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

[tallyho!]

High Visibility Wear for construction, highway, cyclists, runners and riders are state of the art nowadays.

Even Christmas Tree Lights come with batteries provided.

Just get some tinsel and fairy lights, wrap yourself and your horse in as much of this twine as you can, press "PLAY" on the blutooth speakers with JINGLE BELLS on repeat and off you go love.

No driver worth it's salt will fail to slow down and wish you a merry XMAS. You'll be talk of the town.

 

[ester]

Who should? The OP's horse is not rugged?

My horse negotiates the pot holes much more safely than my bike.... and has more sense/training than to engage flight mode on a road whatever the time of day...

 

[ester]

High Visibility Wear for construction, highway, cyclists, runners and riders are state of the art nowadays.

Even Christmas Tree Lights come with batteries provided.

Just get some tinsel and fairy lights, wrap yourself and your horse in as much of this twine as you can, press "PLAY" on the blutooth speakers with JINGLE BELLS on repeat and off you go love.

No driver worth it's salt will fail to slow down and wish you a merry XMAS. You'll be talk of the town.

I had a christmas tree hat which fitted on my riding hat that had a star on the top that played jingle bells! Drove everyone else mad!

 

[Elbie]

Yes. horses are flight animals, bikes are not.

But if the horse was acting sensibly and walking sanely then I don't see the difference in coming across a horse and coming across a bike.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Please remember that hi vis is for daylight and reflectives are for the night. Hi vis does not have any reflective properties so you should put some reflective strips on your rugs.

Er what?? Hi vis short for high visibility... Of course it can mean reflective properties and or highly coloured. I don't own a single thing I would refer to as "hi viz" which doesn't have *both*.

 

[ester]

me neither FW!

 

[tallyho!]

I had a christmas tree hat which fitted on my riding hat that had a star on the top that played jingle bells! Drove everyone else mad!

Was it the jiggling one???!!!

 

[tallyho!]

Anyone seen the RFLECTIVE jackets POLITE are doing?? Be great for nightime plus one or nine LEDS.

 

[ester]

But if the horse was acting sensibly and walking sanely then I don't see the difference in coming across a horse and coming across a bike.

don't be silly they are all mad, crazed wild beasts you know.....

 

[ester]

Was it the jiggling one???!!!

no, no jiggling,...

 

[tallyho!]

don't be silly they are all mad, crazed wild beasts you know.....

The horse or the owner?

 

[tallyho!]

no, no jiggling,...

Ah... I'm soooooo getting the singing dancing elf one this year!!! And one for the horse... it may actually make her move faster than stop.

 

[ester]

I was about 16, Elf didn't exist then!

 

[Elbie]

Ha ha!

See I was thinking if you'd be annoyed to see a horse on the road at night as they are flight animals then surely you'd also be annoyed to see them on the road in the daylight too?

 

[FfionWinnie]

Anyone seen the RFLECTIVE jackets POLITE are doing?? Be great for nightime plus one or nine LEDS.

Alas I cannot tell a lie.



If it says polite it's no good to me

 

[tallyho!]

Alas I cannot tell a lie.



If it says polite it's no good to me

GAP IN THE MARKET!!!!!

FW... you n me... lets do a "RUDE" range

 

[FfionWinnie]

GAP IN THE MARKET!!!!!

FW... you n me... lets do a "RUDE" range

This has legs

 

[tallyho!]

I don't know if any of you get Wocket Woy & Batch videos... but the STOP sign is mega!

 

[ester]

It very much is!

 

[DabDab]

I really dislike this attitude that roads are for cars, and that if you're doing something other than driving a car you are somehow endangering the lives of others.
A road is a public right of way and you are allowed to travel up it in any way you see fit as long as it is within the bounds of the law. As a driver on dark roads I come accross walkers, cyclists, badgers, foxes, deer, large farm machinery where is hard to make out the extent of its width......and I manage to avoid hitting any of them. I can't see why I would be more likely to crash into a horse and handler decked out to the nines in hi vis

 

[PeterNatt]

I would recommend that you wear a long sleeved Hi-Viz jacket when both riding and leading so that other road users can clearly see your hand signals.

 

[millikins]

I really dislike this attitude that roads are for cars, and that if you're doing something other than driving a car you are somehow endangering the lives of others.
A road is a public right of way and you are allowed to travel up it in any way you see fit as long as it is within the bounds of the law. As a driver on dark roads I come accross walkers, cyclists, badgers, foxes, deer, large farm machinery where is hard to make out the extent of its width......and I manage to avoid hitting any of them. I can't see why I would be more likely to crash into a horse and handler decked out to the nines in hi vis

Like

 

[tallyho!]

