Reflective ear bonnets verses breast plate/cover

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3BayHoony

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I know there are already threads about reflective gear, but I’m looking for some specific advice.

Because I have about three feet of snow, I’ve been riding on the road to keep my mare fit until spring. The roads are fairly wide, but there’s more winter traffic and a snowmobile trail runs along them. My mare is black and I have dark clothing, so I use a hi-vis quarter sheet and a hi-vis running-belt jacket.
A friend drove past me the other day and said they couldn’t tell I was riding a horse until they were very close, which is concerning. What do people prefer for visibility: a hi-vis breastplate, ear bonnet, or helmet cover? I’m hesitant about ear bonnets because I’ve had issues with bridles slipping, but I’m open to suggestions.
Thanks!
 
3BayHoony said:
I know there are already threads about reflective gear, but I’m looking for some specific advice.

Because I have about three feet of snow, I’ve been riding on the road to keep my mare fit until spring. The roads are fairly wide, but there’s more winter traffic and a snowmobile trail runs along them. My mare is black and I have dark clothing, so I use a hi-vis quarter sheet and a hi-vis running-belt jacket.
A friend drove past me the other day and said they couldn’t tell I was riding a horse until they were very close, which is concerning. What do people prefer for visibility: a hi-vis breastplate, ear bonnet, or helmet cover? I’m hesitant about ear bonnets because I’ve had issues with bridles slipping, but I’m open to suggestions.
Thanks!
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A quarter sheet is invisible for a motorist approaching head on, and unless it is fitted with a generous tail flap, not ideal for a motorist directly behind, either.
Quarter sheets show up best broadside, or from above - for helicopter pilots to notice, etc.
Furthermore, if your horse is tall with a good head carriage, your hi-vis vest can be completely obscured to the driver of an approaching saloon car (altho should be visible from behind, but when high off the ground it is more difficult for drivers to get any ‘reading’ on your distance)
Cranfield Institute of Technology conducted a great deal of research into this safety issue, and found the most eye-catching thing for motorists was four reflective / fluorescent leg gaiters on the horse - at the right height for headlights, closer to the ground so easy to gauge distance, and constantly moving - motorists noticeably slow down to ‘make sense’ of the hazard.
If horse has a bushy long tail, then ‘tail streamers’ (reflective tailband with long, fluorescent and reflective ribbons) are very good.
The breastplate would be more immediately obvious to a motorist than the bonnet or your hat cover, being closer to road level and driver eye focus.
Probably start with the leg gaiters and work upwards, adding as much gear as you’ve got money to buy and time to put on!
Keep safe!
 
I have a hi viz hat cover and my horse has a hi viz ear bonnet.
The bonnet definitely helps a lot with people spotting us.
Also, without exception, every hack I go on someone comments how they love his 'hat' so it is definitely something non-horsey people notice.
 
I'm the hi vis queen.
I have a sheet like this, not sure if you can still get them as I've had it about 12 years
1769677705956.png

I also have this, I do have pink ears too but I don't use them often because I forget.
1769677746826.png
but always use the ears when I ride and lead
1769677864166.png
 
I am rather anal when it comes to hi vis, so when I hack out I wear the following :

Rider - tabard, hat band,schooling whip, gloves with hi vis on them
Horse - Ear bonnet, breastplate, boots, quarter sheet, streamers in tail

My logic is that I'd rather be "lit up like Las Vegas" as my old riding instructor used to say - makes riding on the road a lot safer for everyone x
 
AppyLover1996 said:
I am rather anal when it comes to hi vis, so when I hack out I wear the following :

Rider - tabard, hat band,schooling whip, gloves with hi vis on them
Horse - Ear bonnet, breastplate, boots, quarter sheet, streamers in tail

My logic is that I'd rather be "lit up like Las Vegas" as my old riding instructor used to say - makes riding on the road a lot safer for everyone x
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Completely agree! my old YM used to say I was going out like I was lit up for Christmas! but I want to give drivers every opportunity to see me!

I had a lorry driver stop once to tell me he could see me a mile up the road! I said "that's the aim" :)
 
In addition to the normal (jacket not tabard and quarter sheet), I use leg boots - have hi viz front boots and the wraps that go over back boots since as above I have read that leg hi viz is the most quickly seen. If I am going down a particular road with a high hedge I will add the breastplate which is very bright, hat cover and ears - that said I have really struggled to find decent reflective ears but do have some very bright organge ones which aren't the nicest material though.

I liken my look to Bertie Bassett as it is multi coloured. I took get the "oh you are very bright/colourful" etc, and as you say that is the aim! We still have people who ride out on the roads with no hi viz.
 
kerrieberry2 said:
Completely agree! my old YM used to say I was going out like I was lit up for Christmas! but I want to give drivers every opportunity to see me!

