I nearly ran over a horse last night...reflectives

I have a tabard on me, leg bands on horse and a breastplate as both of mine are bigguns so their chests are in a driver's eye line.
Have you seen the BHS poster about hi-viz. It's scary I didn't even know there was a second horse in the picture until I read the caption. I wore hi viz before that but only if I was going on busy roads. Now I wear it all the time. It's on their website, Ill see if I can find a link.
Last night I had a panic as I couldn't see my friend's liver chestnut in the field. I was peering into all the nooks and crannies under the trees and then realised he was in the middle of the field, bold as brass, about 50 yards away from me. Different situation but it illustrates the point. It was about 8pm so still daylight although starting to get a bit dusky.

Edited to add this link. It's not the poster but the photo that is used in the poster is half way down the page: http://www.bhs.org.uk/Riding/Riding_Safely/Road_Safety/Be_Seen_-_Be_Safe.aspx
 
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Why oh why don't riders wear hi-viz. We have almost no traffic on our quiet roads in this part of France - I NEVER go out without it.
 
I was driving along a B road on Sunday evening and as I know there are horses liveried along that stretch of road I was alert for them on the road. Luckily I was as I spotted a glimpse of yellow under the trees in the shade. There were 2 riders off out for an evening hack coming towards me. Slowed right down to pass them. They were riding abreast and the rider on the inside was wearing a hi-viz tabard that wasn't done up so it was just the fact i was paying attention that i saw them at all :( Neither rider thanked me for slowing down but Monday night when I drove along the same stretch of road I saw the same rider wearing his hi viz undone again but he thanked me for slowing down this time :rolleyes:

Both horses were large :p but being bay and chestnut with both riders in fairly dark clothing meant they weren't going to be easily seen under the trees.

I've already started stocking up on my hiviz ready for when Bella is backed and we go out hacking. So far I have a tabbard and madam has leg wraps but will invest in hatband too I think as well as maybe an exercise sheet
 
I always wear hi-viz and so does my horse. We don't have much traffic but I need something bright so that the emergency helicopter can locate us if we have an accident in the middle of no-where!!!!! :D ;) :p
 
Ellies_mum2 said:
I've already started stocking up on my hiviz ready for when Bella is backed and we go out hacking. So far I have a tabbard and madam has leg wraps but will invest in hatband too I think as well as maybe an exercise sheet
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I highly reccomend the mesh hi viz sheets. I use mine in spring/summer/autumn when its too hot for the waterproof one. The mesh ones are great :D

Must stop posting on this thread now! :o
 
I must admit sometimes I didn't wear high-viz but I always do after an almost accident, I learnt the hard way and I hope people don't learn it like me.

I think I am lucky aswell as I do have an Appaloosa who is mostly white and I always wear white joddies, so its not like I'm on a bay wearing black! But I wear a tabard, arm and leg bands, hat band and the horse wears reflective boots.

Yeah I and the horse look like numpties but better safe then sorry!
 
monkeybum13 said:
I might print those two posters and the pic out and stick in the tack room.
See if it gets the "experienced horse woman" wearing hi viz!
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The two downloadable posters are good but the photo on the webpage is much better I think. It's really scary how hard it is to see the horse on the right. You used to be able to download it as a poster but I can't find it on there now.
 
I think it should be made law that you have to wear Hi Viz, I wear a Hi Vs Bomber Jacket (tabard in summer), a hat band and both my horses wear hi vis leg spats and martingale straps.

I was out last year in winter and met another ride (who had no Hi Viz on) and she said "gosh I couldsee you a mile off) :rolleyes:
 
My other half went out lamping a few weeks ago and nearly ran into a horse and rider......at 11-30 pm!!!!! She was also bareback, no reflectives on at all. Other half stopped quick then the horse wouldn't go over the shadow that his lights had cast!! She is well known for riding down this fen road at ridiculous times of night. What would happen tho if she fell off and no one found her till the following day?? Stupid!
 
off topic slightly, but I've just been moaned at and had someone tell me they are looking into getting a route horses use (but not officially I don't think) closed all because he is sick and tired of horse riders not getting out of the way if they can and not thanking him as he goes past.

Now obviously we don't know the story behind that (i.e. he could have been being a pig of a driver etc) but for the sake of a few manners (and high viz) we could make riding on roads so much easier and more pleasant for ourselves.
 
My RC has made it a rule that any-one going on an organised social ride of any kind, including Fancy Dress, must wear a minimum of 4 pieces of hi-viz. It is absolutely amazing the number of people who do not wear hi-viz at any other time, even though they now own some.:confused::confused:
 
If you don't use High Viz you are a DIM RIDER. I have put that up before and offended someone, but I thought it was rather clever.

If a rider is rude to me if I stop and say I couldn't see them I reply that I am worried about their poor horse being in danger from drivers going faster than me.
 
The stupidity of some people is unbelievable :( She was fortunate that someone horsey like you was at the wheel, as I think most other people wouldn't have been so kind.

Whenever I hack in the evening, or if conditions are poor, I ALWAYS wear a hi-viz vest or jacket (which I actually always wear when I'm out on the road anyway, regardless of if the sun is out!) and my horse wears a hi-viz exercise sheet.

