner and stop in time. there are far to many morons driving down country roads at speed yes both genders but women seem worse I blame sat navs and a selfish irisponsable attitudes..
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I am soooo with you on this one.
 
perfect11s said:
sorry but its high time either horses are banned from the road or there is is a automatic asumption that if a car/ lorry hits one or a pedestian they are in the wrong.. so drivers will always be going at a speed they can see whats round the next corner and stop in time. there are far to many morons driving down country roads at speed yes both genders but women seem worse I blame sat navs and a selfish irisponsable attitudes..
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I would agree with you if it was made mandatory for horses/pedestrians/cyclists to wear some form of high-viz. As far as I am aware, 9 times out of 10 the law comes down on the side of the pedestrian/cyclist/rider, and the driver is in the wrong. Now, as a rider I make EVERY effort to stand out, so if I were to be hit by a car, I would have an oustanding case against the driver. As a driver, if I were to hit a horse (and I would probably aim my car into the hedge rather than do this!) if that horse was not wearing high viz and had been difficult/impossible to spot, then I would argue tooth and nail and the rider was in the wrong.

High viz is there, it is cheap (free in some cases!) to obtain, and accessible to everyone - it's not like replacing a £50 hat, you can pick the vests up for £2 on a local market, or just walk along any road where there have been roadworks and half a dozen vests are blowing about on the verge having been discarded!

As a driver, I do not speed along lanes, I drive according to road conditions, and as a rider myself, I am aware that a horse, or any number of loose animals, could be around the next corner. The answer is not to drive everywhere at 20mph just in case, it is to make yourself as visible as possible, in case something happens. In my opinion this also means making your horse visible, as, if you do fall off, your horse can then be seen just as well as you can.
 
zoeshiloh said:
I would agree with you if it was made mandatory for horses/pedestrians/cyclists to wear some form of high-viz. As far as I am aware, 9 times out of 10 the law comes down on the side of the pedestrian/cyclist/rider, and the driver is in the wrong. Now, as a rider I make EVERY effort to stand out, so if I were to be hit by a car, I would have an oustanding case against the driver. As a driver, if I were to hit a horse (and I would probably aim my car into the hedge rather than do this!) if that horse was not wearing high viz and had been difficult/impossible to spot, then I would argue tooth and nail and the rider was in the wrong.

High viz is there, it is cheap (free in some cases!) to obtain, and accessible to everyone - it's not like replacing a £50 hat, you can pick the vests up for £2 on a local market, or just walk along any road where there have been roadworks and half a dozen vests are blowing about on the verge having been discarded!

As a driver, I do not speed along lanes, I drive according to road conditions, and as a rider myself, I am aware that a horse, or any number of loose animals, could be around the next corner. The answer is not to drive everywhere at 20mph just in case, it is to make yourself as visible as possible, in case something happens. In my opinion this also means making your horse visible, as, if you do fall off, your horse can then be seen just as well as you can.
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Good post!
 
You said it all, thank goodness no one was hurt,hopefully stupid cow will wear some viz when on the road in future :mad:

I don't care if it isn't fashionable, I DO CARE about my pony.

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This is exactly why I do not feel ashamed or embarassed for kitting my pony out in a pink fluorescent exercise sheet, leg bands and breastplate and rider in flourescent hat band and tabard.

It is never worth the risk :(.

Very, very lucky horse and rider but it sounds very cheeky of the rider to be abusive to the driver :eek: :eek:.
 
My daughter exercises a horse for a friend whose insurance company has a clause insisting on hi-viz wear when riding on the road. If there is a claim, no hi-viz wear - no payout! Needless to say, she would wear it anyway.
 
roosmum said:
My daughter exercises a horse for a friend whose insurance company has a clause insisting on hi-viz wear when riding on the road. If there is a claim, no hi-viz wear - no payout! Needless to say, she would wear it anyway.
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That's the other issue I worry about. As far as I know, there is no such clause in my insurance agreement but I'm not sure that if something were to happen, whether they would take a dim view of neither horse or rider wearing hi-viz :confused:.
 
QR nasty but could have been far worse. Hopefully rider will have learnt an important lesson from this accident.

Kids and I always hack in hi vis as we have to ride on a busy road and windy, shaded lanes, which I have to drive alone to get to the yard. When driving I am very aware where the 'difficult' places are and tend to drive slowly almost in the hedge as you are more than likely to have another driver haring along and swerving out on the corners, had a few very near misses. Have also come across too many riders without hi vis on this lane, they are putting themselves and their horses at so much risk by not helping themselves to be seen.

OH, who is black, rides dark bay/black horses and will only wear black or navy is now at long last 'given' in and wears hi vis as well
 
Rachaelpink said:
Although as driver hit them you wouldn't of thought the rider would have to pay?
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the rider would be liable because she was did not make herself visible, therefore not showing duty of care for other road users.
if she or her horse were injured her insurance would not have paid out either!

would have been a hard lesson to learn

i never go hacking without my hi viz, in the summer its a mesh sheet for my horse and tabard for me, and in winter a fleece hi vis blanket and a jacket!!!
 
Tinker_Belle said:
That's the other issue I worry about. As far as I know, there is no such clause in my insurance agreement but I'm not sure that if something were to happen, whether they would take a dim view of neither horse or rider wearing hi-viz :confused:.
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This sounds like a really nasty incident that could easily have been much worse. Luckily for all concerned it wasnt. Everyone should check the small print on their insurance re high viz gear that should be worn when hacking out - mine goes as far as stating what the current standard is that should be worn - I think its high viz on each leg of the horse and a tabbard as a min amount - other wise my insurance isnt valid. Worth digging out those policies and checking!:eek:
 
bonnie93 said:
the rider would be liable because she was did not make herself visible, therefore not showing duty of care for other road users.
if she or her horse were injured her insurance would not have paid out either!
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Sorry but I don't think so.
If the horse and rider were legitimately on the road and the horse was under control, it is the responsibility of the driver to be aware of other road users and to drive to the conditions prevailing at the time. If the driver couldn't see properly under the trees, s/he should have slowed down. There could have been anything under there, including a parked/broken-down car or a child. There is unfortunately no requirement for pedestrians/cyclists/
riders to wear hi-viz clothing currently. Unfortunately many drivers go around with their eyes closed. This is why I ALWAYS wear hi-viz clothing.
 
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