Riding in the dark - do you/would you?

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unicorndreams

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Ok seriously bored of long dark evenings already! Contemplating riding out in the dark - does anyone else do this? If so how do you make sure you are safe and seen? Is hiviz enough? There's a route I can do which is mostly along bridlepaths but would be really dark and spooky through the woods or I could stick to the well lit roads through the housing estate which are pretty quiet traffic wise in the evenings. What would you do? How do you stop yourself going stir crazy cooped up indoors on dark winter nights other than consuming vast amounts of chocolate and wine?!
 
Can't say I would ride in the 'actual' dark.
If you are going to then I'd light yourself up like a christmas tree! You covered in hi viz, horse covered in hi viz and preferably a helmet torch and flashing lights somewhere on the both of you too :p

Though I am moving to a livery yard with a floodlit school soon, so no doubt at some point will do some riding after dark.
 
I daren't - I swear mt horse is terrified of the dark. She doesn't even like our indoor school when it's dark outside, even though it's nicely lit inside!
 
yes I do/have done and no hi vis isn't enough if on the road.

I used to ride just before it would start to get light (6.30ish) in winter, but I only had to do a small lane before I was then off road until the sun came off. I certainly wouldn't do it in all situations.

Dress included:
Horse: exercise sheet, leg bands x4, noseband, breastplate
me: fluorescent and reflective had, tabard, flashing horseware tabard, head light (white - I think it is important to stick to the white to front/red to back) LED red light behind.

I used to have some fluorescent mountain horse gloves and now have some flashing leg bands.
 
I daren't, horse won't hack alone, just has a temper tantrum when I ask, which I would push him through but don't really think its worth risking him walking sideways into traffic threatening to rear...

We don't have lights yet, in a secluded area, and just wouldn't find it very fun in general...

If you do I'd say get loads of hi vis and some lights somewhere,,, on your hat maybe?
 
I've ridden out in the dark before, at my old yard where there were lots of off road tracks. Head torch is a lifesaver, and I also used to go out wearing stacks of hi vis and a jacket with flashing LEDs. It's great on a clear night as you can use the moonlight :)

If you can get out in the morning that works better, when I was a student I used to set out in the pitch black and arrive back at dawn, lovely part of the day.
 
I do! Mainly off road/crossing roads then in lit estates where I can stick to grassed areas... I do canter on good ground as well... And my pony is significantly less spooky. The pic doesn't show the plethora of flashing lights as well as red lights behind and head torch in front. I did try head torch on pony, and almost felt epileptic with the bouncing light so sharp took that off!! Lol

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I personally wouldn't. I worry enough about being seen and safe etc during the day let alone in the dark. People won't be expecting to see riders out in the dark. I resign myself to the fact that it's weekend riding in the winter , and mainly spend my evenings buying horsey things online that I definately don't need :D :D
 
I've done it - hated it; head torch beam bobbing around in the pitch dark made me feel ill. Current hacking is mostly around streetlit housing estate so actually I could do it if I don't mind a short bit in the dark before and after - we already have all the lights and hi-viz!

The one place I wouldn't go is through woodland. Far too risky.
 
KK it must me a welsh thing being better in the dark ;) :D

your get up looks similar though you have a better jacket :) and I do like leg bands because they move and catch the eye.

The only drivers I ever see are dog walkers going to the same place I am.. they do start to expect to see me and I think I am actually more visible in the dark under headlights :)
 
I go mornings, 6.30ish, fluorescent bridle (bareback) and builders fluorescent jacket, people have commented how much brighter the reflectives are in headlights as opposed to daylight.
 
Unicorndreams I ride in the dark during our winter and that includes bridle paths and a pine forest.

I ride with a head lamp - mostly so I don't get whacked in the face by low hanging branches. Horses see just fine in the dark and I find the spooky ones don't find as much to shy at !

However, I don't ever, ever watch scary movies ! And I hold on to the fact that my horse can out run anything I am likely to find in our forests and that thing throwing pine cones at me was just a possum running up a tree :D
 
I do but conditions have to be perfect, i won't in fog, wind or rain as I do ride down a short stretch of country lane and I need to hear the odd car and avoid and they need to be able to see me. I high viz up all around, the works on me and the horse. I wear a headtorch that's over 400lumens (so as bright as a car headlight) And the torch is white to the front and red to the rear which really you should have to be road legal. Enjoy. A moonlit canter is worth all the effort:D
 
Well I do get the heebeejeebies just going to check pony in the dark on my own, but if I had all off road access that I knew well I think I would give it a go. Saying that though I think the idea of leaving before dawn sounds lovely and I'm sure our roads must be fairly quiet about then (rush hour seems to be about 2.5 hours each end of the day) I also have housing estates nearby so I'm sure they would be fine. The residents would be confused by mysterious clip clopping!
 
Yup! :D

I work full time and so have to else id only get to ride once a week in winter which is just no good for my boy as he would go loony without the work. I try to make it as safe as possible though. and yes this is on roads but only quiet ones which are streetlight lit.

Darcy wears:
Four reflective bands with red lights stitched on the back ones facing backwards and white lights stitched onto the front ones facing forwards. (very noticeable as they move when he walks)
Exercise sheet with battery powered red fairy lights stitched round his hindquarters
Reflective breastplate with white battery powered fairy lights stitched on.
Full reflective bridle set with rein covers.
Reflective tail cover
A headtorch. Yes the horse wears one. and he actually knows how to use it too!

I wear:
A headtorch , clipped onto the peak of my riding hat
Reflective tabard with a red light on the back
Reflective things which go on my boots


I feel perfectly safe as when im out i always get comments from the drivers wondering what on earth we were! I have been told that the lights slows them down as they dont know what it is, (i can be seen from a very good distance! yay for superbright LEDs) then when im in the headlights they work out its a horse and rider as the amount of reflective gear is pretty much horse shaped rofl. Plus iv been told that i get 10/10 for visiblity from a very nice police lady who said she had to stop and congratulate me on my safety awareness, after i asked her whether it was a distraction to motorists, she said that it was all fine as i even color coded it right :D
 
Yep round the fields on our yard & out down bridle paths.. No lights or anything as no road work.. If we ever do the lane, lots of hi viz & lights. Went out last week through the woods was quite creepy crows were squawking as there was shooting going on somewhere.. Our 2 tbs were fab tho.
 
I used to, it was that or not at all. I just stuck to fields i knew off by heart and didn't go on nights that were pitch black (usually moon is fairly illuminating). Horse was completely fine, I hated it tho - I'm scared of the dark so had a hammering heart the whole time!
 
Yup I do, I live very rural and with quiet roads leading to tracked forests a night time hack in the cold clear nights is rather lovely :) Even better with snow, its so bright you can see everything :D
 
I'm lucky enough to have direct access from the yard to bridleways and forest and we regularly hack out in the dark- horses seem more sure footed and less spooky than in daylight!

On my old mare I used to happily go alone but now only go out in the dark if I have someone to go with- not sure if that is about having a new horse that I don't know well enough yet or just about being older, wiser and more aware of the risks!

Personally I wouldn't risk riding on the roads in the dark- but that may just be because I don't have to!

As for being scared in the woods in the dark- I don't get that- but I'm a country girl born and bred and you wouldn't catch me walking round a city alone after dark- THAT would scare me!
 
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