Despite this, there are some people out there who are so rude even when they can clearly see you on a straight road with good visibility!
 
I am obsessed with Hi Viz! My husband thinks it is hilarious.

I have different colours for different seasons, yellow doesn't show up so well in the spring, but orange is bad in the autumn......

It amazes me how many people don't ride in Hi Viz : so many insurance companies wriggle out of claims if you don't have it on and then there's the more obvious benefit of actually being seen by other road users! In the event of an accident the emergency services also appreciate you wearing hi viz as it helps them to find you.

I don't care what I look like in it - it gives drivers a few more seconds to see (and hopefully avoid) us!
 
I never hack out without hi-viz, even if i wont be doing any roadwork- you never know when the rescue helicopter might need to spot you!! Im one of the minority on my yard who wear hi-viz, i dont care what i look like its safer, and i am always checking behind me for cars and signalling them to slow down if needed. I really dont understand the mentality of those who go out without it
 
I always hack out in a hi-viz tabard, I even wear it when im taking my youngster for in-hand walks.

It amazes me how much some local riders in the village wrap their horses up in cotton wool when in the stable and field with boots bandages and the like, yet are too ignorant to pop a bit of hi-viz on when they take their horses out on the roads.

Their horses are more likely to get injured on the road than in the stable or field.
 
My horse was in a BHS training yard and even though it was a really quiet area you HAD to wear Hi Viz if you went out on the roads at all.

I've been in an accident where someone ran up the back of my poor horse - we were going up a hill into bright sunshine, and (he said) he just didn't see us. Fortunately everyone was OK, even the dogs, but it shook me up and it was a miracle something worse didn't happen.

I am amazed at how many people I see out on the roads on dark coloured horses with dark coloured clothing (rant approaching, beware .....!!!). If the motorist can't see us, then what chance do we have? Unfortunately around here its the professional riders who're the worst offenders: I've seen one particular individual who obviously thinks they're gonna live forever, with no hat!!! What a bad example this sets to young people.

Even in an off-road situation, I've met riders with hi-viz on: when I expressed surprise that they were vizzed up without needing to do any roadwork, they said (obvious really) that because the area was remote, they wore hi-viz purely because if they fell off, they'd be highly visible to the emergency services.

There really is no excuse. One can purchase a simple tabard for say £7.99 ish, and that'll do for a start. It sends out the message to motorists that we as riders are serious about road safety and expect the same to be reciprocated (not that it will, we know, but one can hope). We can also help ourselves by being alert and aware of what's happening instead of riding along chattering, oblivious to traffic behind, or on a mobile phone.
 
I always have Hi-viz on both me and the horse. Recently sister reported that she knew where to find the RC picnic ride because she could see us on the other side of the valley, as all 8 of us were in Hi-Viz :D It gives people a chance to see us, plus the leg bands catch the eye as they move. :)
 
jinglejoys said:
I wear a Hi-viz fleece its lovely and warm
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I got the hi viz fleece but was a bit to warm this summer, I have a vest I can pull on top its quite light weight ideal for what little good weather we get. I got these for my two boys. http://mammothworkwear.com/dickies-workwear/dickies-hi-vis-vests/dickies-childrens-hi-vis-waistcoat-p508.htm

Im still yet to find a hi-vis pink one for my girl, she often refuses to wear anything like that if doesnt look cool constant battle.
 
Dubsie said:
I'm quite sure many drivers are in such a day dream they see a glimpse of the yellow and think Hi Viz = Police Speed Trap = slow down
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Your right, when i ride up to my house, beacuse people don't see horses around there often, they always slow down, and i have even been asked if my horse was a police horse.
I just need alight coloured hat to complete the illusion.;)
 
OWLIE185 said:
Sadly the fact is that so many riders will not wear Hi-Viz because it just is not fashionable. There is no answer to this as sadly it is the horse that suffers in the event of an accident. (As well as the rider and their famillies)..
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completely agree. I never go on the road without mine.
 
It's not just useful for the road either! We went out looking for a rider who's horse emerged alone from the woods last weekend, and we spotted her high viz jacket through the trees. In that instance the rider was fine, but if she'd have been knocked out, the high viz jacket could have saved a lot of valuable time.
 
peoples attitudes need to change - why is it not fashionable or cool to wear Hi-Vis? How do we make it so?
My friend and I met a couple walking their dog early in the morning last winter, when we passed them they said "gosh, you can't miss you two can you, we saw you coming a mile off" I replied "well, that is kind of the idea..."
I also passed a woman walking alongside her daughter on a bay pony with dark clothes on at dusk. I stopped the car and told her (politely) that I could barely see her and if she was planning on riding that late again, she might want to put some reflectives on her daughter or the pony. her reply "We're only going up the road, we'll be home in 2 minutes"
What can you say? errr, no you wouldn't be home in 2 minutes if my car had run over your pony and daughter, you'd have potentially been spending the next few hours/days/months (delete as appropriate) in the hospital.
all to avoid looking "uncool"
ridiculous.
 
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