Night hacking, what do you think? Advice?

[L&B]

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!)

Other half says the same when he's out on his bicycle post-dusk... His riding buddies take the mickey cos he has a set of 4leds infront and two behind as well as a 'mercury' jacket.

 

[DiNozzo]

Also depends on how good the street lighting is, I suppose!

 

[L&B]

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

Good advice! Horses v used to riding by headtorch on the trails when we were on livery!

 

[L&B]

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.

Sometimes you have to do the best with what you have.

 

[L&B]

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.

Gosh yeah, that'd be pretty silly. I'm lucky to have nice wide, well lit housing estates/30mph zones.

 

[L&B]

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.

Sounds v similar to where I am. Perhaps I'll go ahead. Take my hat cam and do a vid to show you guys!

 

[L&B]

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.)

If only. I work for a v small charity and there are only 7 of us... I get scalded for holidays I take lol

 

[L&B]

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.

I'm curious... What would quantify them realising how dangerous it was? What would they have to do for you to allow them to carry on their way uninterrupted?

 

[Esmae]

I hacked out in the dark for a whole winter some years ago. (I had no choice because of work commitments) However, I live in a quiet area and I hacked at 5am and only saw one vehicle all that winter. Because I could see his lights from a long way away it gave me ample time to get right off the road before the car came past us. My horse (usually quite spooky) didn't spook at all because he couldn't see and lions to spook at. Best hacking ever ime, but it would depend on where you live and how quiet it is.

 

[Ranyhyn]

I am a big believer in getting out there in all conditions but this is just a no go for me.

The only exception being if I could hack directly onto off road tracks.

To be fair to traffic, you just aren't expecting a horse at night.

ETA: I think mornings are acceptable

 

[AFB]

I wouldn't on road at all personally, although do off road (connected to yard).

I died a little inside last year when two older teenagers came past our yard in the pitch black with not a single bit of hi viz, nevermind lights

 

[dogatemysalad]

I'm curious... What would quantify them realising how dangerous it was? What would they have to do for you to allow them to carry on their way uninterrupted?

They would need to be easily visible and identifiable as a horse and rider to motorists travelling within the speed limit, so that drivers had reasonable time to register the hazard as a horse and slow down.
It is an offence for road users, under the RTA 1988, to fail to show reasonable consideration for other road users.

Horse riders depend on the goodwill and patience of motorists, I think giving them a fright by riding in the dark, is pushing that good will a bit too far.
There's a car dashcam video of a rider wearing hi viz and a powerful head torch , although the driver can make out the powerful light which is placed at an unusual height, he cannot recognise the hazard as a horse and rider until the last 3 seconds, despite having slowed down to a crawl.

 

[Hack4fun]

With lights on well lit roads on a horse comfortable at dusk and hi viz, I think you can.