Leading horses down the road in the dark - couple of questions

[Jingleballs]

I'm lucking to keep my horse at a yard that offers 24/7 turn out all year round but this does mean that if I ride at night during the week I need to turn back out in the dark and the field is a couple of minutes walk down the road and about to get a bit longer when we move to the winter field.

I'm not 100% sure what side of the road to walk down - when I'm riding I obviously ride on the left in the direction of traffic but if I was walking on the road I'd always walk against the direction of traffic - so when leading a horse which is the right way?

Also, hi vis gear? I currently have a head torch and hi viz tabard and horse has a hi viz noseband and flashing tail guard. I've just ordered a led vest and arm band - is this enough? Is there anything else, particularly for my horse? He's not rugged so not much to attach anything to.

 

[twiggy2]

I would not take a horse on the road unless in full daylight for any reason, if the horse spooks traffic cannot see clearly what is happening let alone what is on the road.
You can put as much hi vis on as you like but if it is dark drivers just see hi vis they do not see half a tonne of fast moving horse

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Lead on the left of the road, the same ad when riding, with you inbetween the horse and the traffic. Leg wraps are the first thing headlights land on. If you've only got two put them on the off side legs. Get basic flimsy ones with velcro fastening and they'll be easy enough to remove when you get to the field. A light strapped round your leg or arm will alert drivers earlier to the fact this isn't a narrow cyclist.

 

[joosie]

Horses are viewed as vehicles when on the road, you need to be on the left whether you are riding or leading.
As for the hi viz, I agree with twiggy2 in theory but if you have no choice then you have no choice!

 

[twiggy2]

Horses are viewed as vehicles when on the road, you need to be on the left whether you are riding or leading.
As for the hi viz, I agree with twiggy2 in theory but if you have no choice then you have no choice!

the choice for this poster is not to ride at night in the week and not to risk the horse/themselves and other road users. I wonder if insurance will cover the horse or anyone else if the owner/handler knowingly puts everyone at risk

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We had to take our first horse about 100 yds from the field gate and across the road to his stable. It is many years ago when there wasn't as much traffic around and it was a country lane but we always had a torch with a flashing orange light to warn drivers that we were there. We walked on the left. I think flashing lights and as much reflective as possible is a must. Even if your horse doesn't need a rug in the field, it might be worth getting one just to walk to the field in, so that you can attach stuff to it. You can then carry it back to the yard yourself.

 

[Jingleballs]

Thanks for the useful advice - not quite so grateful for the unwanted opinions

Even if I didn't ride, if I want to properly check my horse over during the week he needs to come in to the stable - the field has no lighting and it would be easy to miss any injuries.

 

[HashRouge]

The LED vest and flashing tail guard will probably do the job, although leg guards are a good idea too. If you are wearing a head torch you could always get a red light to clip on the strap round the back of your head (like a bike light or something). And yes, you lead on the left side of the road as others have said, with you between the horse and traffic.

 

[windand rain]

I think when needs must and there is no other option but to go on a road a night you should be lit up like a christmas tree and teach your horse to lead from the right. But then I would always put myself between the horse and traffic and have lots of red flashing life on my back and white ones to the front same on the horse where possible/ Walk on the left hand side of the road with the traffic as that is the correct way.

 

[Orangehorse]

You want to get one of those High Viz jackets, the local dog walkers have them and very effective they are too.
Put a reflective rug on the horse and leg bands, with some flashing lights as well for you and horse. You will need to be visible when you walk back from the field.

 

[Jingleballs]

Horse is currently always on the left of me and I have been walking in the direction of traffic but wanted to confirm this is correct. Road is pretty wide and straight so plenty of time for drivers to see us and also a passing place half way to field so I can move in to let cars pass. I've added the leg wraps to my list so will order them too.

Good idea about the red clip for the back of the head torch. Lots of cyclists and runners use the same stretch of road at night and I've noticed a few of them use this.

 

[twiggy2]

Thanks for the useful advice - not quite so grateful for the unwanted opinions

Even if I didn't ride, if I want to properly check my horse over during the week he needs to come in to the stable - the field has no lighting and it would be easy to miss any injuries.