I really dislike this attitude that roads are for cars, and that if you're doing something other than driving a car you are somehow endangering the lives of others.
A road is a public right of way and you are allowed to travel up it in any way you see fit as long as it is within the bounds of the law. As a driver on dark roads I come accross walkers, cyclists, badgers, foxes, deer, large farm machinery where is hard to make out the extent of its width......and I manage to avoid hitting any of them. I can't see why I would be more likely to crash into a horse and handler decked out to the nines in hi vis

DabDab... we can't assume all drivers are as good as you.

People and animals still get killed on roads. This is despite the assumption that the majority of people posses a certain amount of common sense.

 

[RunToEarth]

I really dislike this attitude that roads are for cars, and that if you're doing something other than driving a car you are somehow endangering the lives of others.
A road is a public right of way and you are allowed to travel up it in any way you see fit as long as it is within the bounds of the law. As a driver on dark roads I come accross walkers, cyclists, badgers, foxes, deer, large farm machinery where is hard to make out the extent of its width......and I manage to avoid hitting any of them. I can't see why I would be more likely to crash into a horse and handler decked out to the nines in hi vis

It isn't anything to do with the fact that it is a public right of way - just because you have a right to do something, doesn't mean you have to do it, or that it is safe.

Not all drivers are sensible, in fact I would hazard a guess that a good percentage are dangerous. There is no way I would put myself in a position where I had to regularly lead my horse up the road in the dark, for any amount of reflective and LEDs - if a car hits my horse, guess which will come off worse?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Ours lived out for 8yrs with no access to lights etc etc we managed without walking the horses on the roads after dark-a good torch and not riding during the week injured no-one

Just because you managed does not mean other peoples lifestyle enables them to do it too. The yard I was at we had no option. That is what I love about this forum, people who manage think everyone Else's circumstances enables them too - but real life is not like that for example if your at a local show and hacked there! if your class goes over you have to stay if you qualified then I brought hi viz with me as did someone else.

it is not all black and white.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Please remember that hi vis is for daylight and reflectives are for the night. Hi vis does not have any reflective properties so you should put some reflective strips on your rugs.

That said I do find most Hi Viz items have some sort of reflective on them for this very reason

 

[Speedyfluff]

I was driving along a country road last night and thinking about this post. Lots of cars were coming the opposite way because there had been an accident on the main road and they were taking a detour. The usual percentage of idiots were not dipping their lights and I could not see the potholes or the edge of the road. It was also raining. There is no way I would have seen a horse being led in front of me until I was right up its arse even if it was lit up like a Christmas tree. I was not even travelling out of third gear! Most people would be going a lot faster.

The roads may well be our right of way, as well as cars, but it is plain stupid to walk horses along unlit roads after dark. That's just my opinion. But I feel it is also responsible and heartfelt advice.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I don't agree with the people who say it's more dangerous than daylight. It's no different with the right kit and situation. I'm not talking about riding on a dual carriage way after all. There are dangerous drivers on the road at all times of the day and night. Mostly people are more likely to be concentrating properly in bad conditions than in good.

It's never safe taking a horse on the road, heck it's not safe taking a car on the road. You cannot account for others actions you can only make your own as safe as possible.

Going by some of the posts on this thread we shouldn't have horses on the road ever at all!

In an ideal world I would have a nice indoor to ride in. However I don't even have an outdoor to ride in so I will continue with my riding in the dark taking as many precautions as necessary to stay safe.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Jesus I ride at night in winter and shock horror its roadwork, so sue me been doing it for about ten years or so and guess what, less incidents than in daylight as I can be seen a mile away

Honestly cars don't own the road and day or night riders have the same priveledges, all this spraffing about risking lives is no different from going on the road during the day, sick of people who think that their opinions are the God given and that forum pressure will change the way someone does something when they have no other way than this. I don't particularly like this OP but the hot air being let off on this subject is just that hot air.

No offence to the people actually answering the question.

 

[Speedyfluff]

People including myself who are saying to the OP that this is just too dangerous are not full of hot air, or holier than thou, but actually are genuinely concerned for the OP and her horse. No other reason than that. Those who are trying to say that it is no more dangerous than during the day are the ones who are being ridiculous and encouraging dangerous practice.