Riding at night on the roads

Frank's always been better to school in the dark patterdale ;). I bet that was rather nice GS :), though don't think I would trust our local one in the dark (too many muddy spots).
 
I wouldn't dream of it tbh. It's just not worth the risk but I don't have lights nor have ridden in the dark in them so no experience of that.
I do know that I never see the girls who do ride in the dark in only a high-viz tabard from the yard down the road until the very last minute!
 
I am a quiet country lane and would never even consider it just not worth the risk plus would you be insured if anything happened
 
ester said:
Frank's always been better to school in the dark patterdale ;). I bet that was rather nice GS :), though don't think I would trust our local one in the dark (too many muddy spots).
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It was lovely there was a spot where the street light from the road above shone on a little beach thirty yards from the house I used to lunge and do flat work there .
On a moonlit night it was so special but I was too young to really appreciate it .
 
MadisonBelle said:
Ironically I would say cars slowed SOONER and passed me better when I rode at night decked out in my glory than when I encounter them in daylight!.
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I reckon they slow down sooner & passed slower just to see the face of a person who would risk themselves & their horse by riding so irresponsibly in the dark.

I cannot believe the replies from people trying to justify riding at night on public roads by minimising the amount of time they are riding for, minimising the amount of traffic the road carries, & expecting some hi viz to be good enough etc etc.

If you wish to put yourselves at risk then go & walk on your own down unlit roads at night, don't put your horse's life at risk because of your stupidity, he doesn't have a choice...you have! :(
 
not just putting your horse's life at risk but other road users. Horses are pretty much blinded by headlights I would think, seeing as they can't adapt from light-dark and vice versa as quick as we can. I have ridden off-road at night but well away from any road.
 
I personally would never ride on the roads in the dark, I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen. Drivers just aren't expecting to see horses out past a certain time - and they seem to struggle to slow down enough in the daylight as it is!
If you're going to do it, ride in the early morning rather than late at night.
 
I've been out now for a few mornings before it's got totally light. I've had a full flashing tabard on, a head torch on my helmet and flashing arm and leg bands. I'm hoping to carry on in the winter too. I found that cars slowed actually more than during daylight! As my OH said - more lights than any cyclist or runner would have on, and there are plenty of cyclists on the road early mornings, so why shouldn't I go out. I'm lucky in that they are all quiet unlit lanes near me and to be honest I prefer unlit lanes as the lights I am wearing are more visible than with streetlights. My head torch can be seen for miles! But whether I will go out when it is totally dark, I don't know - at least in the mornings I know it's only going to get lighter - not sure I would go out in the evenings.
 
I would not ride at night, yet in this part of France the roads are deserted after 7.00pm.

How times have changed. I loved the story in Pat Smythe's autobiography Jump for Joy. Her mother received a phone call, late at night, from Cheltenham Railway station - 9 miles away, saying that a horse had arrived for her. She saddled a pony and rode to the station arriving after mid-night and took "Finality" home, on the leading rein.

Those were the days.
 
amandaco2 said:
Not a chance. One of mine got hit by car last yr
I avoid roads full stop.
I use their big field in summer or pole work in winter on non schooling days
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I am very sorry to hear you had a terrible experience but if we all stopped using roads, then that'll be it for us being seen as a legitimate user of those roads, won't it? (and yes, I also understand how awful it is when it goes wrong x)

Sorry, OP - off topic. No, I wouldn't hack at night here - simply because most car drivers don't expect you to be there in hi-vis in full daylight, let alone at night. Sadly, the same goes for ramblers, dog walkers, farmers with tractors etc...
 
Nope - not on the roads although would, and have done so in past, with onsite off road hacking. I think drivers leave their full beam on to be able to see you better rather than being numpties for those who have mentioned it.
 
No - we used to have to walk about 150 yds down a quiet but lit country road from the field gate to the stable on the other side of the road, we were lit up with flashing orange lights and when possible had a car following with its hazard lights on but that was more than 30 yrs ago, when the traffic was much lighter and the horse was absolutely bombproof. I wouldn't want to do that nowadays, never mind riding on the road in the dark. There is far too much traffic, even on quiet roads, imo.
 
I'd never do it. I know someone who does and she looks like Blackpool illuminations going down the road but for a driver, especially if there are headlights in their face or the visibility is poor won't be able to distinguish between the lights coming from a horse or a pushbike. To that end, you could have cars not bothering to slow down at all. I wouldn't ever want to risk it.
 