You posted on an open forum, and you stated that if you ride at night in the week you need to take your horse on a road after dark. IMO your horse is more likely to have an injury of concern if you take him on a road after dark and you would be better to invest in a decent torch to check hi over in the file. As a teenager when traffic was far less frequent especially on the roads in rural Norfolk I used to take my horse on the road after dark and I now look back and think I was young and daft. Seriously I do think you should check if your insurance will cover you/ the horse and other road users if there is an accident when you are choosing to lead your horse on the road in the dark.
I have always road walked the dogs after dark and only last night we would have been wiped out if i had not dragged the dog into a bush to avoid the car that appeared to be aiming for us-we have white lights to the front and red to the rear and plenty of hi vis

 

[Goldenstar]

Personally I think this is just way to risky .

 

[Feival]

be safer all round to bring in over night now.

 

[Celtic Fringe]

Is there any possibility of a car escort? Our local riding school turns out at night and always has someone follow with the hazard lights on - it also means that you can have a lift back to the yard if needed.

My husband cycles home in the dark and is lit up light a Christmas tree - definitely the way to go!

 

[only_me]

Thanks for the useful advice - not quite so grateful for the unwanted opinions

Even if I didn't ride, if I want to properly check my horse over during the week he needs to come in to the stable - the field has no lighting and it would be easy to miss any injuries.

Mine lives out and field has no lighting - as I'm sure the majority of fields are!
I just take a torch and give him a once over in field when I'm feeding. does the job nicely and works well. Then you don't need to bring him up the road unnecessarily.

What time of night are you going to be walking up and down - that could make all the difference. Will it be rush hour? Or at a quieter time of the night? Is the road straight to get to the field or are there any bends/corners?

Can the YO bring him in when light and then you only have to walk him back in the dark?

I have to cross the road to bring my horse in and I don't think I'd like to walk him for more than 100m on the road at night. My previous horse, I was riding him in the field and he got me off and then got onto the road. Meanwhile I was struggling to get up as had fallen hard at speed on my hip & head and the bum had stood on my arm (sometimes it's better to let go of the reins than try and hand on like me!!) . He missed being hit by a car by a metre. I've never felt so scared in my life. Luckily he headed back to the yard, which was across the road.

So if you do lead him down the road at night, please make sure you lead him in a chiffney or bridle - you need to make sure you have as much control as possible. You could even get a relective bridle type to be extra safe.

The other ideas are great, a head torch for you and horse might be helpful as well as the flashing tail guard and some sort of light on your back - those reflector lights (indicating right/left) that cyclists use might also be a look at.

 

[meesha]

If riding in the light but it's dark by time untack etc I would ride straight back to field (if dusky loads of lights/reflective on both of u just in case back later than think) and carry tack back to yard or pick up as pass field in car. If bringing in to ride in floodlit arena then different story.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I ride on the road in the dark and find cars slow down a lot more than in the day because with the right hi viz you light up like a Christmas tree.

Must be lovely to live in a perfect world of never having to do anything in the dark like some posters do!

Op check out the pedelite Baglite light harness, I've just ordered one of these and think it looks really fantastic. Also just ordered the horseware night rider rug as I think it's better than my existing hi viz sheets.

I also have a red light on the rear of my hat, red flashing tail guard, head lamp on the horse's head and various other hi viz things.

As long as you are displaying lights and wearing hi viz I can't see an issue at all with this.

A good way to find out how visible you are to cars is to get someone to take a photo with a camera with the flash on. I've done this to tweak what I'm using and ensure I have it in all the right places so you can tell it's a horse from a long way away.

 

[little_critter]

I don't have much choice either. Our winter fields are several hundred meters up the road. In winter it's dark when we turn out and dark when we bring in. Luckily the road is quiet but we go out lit up like a Christmas tree anyway.

 

[Red-1]

I have had to take my horse onto an unlit road in the dark when we have hired a local arena. I used reflectives and lights on him, and also had my husband or mother follow in a car with hazards on.

In lit areas I do not have a problem with horses out in the dark if they are lit up like a Xmas tree on lit roads that are good visibility, and have parked cars etc as refuges. I used to ride out like this on a very regular basis with the Police Horses. We would avoid faster roads, avoid unlit roads, avoid roads with no "refuge" be that from verges or parked cars.

The road I used for my private horse at night was unlit, but a proper road, as in a carriageway in each direction, and a grass verge too to squeeze into if something approached at speed. Cars would pass at about 1 per 10 minutes, and probably twice I did do the journey with no car.

I would not take a horse out in the dark on an unlit road, which is single carriageway, with no grass verge, without a vehicle behind as my mobile refuge and light source, and the horse and myself lit up too.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I'm lucking to keep my horse at a yard that offers 24/7 turn out all year round but this does mean that if I ride at night during the week I need to turn back out in the dark and the field is a couple of minutes walk down the road and about to get a bit longer when we move to the winter field.

