Night hacking, what do you think? Advice?

[L&B]

Having recently moved a lot closer to home, myself and my horses are without the miles upon miles of completely off road hacking and floodlit school we had & now winter is upon us managing daylight hours to ride are fast becoming impossible, what with work etc.
I wondered, does anyone still tog up & hack through winter inspite of the darkness?

I was considering taking to the well lit good visibility roads and housing estates 2/3 x per week just to keep us all ticking over.

We have good hi vis sets: reflective boots (front and back sets), reflective chest strap, ride on hi vis/reflective sheet with rear red light, hi vis/reflective ears, hi vis hat cover & hi vis/reflective jacket. As well as an expensive 315lumens head torch.

Can anyone offer any words of wisdom? Pros/cons? And additional ride-wear I might consider?

Thanks in advance...

 

[Goldenstar]

No would not do it .
I did ride in the dark on well moonlit nights when the tide was right when I lived with my parents but that was entirely on the beach because I could get from the yard to the beach without going on the road
There was a spot where a street light lit the beach and I schooled there a lot.

 

[ester]

I have done it but because I only had a short distance to cover to get off road, and as a single track lane the only people using it (usually 2 cars max) were going to the same place I was (to walk their dogs)
I also only did it mornings, which meant 1) it was quiet, 2) it was daylight when I was coming back. I would much rather go out in improving light than it getting worse.
I always stuck to red behind/white in front (albeit green LEDS in the breastplate which is v. good for visibility) and made sure that both me and the horse were evenly covered.

IMO it is doable but v.v. location dependent which is hard for anyone else to judge.

 

[Follysmum]

In my opinion and I know some will disagree but I think the roads are bad enough in daylight never mind dark so unless it was off road I wouldn’t risk my horse.

 

[Bellaboo18]

I wouldn't. People hack down the lane past our livery yard (to another nearby yard) clearly thinking they can be seen, they can't and even though I'm looking out for them I see them when I'm far too close to them for my liking. It's horrible. I should say though one wears NO hi vis (nothing at all!) and the others very little but still it's not worth the risk.

 

[Muddywellies]

I think if you’re hi vizzed up to the eyeballs with every flashing light available then why not. Drivers have more of a chance of seeing you than in the daylight. I return from my hacks at dusk sometimes and I make sure I get out of the way of vehicles but tbh it’s not a problem for me (I wear hi viz and a bright flashing light that can be seen for miles!)

 

[Lammy]

I think if you’re hi vizzed up to the eyeballs with every flashing light available then why not. Drivers have more of a chance of seeing you than in the daylight. I return from my hacks at dusk sometimes and I make sure I get out of the way of vehicles but tbh it’s not a problem for me (I wear hi viz and a bright flashing light that can be seen for miles!)

But car drivers don’t expect to see you in the evening hours, which is dangerous. They may well come hurtling around a bend and not expect to see a horse and rider at 6pm in the dark. I don’t think it’s worth the risk and I would just stick to riding at weekends through winter if riding out in the dark was the only other option.

 

[SusieT]

If you get a large flashing waistcoat too, and maybe some sort of light up breastplate and stirrup lights to clearly delineate your length and width - and you are hacking in good streetlights - maybe
If it was a really well streetlit area I might consider it - is it much different to bikes etc? depending on how your horse feels about shadows/lights etc

 

[Otherwise]

You'd need to be lit up like a xmas tree, hi vis is pretty useless in the dark. I think with cyclists flashing lights were found to make the most difference in being seen quicker.

 

[Lexi_]

I absolutely wouldn’t risk it on the roads.

On an old yard a couple of us used to do a short route in the dark but it was all off road and we were lit up like Christmas trees - we used to call it the disco pony hack because of all the flashing lights 😄. Even then I don’t think I’d have fancied doing it alone.

Dog walkers on the same route did spot the lights etc coming towards them but had absolutely no idea what we were until we were relatively close, so dunno how car drivers would cope! They’ve got their own lights but they’d be upon you considerably faster...

 

[ester]

They don't (expect to see you) and I've actually found them better for it, as they try and work out what you are (I do consider myself more visible with all my dark stuff on than on a sunny day with my best orange efforts. But I do understand others may well have had different experiences. I've definitely not done it on any hurtling roads.

 

[Pippity]

But car drivers don’t expect to see you in the evening hours, which is dangerous. They may well come hurtling around a bend and not expect to see a horse and rider at 6pm in the dark. I don’t think it’s worth the risk and I would just stick to riding at weekends through winter if riding out in the dark was the only other option.

Except OP is talking about riding on housing estates, so a 20mph or 30mph limit, and, if it's anything like it is round my way, so many cars parked that you're lucky to get to half that speed.

I'd do it, on the condition of lots of hi-viz and LEDs everywhere you can stick them. Preferably in every colour under the sun to make yourself really unusual and stand out.

 

[ester]

There's a lot more stuff about than when I was doing it.
OP I'd really recommend a full reflective jacket/waistcoat, I use one for cycling and they are very visible/also show your shape. I'd have a light tabard on top of that.

 

[FlyingCircus]

Wouldn't do it personally.

I'd also be checking my insurance was still valid as I imagine they would consider it higher risk.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I wouldn't risk it.

 

[splashgirl45]

i used to many years ago as my horse was stabled 24/7 so i had to get him out every day....we were in a densley horse populated area and lots of us used to ride in the evenings so local traffic was used to us... the roads are much busier now and people dont seem to be so sympathetic to horses on the road, so no i wouldnt now.....does he go out in the field? if so he will be using himself a bit and i would let him have an easy winter and just ride at weekends or maybe take the odd morning off as part of your holiday so you can get him ridden 2 days at the weekend and 1 day in the week...

