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

I'm honestly surprised neither I nor any of my friends were hit when we were kids. We rode on some very busy roads all the time and it never occurred to us or our parents evidently that we could be hard to see. God watches out for the stupid, I guess.

I don't ride any roads now but even with hi-viz, I think I'd be a nervous wreck. People around here aren't used to seeing horses, don't look for them and have no idea what to do if they see them.

So glad the poor horse wasn't hurt but I hope he's not shaken up and put off riding roads for life. And I hope the rider has learned a lesson. Sorry you had to see something so frightening. :(
 
One winter morning at about 7am I turned left onto the A44 the main road into town. It is 40mph through the village and the road is straight. After the national speed limit sign the road bends and drops down to an opposing bend. I was on full beam as it was still dark, seeing headlights coming the other way round the bend I dipped mine and in the huge headlights of the Scania coming it other way and right on the bend was this bloody girl in dark clothes on a dark pony in the dark. I swerved round her almost under the front wheels of the oncoming Scania, much flashing of headlights and sounding of horns and I just kept driving. It gave me the fright of my life and if I every catch up with her I'll strangle her.
Local equine students think it's uncool to were reflective, so is being in intensive care as well.
I always wear reflective.
 
Hi-viz always when out riding people please! and this applies to bicycles too, iI'm not long in from shopping and nearly hit a cyclist on the way home,they ere struggling up a steepish hill,the road bends along that stretch,,I was able to swerve to the right as fortunately no oncomming traffic,but if there had been I dread to think of what would have happened.
 
horsesforever1 said:
Hi-viz always when out riding people please! and this applies to bicycles too, iI'm not long in from shopping and nearly hit a cyclist on the way home,they ere struggling up a steepish hill,the road bends along that stretch,,I was able to swerve to the right as fortunately no oncomming traffic,but if there had been I dread to think of what would have happened.
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what do you expect from the lawless agressive turds!!! slightly tongue in cheek but they dont try to endear themselves to other road users do they???
 
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!

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!!!
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so if they hit a pedestian, or a dark coulored car??????? that is rubbish unless its made law to wear hi vis might be mittigating and reduce the blame for the driver but if you hit something its down to you...
 
perfect11s said:
so if they hit a pedestian, or a dark coulored car??????? that is rubbish unless its made law to wear hi vis might be mittigating and reduce the blame for the driver but if you hit something its down to you...
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are you quite sure about this?

It seems to me you do have a duty of care if you are riding at night.

Are you saying that if someone was walking SAS style, undercover of night, black balaclava, smeared face, on a totally dark lane, and someone hit them in a car, travelling within the speed limit with suitable lights, that the driver would be entirely culbpable? That doesn't make sense.
Not saying it's not the law, that's another matter!
Just asking.
 
I was hit while riding in a hi-viz tabard. Horse and ended up on the roof of the car, I'm told. I had to go to hospita,l and the horse was off for six months. Don't rely on hi viz - it's not a panacea for all 'ills' - i.e. bad drivers. The car driver should have been travelling at a safe speed for the prevailing conditions. There's been a lot in the press last week about Councils actually planting trees down the sides of roads to encourage drivers to slow down, as ithe trees create an optical illusion of a narrowing road. Clearly it didn't work for this driver. YOU didn't hit the horse. Neither should the other driver.
 
I have first hand evidence that hi-viz really works. I had been on a hack in bright sunshine and my OH was coming to meet me at the yard. He caught up with me as I was approaching the yard and swears he wouldn't have seen me if I wasn't wearing hi-viz. This was on a sunny day albeit with the sun low in the sky and was expecting to see me. I always wear hi-viz, tabard and hat band for me and leg bands for my boy. I also wear tabard when leading down the lane to the field.

So glad to hear no serious harm done to horse in OP.

Jane
 
Well, hopefully quite soon now this rider will be pointed to your thread and can read for herself that the accident wasn't the car driver's fault.
Pink high viz shows up better in most circumstances I think, definitely in shade/sunlight situations.
 
