New reason to wear hi-viz out hacking.

kerilli

kerilli

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okay, yesterday i was hacking my new mare out on my own. i always always wear a hi-viz workman's-type sleeveless vest, to slow the traffic down, even though the lanes around here are very quiet. i'm in the Fens, it's as flat as a pancake, and i was hacking past the only large house for miles and miles when i heard a big helicopter coming in very fast and very very low. sure enough, it appeared right over the house (had been on the other side of it to me, so not seen me at all). bless him, the moment the pilot saw me he veered aside so he didn't go straight over my head (mare getting a tad antsy by now), and then veered back to his line after he'd got well past me. (i gave him a big happy wave, btw!)
i'm sure if i hadn't had the hi-viz on he wouldn't have seen me so soon, and they'd probably still be trying to dig us out of the massive dyke i was beside...
btw, scientists reckon that the human eye perceives the colour yellow about 2/10 of a second faster than any other colour (or so i read), which is a lot of stopping distance...
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I've heard that pilots are often trained to look out for people in hi-viz as they might be riders. What a good helicopter pilot - if only all drivers on the roads were as considerate!
 
Wow your mare is more honest than my boy i think i would have ended up in that dyke. Nice pilot thought and a good thought as i hardly ever wear hi viz clothing! "runs and hides waiting for the telling off"
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Glad your ok, I too wear hi viz every time I go out, they reckon that with hi viz on you are seen 3 seconds earlier, that makes a huge difference.

Nice pilot to change his flight path like that
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tricksy, that was the amount of time i thought, but then i thought that can't be right. for a driver doing 60 mph, 3 secs = a LOT of stopping time, could be the difference between a collision with a horse or not.
i don't ever go out without hi-viz on, even in high summer. a few friends have been on horses which got hit on the roads... i would NEVER forgive myself if that happened and i thought hi-viz might have made the difference. i think most drivers instinctively slow down because their brain says "police" immediately!
btw, someone actually criticised me for wearing bright colours out hacking because "it looks unprofessional", if you can believe such utter effin stupidity. :O
i'd rather look "unprofessional" than "squashed and smeared across the tarmac with my poor horse", thanks.
 
well done pilot....

personally i think hi-viz and hard hats should be compulsory...3rd party ins too!!
 
Here comes your telling off, Stacie! Whilst some items of rider safety clothing can be left to personal choice, I do believe that a horse doesn't choose to be ridden on the roads and not wearing hi viz clothing puts him in danger. Please, please wear hi viz clothing whenever you take him on the roads. As others have said it gives drivers an average extra 3 seconds to see you and avoid you.

Lecture now over
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Wow, what a thing to have happen !! Glad you are both ok!

I always always wear hi-viz gear, and am known on my yard as the bumble bee!
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Even in the summer I wear a yellow tabbard and hat band and my horse has on 4 yellow leg wraps and yellow martingale and when its especially dingy weather he also has two yellow things that go over his noseband and browband and I have a flashy light that goes on my ankle
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. Some people on my yard don't wear ANYTHING and take the mickey out of me for all my 'get up' - but as I always state, I'd rather be seen than squashed and would never forgive myself if anything happened to my horse because I wasn't wearing hi-viz, and they can laugh all they want but I will still wear it - and if they don't like it they don't have to come out with me!!!
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Stacie get that hi-viz ON!

I always wear hi-viz when on the road be it my hat band, sexy waitcoast
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or horse leg bands. Got a lovely warm hi-viz coat which gets worn in the winter in the woods.
 
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Some people on my yard don't wear ANYTHING

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NAKED Hacking?!
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I bet that slows down the traffic!
 
Its also worth considering that even if you don't hack on roads, a bit of hi-viz is useful. You could fall off and end up in undergrowth, and a hi-viz vest would help rescuers find you, plus as in the example above, it could save you from being buzzed by a helicopter!
 
PS On a more serious note, I have a fluo tabard I always wear for hacking, horse has fluorescent brushing boots and a fluorescent exercise sheet in Winter. It DOES help!
OH wears a tabard as well if he walks with me on a hack.
 
[ QUOTE ]
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Some people on my yard don't wear ANYTHING

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NAKED Hacking?!
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I bet that slows down the traffic!

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but can you imagine the chafing?!!
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[ QUOTE ]
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Some people on my yard don't wear ANYTHING

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NAKED Hacking?!
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I bet that slows down the traffic!

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Now that WOULD be interesting!! Not quite what I meant tho !!
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Said people are normally seen leaving the yard in jeans and trainers and no hi-viz !!!
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am i in trouble if i have pink hi viz...??? *runs off to hide*

[/ QUOTE ] Not at all - someone once told me that pink is meant to be even more visible than the normal yellow colour, although I'm not convinced. But hi viz is hi viz, even if it is fluorescent pink with silver spots
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am i in trouble if i have pink hi viz...??? *runs off to hide*

[/ QUOTE ] Not at all - someone once told me that pink is meant to be even more visible than the normal yellow colour, although I'm not convinced. But hi viz is hi viz, even if it is fluorescent pink with silver spots
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To work on the railways, the high viz colour requirement is orange, as apparently that is even more visible than yellow, so I guess pink must be just as good!
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A lady was killed in Bristol when her horse was spooked by a helicopter. I'm not sure if she was wearing High Viz or not
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HHO News


The MOD altered their flying height to 100ft and I think they give out free High Viz horse stuff.

Wear it! I do even though it looks crap, I wear it on sunny days and even when i'm just going up on the hill
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There's a great picture on this site:

BHS

 
They are brilliant out our way (couple of mile from Kerilli) but I only said to OH last weekend we should wear them in the school when a helicopter flew straight over us low.

Didn't bother my boy (too much like hard work getting ansty) but OH's mare really didn't like it much
 
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Wear it! I do even though it looks crap, I wear it on sunny days and even when i'm just going up on the hill
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I had never really thought about how important hi-viz is on sunny days until I saw a cyclist a few months ago on a cycle path and only realised as we passed that there were actually 2 - I just had not seen the one that was not wearing hi-viz. I think it can be very difficult to see a dark shape, especially if it is in the shade, if you are in bright sunlight.
 
That's a great story and possibly one that you should send to the MOD and BHS...pilots have (in recent times) been critised a lot for this sort of thing (hence the MOD backed BHS hi viz campaign) and I think it would be good for them to get a bit of praise for a change.
 
I'm another one that always wears Hi Viz.......we have to cross a very dicey road (only piece of roadwork I have to do, and it's about 10 yards of taking my life in my hands!) and I feel far more confident going across in Hi Viz - especially seeing as there is total tree cover and a blind bend. Can't see the sense in not wearing it personally.
Also the theory of being easier to spot in case of a fall - has happened to a friend, and I won't go out without it now.
 
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