Well, clearly it's not illegal
https://www.gov.uk/rules-about-animals-47-to-58/horse-riders-49-to-55
I used to do it regularly 20 years ago when I was still at school, on a loaned ex-racehorse (who ran in the grand national may I add!!) who was 100% bombproof in traffic. I'd ride a mile each way on totally unlit country roads then a good 3 miles on lit roads, in a 30mph zone. Never thought anything of it at the time. I had reflective leg wraps on my horse, my See-U safety light (which is still going strong now - yellow LED's to the front and red LED's to the rear, was promoted by the mounted police in those days), a fluorescent mesh jacket with reflective strips which I still have now and a hat band. No head torch, I relied on Polar's (the Horse, he was called Polar Nomad) sight and he never let me down.
I agree that cars actually would be more respectful. Cyclists these days cycle in the pitch dark (unlit roads) with a light front and back, nothing else. I have enough off road hacking where I am now that I don't need to ride on roads but if I did then I'd have no choice. Heaps of riders (in fact the majority from what I've seen) ride during the day without high viz. The low sun is much worse to ride in that at night - it's blinding to drivers. At night if you wear plenty reflective kit and wear lights you'd be surprised how visible you are, from a fair distance as well. Do what's right for you and your Horse. I would add though check the small print on your 3rd party insurance.
 
I did many a time when I hacked to shows and it's gone on longer than expected and didn't end up leaving till dark. Always wore hi viz and stayed on well lit straight roads and never had a problem.

Personally I find horses harder to spot when driving on Sunny days down lanes that have lots of tree coverage and reflect on my window screen than horses plastered in hi viz in the dark.
 
Wheels said:
Is there no opportunity for you to ride in the mornings in daylight?
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Sadly no. I have a 35 minute commute in the morning by car then train, and a 40 minute round trip from home to where I keep my horse. It takes 30 mins to get ready in the morning and I have to be at work for 8.15am. So its totally impossible. I'm totally worn out now doing what I'm doing. If I didn't have to be in for work until 9 somewhere local, or I had hair that just required a comb dragging through it then I would be okay! Lol
 
MadisonBelle said:
I did this for 6 months! It was bringing a horse back from injury and vets said to walk her in a straight line on concrete......

.
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This ^

Friends pony had to do lots of walking on a firm surface including hill work. We had to walk down a lane by houses which had street lighting and then onto an access only lane with a hill turn round and back again. It did involve about 4 meters next to an A road but we rode on the pavement.

My friend initially had to lead hers so I accompanied her so that she had someone with a horse view. Both horses wore floures/reflective sheets, bridle, martingale, rein and leg bands. We wore floures/reflective jackets with a flashing tabard over the top which we clipped a white cycle light onto the pocket, we used flashing bands onto our upper arms, calves and the 2horse legs. We also put a clip on cycle light flashing red onto our hatbands.

Sure it's not ideal but if we didn't do that he would have had to have from October till February off and as he lived out as he couldn't be stabled for health reasons he had to go in a patch the size of a stable until he had been brought back into work. Surprisingly are boys were more confident going out in the dark than when out during the day!!
 
Wheels said:
Oh I'm sure they'd have plenty to say on the matter if you were to make a claim.
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Maybe but it's not illegal and as they don't even have a requirement to wear hi vis in the day (something I think all road users should do anyway). If I have been out it is at what I would deem 'first light' (bout 6.45 am) so lights still required at that time but improving from them. I wouldn't do evenings where I am.

- I'm looking forwards to having him in wilts with a lit school this year :).
 
I ride on the roads around a housing estate during winter as I don't finish work early enough to catch the daylight and I'd rather not school every night of the week! I always wear hi viz including flashing lights.

I don't go on main roads in the dark however.
 
I wouldn't do it where I live as it is close to the city but I have been tempted when walking back from feeding etc and it is quiet. Have also come back from a hack late in twilight and just ridden on the cycle paths trotting against the light! I think you would need A LOT of lights, like front and back lights on the horse on a breastplate and tail, and maybe a headtorch for you. Aldi have lots that look handy including some little clip on dangly ones ideal for tails! To be fair I know what I'd prefer - streetlights and drivers only exceeding the 30mph limit a bit and being fairly aware, or pitch black country lanes where you can theoretically go at 60 and seeing a horse suddenly round the corner would be a massive surprise to them! Hopefully you're somewhere in between!
 
Yes I ride on the roads in the dark pretty much every day. We live in a pretty rural area with wide verges and very little traffic. Luckily you can hear/see the car from about a mile/2 miles away so have time to get into a gateway.

I rode down the road this morning to go cantering round a field and rode back again. I wear a hi viz Mole Valley coat, hi viz exercise sheet, white horse and a head torch. It works fine.
 
Patterdale said:
No.

I have ridden in the dark a couple of times when I've been hunting and we've ended up miles away from the boxes. It's scary and dangerous and not to be recommended by choice.
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Same. It doesn't matter how "good" the roads are, no way I would compromise mine and my horses' safety by riding in poor visibility.
 
Possibly would choose to ride after dark if horse and me were suitably hi vizz'd up but only under street lights.

Been caught out a couple of times having to ride home in the dark and the worst thing was being completely dazzled by on coming vehicles who didn't dip their headlights, it's easy to get disorientated.
 
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