Leading along a road in the dark

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chaps89

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I have a short stretch of unlit road to lead along to bring in/turnout. Fine in summer but now nights are drawing in I need to think about options for visibility.
Luckily the road isn't used too often and it's a straight stretch we have to go on.
I have a hi vis flouro waistcoat for me.
I have a tail wrap and necklace for the pony, which I can attach lights to but it's fiddly doing the tail end.
Any bright ideas (No pun intended!) For easy to put on and off hi-vis/led light options at all? I have an exercise sheet but it feels even more faffy to put that and a roller on!
 
We had the same issue and under trees so darker anyway, I had a light up breastplate put on as a necklace- one of those import flashy ones in green for the front (which was important cos of road bend) and I think I had red flashing leg bands on the back two legs, maybe all 4 (was a while ago now).
 
I attached those little flashing lights you put on dogs collars all over my horses rug and headcollar (sew on little loops and just clip them over) when I had to lead in the dark. Also sewed a fabric loop on the tail flap of field rug and slipped a flashing red bicycle lamp on it and a head torch for me. I think we could have been seen from space.
 
You can buy hi vis that flashes/lights up. I have them they’re called Luma, they have leg wraps, tail lights, breast collar, browband, probably more but I can’t think!
 
I’d use bright flashing bicycle lamps and the brightest torch You can find pointing upwards so that any oncoming traffic will see the glow before they get to you.
 
Theres been lots of great ideas and I can only ditto the bright and flashing lights.

I've seen high viz headcollars and leadrope too. Not sure if you rug yours but Masta do a high viz rug too! Or, you could put some reflective tape on their existing rugs.
 
I had a couple of the small led bike lights attached to the fillet string loops of the rug. I sewed a strip of reflective tape to the tail flap of the rug. I also had a light up / reflective leg band I attached to a hind leg.
I wasn't so worried about visibility to the front because I would have my headtorch on. I wear hi-viz but I'm aware the horses close in behind me so I'm not very visible from behind (I lead two)
 
I have a bright head torch and put a red light on the back of the headband. The horse has a light pointing forwards on his head collar. Our lane isn't wide enough for cars to pass so either we wait in a passing space or they do. I try to be on the road at the quietest times and usually meet the same people so they do tend to expect to see me.
 
Think about reflective as well as high viz at night. I have to walk down to the station from the yard in the dark in winter. One of my high viz jackets has reflective bits too as this is what the car headlights catch as they approach. The one good thing at night is that you see headlights a long way off so can prepare and get onto a verge or drive if possible.
 
ester said:
see I do want people to realise there is also a horse not just a walker from in front too even though I would always be walking on the outside
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Our lane is quiet and a single lane, if the car didn't look like he'd realised how wide we were then I would make sure I stuck myself in the middle of the road until he did. The horse rugs also have hi-viz tacked to the shoulders but once covered in mud I'm not sure how effective they are.
You could also attach a little led light to the front buckles of the rug (one of the ones you can attach to a dog coller)
 
Light yourself and horse up like a Xmas tree! Flashy bike lights are good and I have a nice bright head torch too plus various bits of high viz. went out in the darkening light last night (ended up a bit darker than we’d really planned for!) with all this on and my friend had a flashy light vest too which was great. The petzl head torch is good and re chargeable.
 
I agree that you need to light up like a Christmas tree! I would definitely invest in some flashing bike lights or the ones that you put on dog collars.

You can buy reflective tape which you can then stick on rugs but you may find that hi viz and reflective leg bands work well too because they are always moving.
 
Preferably do not do it. A local lady here was killed some years back leaving young children. Can you pay someone to lead them in in daylight? Safer for you, your horse and other road users.
 
Back when Robinson’s was good I had a rug from them that had reflective spots all over. Was great for finding horses in the dark as any form of light and I could see all of the spots! It was a requisite rug, I’ll have a look and see if they still do it
 
I‘ve just bought one of these rechargeable flashing head bands - very impressed how bright it is (white at front, red at back)

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Thanks all, there's some good ideas here.
I don't usually rug, though I'll look into some sort of reflective stuff to attach to it - do you get your local rug wash/repair place to sew it on for you?

Think an led/reflective tail guard will be less faffy than current tail guard plus light. Neck band is due to be replaced so will look for one with lights in too.

If we continue WFH then I will be able to go down and T/O earlier myself (1 is out 24/7, the other is in during the day but I'm hoping will be out more than in over winter, depending how my field holds up), but I can't really pay someone as there's no yard staff and freelancer is minimum £10 a time.
Small amount by comparison to a vet bill or worse I know but just not feasible on a regular basis (oh how I miss on site staff for £2 for a turn out ? )
 
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