I had a lorry driver stop once to tell me he could see me a mile up the road! I said "that's the aim" :)
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I remember hacking out a while ago and a driver stopping me, and saying thank you for being so covered in hi vis x I was surprised and said "Oh I do it to make sure that drivers can see me, no point getting annoyed at drivers if I haven't done everything in my power to make myself visible" x
 
I have hi viz on me, coat, that band, a hi viz quarter rug if it's wet, leg wraps and my bridles are hi viz/reflective
 

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I like to wear hi viz jackets with sleeves as these help with on coming traffic. My hi viz equi dry also goes over the front of my legs which offers visibility. Large blocks of colour are much better than slim belts/straps

Op, i personally would use all of the options you gave
 
I don't hack on the roads anymore (but would say ear bonnet and a breast plate would be best!) however I am running a lot in the dark at the moment and I can't believe the number of people also out running in completely black clothing?! I have a bright pink hi viz and reflective coat and also have pink light up arm bands that I wear when it's fully dark. I think it's probably a throwback from all the on-road hacking I used to do but why would you put yourself at risk running on dark country roads.
On one occasion I was driving in the same area and only saw a runner crossing my road ahead when the headlights caught a tiny reflective strip on the back of their shoes! Crazy.
 
Go for the extremities. So head for over hedges and road junctions, legs for all round for headlights and driver's eye level and tail for traffic from behind. Likewise rider, so hat band, tabard, gloves or long sleeves for signalling and I stick a rearward-facing red light on my stirrups. Fill in gaps with a sheet and breastplate. I have an LED neck ring. We go out looking like we're heading to a rave 😂
 
I use Pioneer Endurance high viz bridle and breastplate which has mercury on it, which is very bright when a light hits it.

High Visibility Archives - Pioneer Endurance

www.pioneerendurance.com www.pioneerendurance.com

Lots of good comments about them both.

I use high viz/mercury leg wraps.

Then a light up tabard for me, lights on the tail flap of our high viz or mercury exercise sheet (depending upon what time & where I'm riding) and lights on stirrups.

I have a mix of either high viz pr mercury jackets/gilets pro viz depending upon weather conditions.

I often use a head torch on my hat too.
 
It isnt a choice between them, take both, and anything else you can put on her.

Use as many different colours as you can because different high viz colours will be more or less visible depending on your background (fields / trees / bright sunlight etc). This is not the time to be matchy matchy.

My poor lad has a yellow qtr sheet, orange leg wraps and a pink breastplate and I wear an orange or yellow tabard (depending if I'm feeling more "young horse in training" or "smile you're on camera") and a yellow band on my hat.

He is already quite large and orange himself.

ETA I forgot about the yellow reflective thing for his tail too!
 
Yes forgot I’ve got a tail thing as well. One of his sheets comes down over his back end so I don’t use the tail thing very often.
 
 
I would go against the grain and suggest not to use an ear bonnet - I hacked out in one which caused the bridle to slip off and vowed not to hack out in on again. I was lucky that the horse had polished his halo that day and just stood for me to get off and put the bridle back on. It could have easily been much worse and caused an accident. Personally I like the hi vis leg wraps and a quarter sheet. If you feel you need something on the front there are some hi-vis bridle attachments that velcro on.
 
MuddyMonster said:
I use Pioneer Endurance high viz bridle and breastplate which has mercury on it, which is very bright when a light hits it.

High Visibility Archives - Pioneer Endurance

www.pioneerendurance.com www.pioneerendurance.com
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I have the orange hi-viz reflective Pioneer bridle. It's so effective. I also have the matching breastplate and martingale and a Firefoot mesh orange hi-viz sheet (with tail flap and reflective strips). I do have the mercury yellow hi-viz sheet for colder weather, but I prefer the orange for visibility (riding against green/dark lanes). I don't like ear bonnets, but on me I do have a hat band, a running tabard with lights (red to rear, white to front) and my Reincoat has the reflective bits to the side and rear. I do have a shorter Pro-viz cycling jacket for warmer/drier days.
 
Barklands said:
I would go against the grain and suggest not to use an ear bonnet - I hacked out in one which caused the bridle to slip off and vowed not to hack out in on again. I was lucky that the horse had polished his halo that day and just stood for me to get off and put the bridle back on. It could have easily been much worse and caused an accident. Personally I like the hi vis leg wraps and a quarter sheet. If you feel you need something on the front there are some hi-vis bridle attachments that velcro on.
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I’d certainly second riders slapping on as much hi-vis and reflective equipment as they can find space for, for improved road safety and general hacking out.
However, anything higher up in gloomier conditions is not as immediately apparent to motorists (this is not a personal view, but genuine, govt sponsored, post-grad research), and if all riders use is a jacket, hat cover and horse bonnet - please remember that the motorist focuses lower down.
When motorists catch sight of something at height, looking upwards and working out what / where this is, the research found they can actually drive far closer to the hazard before realising it.
If you ride on busy roads with high hedges and lots of bends, obviously hi-vis at height is helpful.
Stay safe!
 
I have LeMeiux reflective boots on all 4 legs and reflective flex hoof boots gaiters. I also have a reflective and bright breastplate and matching quarter sheet.

I have had drivers stop me wondering where I got my boots from as they said they could see me from ages away and lit up even more when headlights were on us. They loved that I used boots as it was right at their eye level.

I also had 1 person stop me and tell me they couldnt see me and offered to follow me back to the yard (which was hilarious because 20m down the road someone stopped me to tell me how bright I was and what a great idea to use reflective boots)
 
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