 

[scruffyponies]

You should be OK on housing estates etc. with suitable reflectives and lights. Remember that in the dark, only the reflective strip works - that fetching yellow is just another shade of grey. Absolutely not on any road where the traffic can exceed 30mph or on lanes.
On lanes people assume (and I am guilty of this too) that anything coming the other way in the dark will have headlights which you can see coming around corners.

 

[dogatemysalad]

Hi viz is not enough, you'd have to have lights on yourself and your horses legs. Even then, I won't put myself, the horse and motorists at risk. If I saw a horse and rider on the roads in the dark, I'd stop the car and have a word with them and call the police if they refused to realise how dangerous it is.

 

[minesadouble]

I personally wouldn't do it and apart from anything else just wouldn't find any joy in walking around a housing estate in the dark.

 

[Lois Lame]

You'd need to be lit up like a xmas tree, hi vis is pretty useless in the dark. I think with cyclists flashing lights were found to make the most difference in being seen quicker.

Absolutely.

In my opinion, high visibility clothing is not enough. There is nothing like flashing lights to attract the attention of car drivers, as long as you are not around a bend.

 

[dree]

I wouldn't risk my horse....or myself....or a car driver for that matter. Is there nowhere at all you could do anything? Is your horse stabled all the time? Ask the boss for flexitime? (Which is what I did.)

 

[Kat]

Hi viz is not enough, you'd have to have lights on yourself and your horses legs. Even then, I won't put myself, the horse and motorists at risk. If I saw a horse and rider on the roads in the dark, I'd stop the car and have a word with them and call the police if they refused to realise how dangerous it is.

What do you expect the police to do? It is perfectly legal to ride a horse on the road in the dark providing you are showing a white light in front and a red light to the rear.

OP on well lit roads I'd do it but I would wear multiple lights front and back, a mix of flashing and constant, with reflective clothing, not hi-viz that isn't visible in the dark, you need the silver reflective in a jacket and exercise sheet as well as leg wraps, hat band and breast plate.

 

[Red-1]

Hi viz is not enough, you'd have to have lights on yourself and your horses legs. Even then, I won't put myself, the horse and motorists at risk. If I saw a horse and rider on the roads in the dark, I'd stop the car and have a word with them and call the police if they refused to realise how dangerous it is.

Erm... the Police do it themselves, so you would likely not get the result you liked.

 

[AmyMay]

Wouldn’t do it

 

[HashRouge]

I used to ride in the dark a lot when I was a teenager and I think I'd still do it now depending on what the local roads were like. I generally used to ride a route we called "going round the block" which involved riding down the lane from the yard (not a country lane but a residential lane, well lit with street lights) then through the village (20 mile per hour limit, speed bumps and lots of street lights) then up a very steep hill back to the yard (again, residential, and impossible to go faster than 20 mph due to how steep it was). If you had good lights on and avoided rush hour, this really wasn't any more dangerous than riding in daylight, especially because it was so well lit up. Narrow, winding country lanes I would avoid at all costs due to the speed drivers go and how dark it is. But what the OP is describing sounds okay.

 

[be positive]

I wouldn't want to do it but if I had to I would ride the routes at weekends during daylight hours and get the horse well used to the general feel of the place, it will be different in the dark but gives him a chance to get used to it when the roads and hazards are more easy to see and also allows the residents to be used to seeing you on the streets regularly before you go out at night, if others ride it regularly they may already be aware of riders on the streets at night but if not a friendly word to anyone you meet, dog walkers are often out early evening, may be appreciated and cause less of a shock if they do see you out one night, you being well prepared and drivers being aware will make it safer for all involved.

 

[SamBean]

I won't do it - I have to accept it is weekends only through winter for us as don't get the daylight in the week.

 

[Sasana Skye]

I couldn't do it where we are, we're on windy single track country lanes so we might not be spotted until the last second as someone comes around the corner even if we were lit up. If we were somewhere more suitable I might do it but I'd be lit up like a xmas tree.

 

[L&B]

I would much rather go out in improving light than it getting worse.
I always stuck to red behind/white in front (albeit green LEDS in the breastplate which is v. good for visibility) and made sure that both me and the horse were evenly covered.

IMO it is doable but v.v. location dependent which is hard for anyone else to judge.

Good point on the sun coming up/sun going down thing. Tho hard, as soon the sun won't be up til 8. And I need to be at work 18 miles away for 9.

I guess I can only try and see how we go. Aim for a 'round th block route' and take it from there.

Contrary to some replies, I'm not a wally. I lf I didn't think the roads were bright/light/wide enough and slow enough (nothing over 30mph) I wouldn't do it!

 

[L&B]

I wouldn't. People hack down the lane past our livery yard (to another nearby yard) clearly thinking they can be seen, they can't and even though I'm looking out for them I see them when I'm far too close to them for my liking. It's horrible. I should say though one wears NO hi vis (nothing at all!) and the others very little but still it's not worth the risk.

Wow. Beyond idiotic... My OH says I look like santa and the horse my sleigh as we're that glowing/vizzed/flashy!

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I wouldn't. People hack down the lane past our livery yard (to another nearby yard) clearly thinking they can be seen, they can't and even though I'm looking out for them I see them when I'm far too close to them for my liking. It's horrible. I should say though one wears NO hi vis (nothing at all!) and the others very little but still it's not worth the risk.