Goldenstar
Well-Known Member
Just add I do have some hi viz exercise sheets my horse is not trustworthy in a sheet
Q About High Vis
- Thread starter PotofEarlGrey
- Start date
Fjord
Well-Known Member
In winter I also wear a bright pink Equidry. That's fairly noticible! 
Fjord
Well-Known Member
SEL
Well-Known Member
Timely thread as I met 2 riders this morning (dreary, raining) without high viz and blending into the hedges. Narrow road, blind bend - what could possibly go wrong
Orange jacket and a pink / yellow quarter sheet for me. I need to get a new hat band and I want orange or pink. I did a stint with a railway operator 20 years ago and our H&S briefing showed how visible orange was.
Orange jacket and a pink / yellow quarter sheet for me. I need to get a new hat band and I want orange or pink. I did a stint with a railway operator 20 years ago and our H&S briefing showed how visible orange was.
Birker2020
Well-Known Member
I'm afraid I don't have much time for people that don't wear hi vis in the same way I don't for people who won't wear a riding hat. When they say "well I have a bringt top on" or " I have a grey horse" it makes no bl**dy difference in some light conditions, like bright sunshine for example. I have even taken a photo of one person who used to ride down the lane without hi vis and literally their horse and themselves blended so much into the hedge you could hardly see them. But instead of saying "Oh thanks Anne, I hadn't realised how invisible I was" they said "its none of your business". lol
This was one of the lanes I used to ride down a lot, as you can see its dark and surrounded by hedges and trees so hi vis never cut it on its own.
So I'd often hack out with flashing light bands on the horses legs and a flash on the back of the exercise sheet (as photos). People always took the mick out of me at the yard in a light hearted way but if my horse is ever going to get hit by a car due to not being seen, I would like to think I'd done everything to mitigate that first.
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Flowerofthefen
Well-Known Member
I use a tabard, quarter sheet all year round and a hi viz martingale, still the drivers can't see me!!
Sealine
Well-Known Member
The minimum hi-viz I wear is a waistcoat or gilet. In winter I wear a long sleeved coat and my horse wears an exercise sheet as I ride before work at first light. This thread has reminded me I have a hat band and a breast plate somewhere too. I've been told I'm easy to spot as my horse has a white blaze, a black and white rump and four white legs. Unfortunately this means I'm also easy to spot if I go somewhere I shouldn't. No sneaking onto stubble fields for us 
cauda equina
Well-Known Member
Yes, that's the downside of hi viz - how much do you want to be seen?The minimum hi-viz I wear is a waistcoat or gilet. In winter I wear a long sleeved coat and my horse wears an exercise sheet as I ride before work at first light. This thread has reminded me I have a hat band and a breast plate somewhere too. I've been told I'm easy to spot as my horse has a white blaze, a black and white rump and four white legs. Unfortunately this means I'm also easy to spot if I go somewhere I shouldn't. No sneaking onto stubble fields for us
Widgeon
Well-Known Member
Ooh yes I love mine!
Widgeon
Well-Known Member
Sometimes in the autumn we go out across the stubble in "stealth mode", aka no hi viz - fortunately there's no road work to get there, just straight across the lane...
Mrs C
Well-Known Member
My view on high vis is - the more visible I am the sooner I'm noticed. So I always have on a sheet, fly view and at least a tabard for myself (or jacket if its not too hot)
Griffin
Well-Known Member
I am with you 100% You owe it to your horse if nothing else to keep them as safe as you can while riding out. I have had rows with people who have said "But I had a light top on!", it's not enough.
I wear an orange tabard that wraps round me, hat band, leg bands, breastplate and mesh quarter sheet. The quarter sheet and breastplate and orange and yellow V-Bandz ones and really stand out. If the weather is a bit dull, I have a flashing running lights for front and back on my chest.
FitzyFitz
Well-Known Member
I have 3! They are excellent, don't get sweaty like an exercise rug, less prone to snagging branches and things as they are close to the horse and all connection points have velcro safety releases in case you get tangled and can confirm they will give way if you get stuck, but won't undo at random while you're riding.
First Frost
Well-Known Member
Waistcoat /gilet or jacket depending on the weather. A hat cover.
fly hood, leg wraps and exercise rug in winter.
I have had people comment that the hat cover and fly hood are the things they notice most. Most of my stuff is orange or orange/yellow mixed.
fly hood, leg wraps and exercise rug in winter.
I have had people comment that the hat cover and fly hood are the things they notice most. Most of my stuff is orange or orange/yellow mixed.
criso
Coming over here & taking your jobs since 1900
I've got one and really rate it. I've never had it catch on anything whereas I have had a mesh Hi Viz exercise sheet catch on things. My horse gets really hot so need something that won't make him sweat in the summer.