I'm not 100% sure what side of the road to walk down - when I'm riding I obviously ride on the left in the direction of traffic but if I was walking on the road I'd always walk against the direction of traffic - so when leading a horse which is the right way?

Also, hi vis gear? I currently have a head torch and hi viz tabard and horse has a hi viz noseband and flashing tail guard. I've just ordered a led vest and arm band - is this enough? Is there anything else, particularly for my horse? He's not rugged so not much to attach anything to.

I have had to travel l late than I wanted or returned back later on a hack, If I got out on a dodgy evening or late afternoon I go over kill with hi viz. You walk the same side in the same direction as the cars so they come up behind you.

I don't think you have enough on the horse TBH as if from the cars view they would just see a inanimate object lie a bike. Leg bands would show it was a moving animal, so I would put leg bands on


In reality some have to walk their horse or rider at dusk or such to a field, life is not perfect and some fields are a little way from the yard. Some peoples life also mean this happens and OP should not be judged on having to do this as this was not the discussion. They asked a few safety questions and not dissed for doing a sensible thing which is to make them safer on the roads.

 

[Elbie]

If you do have to do it I would go overkill with the hI viz. Basically any place you can!

I have an hour commute so its too dark to hack now. I borrow a school over the road from us when it's too dark to hack out which is basically September to April! We have to go down the road about 100m then cross and along a bridleway. Luckily we do have a pavement with a little verge and so I lead on there. Still hi viz up. Not only in case for some reason horse did get loose but also because walkers and cyclists use the pavement and we don't want one cycling up horses but by mistake!

I have a yellow fleece exercise sheet which has reflective strips on the side and a tail flap with reflective strips. We attach a red flashy light onto the tail flap. Horse then has leg bands on all 4 legs. I wear a hi viz vest and have a head torch. Also have a red flashy braclet which I wear on the road side arm.

Maybe worth getting a hi viz exercise sheet and you can fix in place with a surcingle (what I do as too hot to ride with it on!)

Before people say I shouldn't be on pavement we were given permission from council!

 

[Cinnamontoast]

There's a bell ringing in my head, something about having to have a bridle on when leading on the road so as not to void insurance? I might be imagining this!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Also just ordered the horseware night rider rug as I think it's better than my existing hi viz sheets.

I've ordered the equisafety mercury one as although I have off road riding on my doorstep, there are houses on both bridleways so you do get the odd car. Please review yours when it comes and I'll do the same for mine. I do wonder which is better, I was so unsure about which one to order.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

There's a bell ringing in my head, something about having to have a bridle on when leading on the road so as not to void insurance? I might be imagining this!

Must say I agree with this^ even a cheap bridle over a head collar lead rope through the bit etc for extra control in case anything flies past or out of the bushes.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Highway code here. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-about-animals-47-to-58

 

[FfionWinnie]

I've ordered the equisafety mercury one as although I have off road riding on my doorstep, there are houses on both bridleways so you do get the odd car. Please review yours when it comes and I'll do the same for mine. I do wonder which is better, I was so unsure about which one to order.

I'd been humming and hawing but the recent fog and the fact I saw it for £76 instead of £110 meant I went for it. I also know Rambo rugs fit her well.

I'm actually planning to get my oh to drive past us and photo us from a car just to see what it looks like. Look forward to hearing about yours because I do have two horses and ride and lead most days so might get another!

 

[AmieeT]

Twiggy from what I can gather the intention isn't to ride at night on the road, only to walk back to turn out after riding (assuming in a school?).

Sometimes it's not black&white. Horse needs to get used to night traffic if it's not kept on the yard anyway. Rather they're used to it than have to do it as an emergency and they're not!

Mine is currently kept down the lane from the yard, and he's lit up like a Christmas tree when going back down. High vis everything, him and me. I put a high vis/ reflective rug over his turnout rug when walking down.

 

[Apercrumbie]

I would get one of those flashing hi viz vests for you and try to get something similar for the back end of the horse. Leg wraps are obviously ideal but you really need something that lights up because hi viz in pitch black only shows up when the car is already close. As long as you're well lit, I would personally be fine about leading in the dark. Sorry if you've already said this, but how busy is the road?

 

[el_Snowflakes]

I wouldn't do it under any circumstances. As a driver, I wouldn't appreciate being met with a horse on the road either. So dangerous.