Tinypony said:
Well, hopefully quite soon now this rider will be pointed to your thread and can read for herself that the accident wasn't the car driver's fault.
Pink high viz shows up better in most circumstances I think, definitely in shade/sunlight situations.
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I hope this is your attempt at sarcasam ??? as its not funny...
 
Personally I think it should be a legal requirement for riders and cyclists on the road. Of course it doesn't mean all accidents will be avoided, but, it will without question reduce them. The worst times of day are when the sun is low in the sky. It really does make visibility very poor. I just don't get why so many people don't wear it. It's different to hats (again I feel the same way as in they should be worn but that's a whole other story) as it's your own life, but, I'd never forgive myself if someone else was injured because of an accident that was down to me not being visible. Even the hassle of insurance claims for a dent in your car. I know how annoyed I was when a pheasant flew up and smashed my van at the front!! Cost £150 to fix.

I always wear high vis and I rarely go on the road. However, I do hack out on my own all the time so would make me easier to spot if I fell off! They are also deer stalking in the woods just now so a wise precaution!!!!
 
skewbald_again said:
are you quite sure about this?

It seems to me you do have a duty of care if you are riding at night.

Are you saying that if someone was walking SAS style, undercover of night, black balaclava, smeared face, on a totally dark lane, and someone hit them in a car, travelling within the speed limit with suitable lights, that the driver would be entirely culbpable? That doesn't make sense.
Not saying it's not the law, that's another matter!
Just asking.
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Not in your example I would think it was proveable that it was impossible to see the person and be let off.. with normal clothing in daylight then I dont see there is an excuse, yes you need a light or alleast something reflective in poor conditons like fog, rain or after dusk, and yes high vis is a good idea at all other times
 
i am going to get one of those tabards, i always ride in hi iz tabard and a friend from the yard was driving and she said she could see me from far away with my tabard on so it goes to show it does make a difference.

i have also ordered a pair of hi-viz over trousers so will wear those too - the drivers round our way are very fast even on 30 mile country roads they seem to ignore speed limits or requests to slow down.
 
Two motos that I go by are

1. 'It only has to happen once!'

2. 'What harm can it do' (wearing a hat, high viz etc)

Unfortunately I had a pony hit by a car many, many moons ago. Skippy's leg was broken and had to be put down. I was only 11 and it will haunt me for the rest of my life. I am convinced it has helped shape me into the person I am now - some would say too sfety concious. Fully the car drivers fault as he didnt give me enough room and it was said that he had come from the pub - Sunday lunch time.
I am very careful where I ride and would be devistated if this happened to my gorgeous and well loved boy, so box up and rarely ride on the road. I am lucky.

Get the high vizes on 'what harm can it do!!!!!'
 
Glad it turned out OK.

I have recently come back into riding after a 20 odd year break :eek: and had never thought of Hi-Viz, we didn't use them as kids.

I always wear dark clothes and my boys piebald, most of his white is hidden when tacked up and I have to ride on roads to get anywhere.

Because of this thread I shall be off to the shops tomorrow to kit us both out in Hi-vis, so thanks for the wake up call, another one joining the Hi-Vis clique. :D
 
skewbald_again said:
Crikey, what does the college/employer's insurance company think about this ?!
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College couln't give a toss, went through the yard the other day on my way somewhere and the students left in charge over the holidays were walking past three foot high ragwort plants all with lovely yellow flowers on, the PC was there the week previous and they couldn't even be bothered to pull them up for that. Fed ragwort in the hay a few years ago so a little thing like riding badly on the roads isn't going to worry them nor did it worry then that a livery's horse was killed when it escaped from a college yard because there were NO GATES TO PREVENT IT GETTING OUT ON TO THE ROAD..
 
Pedantic said:
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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Well turned out and nice yard.
 
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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This is simply not true, sorry.

The duty of care that the rider has is to ensure she abides by the rules of the road, and has her horse under control. There is no law stating that riders must wear hi viz.

The same applies for the driver.

It may well be a tricky one for insurance companies to sort out - but there is no evidence that the rider was negligent.
 
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