In the winter I'm going to experiment with putting it over a quarter sheet if I clip.
humblepie
Well-Known Member
Anyone know of ear covers in hi viz that aren’t plasticky- the only ones I’ve come across are waterproof not like normal ear covers. I have some bright orange ones but not hi viz. A local yard owner me once if we were in the Dutch team given all our orange 
. I said no we just support McLaren F1
. I said no we just support McLaren F1
Blanche
Well-Known Member
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
I think that the message that a hi viz tabard is not enough has already been well made on this thread, but to reinforce that I will add these dash cams stills which I have posted previously. This is a NSL country lane.
Gloriously sunny late Jan day, lunchtime, wet roads...
Not only are the riders, only one of whom is wearing a tabard, barely visible in the shadow of the hedge they are difficult to make out in the low sun even when close up.
We did spot them and slow right up. It was the disembodied riders's heads bobbing about over the height of the hedge that first alerted me. The horses were completely invisible.
Gloriously sunny late Jan day, lunchtime, wet roads...
Not only are the riders, only one of whom is wearing a tabard, barely visible in the shadow of the hedge they are difficult to make out in the low sun even when close up.
We did spot them and slow right up. It was the disembodied riders's heads bobbing about over the height of the hedge that first alerted me. The horses were completely invisible.
tda
Well-Known Member
We weren't allowed out as kids without hiviz on even 40 yrs ago. I always wear yellow but will get some pink. I couldn't use a quarter sheet, pony gets too hot but will investigate Parsons rump and flashing lights
I think I do have a yellow hat cover somewhere. Even tho we only hack on village roads there have been some very near misses
I think I do have a yellow hat cover somewhere. Even tho we only hack on village roads there have been some very near misses
criso
Coming over here & taking your jobs since 1900
You can get lights added to the Parsons Rump, look under bespoke
phizz4
Well-Known Member
In our experience, even with high viz, drivers can take a long time to 'see you' before they respond. I've now been wearing two small, flashing, red cycle lights on my helmet, front and back, and they seem to spot us much earlier.
Birker2020
Well-Known Member
Sooner you're noticed. Correct. The thinking and braking distance for a car driven at 40mph is almost the length of a small dressage arena.
Or in other words quite possibly the difference between life and death.
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Goldenstar
Well-Known Member
On colours Hand S is one of my brothers specialty
It depends very much on the environment and the weather
Yellow is not great in bright sunlight
Orange less good in autumn
Green is good in the urban environment bit poor in the countryside
Pink is a good all a rounder……. Unless you are riding within a Barbie movie .
It depends very much on the environment and the weather
Yellow is not great in bright sunlight
Orange less good in autumn
Green is good in the urban environment bit poor in the countryside
Pink is a good all a rounder……. Unless you are riding within a Barbie movie .
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Rowreach
Adjusting my sails
Created by an HHOer many years ago. No such thing as too much hi viz.
PSD
Well-Known Member
My experience too. I always wear lights and have them on in bad/dim light.
I don’t hack on roads either, closest we get is the guided bus way with a wide path next to it (fence inbetween) but people are often out with dogs/kids and on bikes.
Cloball
Well-Known Member
D wears an orange saddle cloth, yellow nose band and orange breast plate with an orange sheet in autumn/winter. I wear high Viz gloves, tabard or coat depending on the weather, and hat silk in all three colours. I definitely wear more than most I see. I'd like to add more but leg bands or boots are difficult with all the hair
we get lots of RAF around here as well so it helps to be seen. My pony is small and dark so I'd like us to be seen in the hedges. 
we get lots of RAF around here as well so it helps to be seen. My pony is small and dark so I'd like us to be seen in the hedges. 
webble
Well-Known Member
I kept looking at this rug for summer as it would double up and keep flies off do you find it rubs across the chest though?
webble
Well-Known Member
I have the v bandz ones they arent bad, similar to the material of a tabardAnyone know of ear covers in hi viz that aren’t plasticky- the only ones I’ve come across are waterproof not like normal ear covers. I have some bright orange ones but not hi viz. A local yard owner me once if we were in the Dutch team given all our orange
Kunoichi73
Beware... My Plants...
I only hack occasionally on the RS horses but I'm currently building up my hi vis outfit. I've got a yellow hat cover, yellow gloves and an orange long sleeve top. I'm going to get a hi vis schooling whip and am thinking about hi viz breeches and a jacket and maybe some flashing lights. RS gives us tabards and the horses wear leg wraps.
