Riding in the dark/poor light

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I'm really cross with myself that I didn't but it was at a junction with a slip road for the Bristol Ring Road, it was really difficult.
I slowed to a crawl and expected them to look at me so I could say something, but they were so oblivious it was unreal. I couldn't imagine riding on the road full stop and not being aware of what was going on around me....
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At 6pm it is pitch black, even with Hi Viz etc you cannot garantee a driver will see you. I value the life of my ponio way too much to even vaguely consider riding on the roads at night regardless of lights hi viz etc

ETS, didn't mean that to sound as if you don't care about your horse, it's just personal choice that I don't ride in the dark.

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But really that is what you are saying that because i ride in the dark i dont value my horses life!
 
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Twisty bendy national speed limit roads would be just as dangerous in daylight.

Horses are no different to cyclists on the road in many ways. See lots of those of a night. Some probably a lot less lit up than me and my horse.

Riding in the dark IMO, is no more reckless than riding with no hat.

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I agree!
 
I can't / don't ride out on the roads anyway - the roads round us are far too dangerous and I just hate hacking on the road. Luckily we have an arena and fields that I can ride round.
 
If a car does'nt see you how well trained you or your horses are is irrelevant.

In answer to the original post- out of choice no I would'nt ride my horses out on the roads after dark if I could help it.
 
Sorry but there are just too many idiots out there who can't cope with meeting horses on a good day let alone dark/adverse weather. No way would I go out in the dark/fog/dusk!
 
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If a car does'nt see you how well trained you or your horses are is irrelevant.

In answer to the original post- out of choice no I would'nt ride my horses out on the roads after dark if I could help it.

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It isn't irrelevant, as good road-sense means that I feel confident hacking my horse out in traffic whether in perfect conditions (which in manchester would mean never leaving the yard) or in more difficult circumstances.
I wouldn't hack a horse who was prone to shying or rearing or running off out in the dark, as that to me would put me in a more dangerous position, therefore the fact that my horses are well behaved in traffic, means that I am happy to take them out in the dark.

I don't understand how a car driver could fail to see me when I'm lit up like a day-glo beacon.

The trouble is that as less and less people are hacking out on the roads, due to 'safety' concerns and thinking it's dangerous, then yes, car drivers are going to be less likely to think they're going to come across a horse rider, which in turn makes it more dangerous for those of us crazy enough to risk their lives, and their horses by stepping out onto a road at night
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If a car does'nt see you how well trained you or your horses are is irrelevant.

In answer to the original post- out of choice no I would'nt ride my horses out on the roads after dark if I could help it.

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It isn't irrelevant, as good road-sense means that I feel confident hacking my horse out in traffic whether in perfect conditions (which in manchester would mean never leaving the yard) or in more difficult circumstances.
I wouldn't hack a horse who was prone to shying or rearing or running off out in the dark, as that to me would put me in a more dangerous position, therefore the fact that my horses are well behaved in traffic, means that I am happy to take them out in the dark.

I don't understand how a car driver could fail to see me when I'm lit up like a day-glo beacon.

The trouble is that as less and less people are hacking out on the roads, due to 'safety' concerns and thinking it's dangerous, then yes, car drivers are going to be less likely to think they're going to come across a horse rider, which in turn makes it more dangerous for those of us crazy enough to risk their lives, and their horses by stepping out onto a road at night
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well said you are so much better at getting the point across than me!
 
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Guys, can I just make one thing clear! 4 weeks ago today my horse was hit by a car ( with me riding it) in BROAD DAYLIGHT, on a perfectly STRAIGHT peice of road with PERFECT visability. SURELY it is not worth the risk of riding out in adverse conditions?

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I'm sorry you and your horse were hit - hope you're both ok now
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However accidents happen, and to me, the risk of riding in the dark, is no greater than riding out in daylight.
 
I think it's all about the recognition factor to be honest. Ie how long your brain takes to understand what you're seeing and react to it. I know myself that when I pass a cyclist at night, even if they are lit up like a xmas tree, I don't react to them as quickly - I see the reflective stuff/lights etc and try to make out what it is, sometimes I get it confused with things on the other side of the road (from a distance) and I think it generally takes people longer to react at night.

I don't think it's so bad in a suburban location where the speed limits are 30mph and the streets are lit up, but I still think it's more difficult for drivers to see you and react to you however bright your lights.

I do agree that people walking dogs/out running etc with no lights are brainless - along with cyclists who don't use lights/high-viz etc.
 
I have ridden out then its started getting dark more quickly than I anticipated a couple of times and I do ride on grey days but wouldn't ride on the road in the dark, fog or in dusk or heavy rain although I have been caught out a couple of times. I always wear a h-iviz vest even in summer.
 
"which in turn makes it more dangerous for those of us crazy enough to risk their lives, and their horses by stepping out onto a road at night"

fairhill, you said it. you are crazy to risk your horses' lives by taking them out on a road at night. fine to risk your own, if you really want to, but i don't think it's fair to risk your horses or the unwitting motorist who doesn't see you until it's too late. all the hi-viz in the world doesn't make you as visible as a pair of headlights or tail lights, which is what a driver at night is expecting to see on anything in the road.
 
Personally there is no way I would ride out in the dark/heavy rain/fog. We have to ride out on country lanes and the drivers do not expect to see a horse. I ALWAYS were hi-viz and even in daylight the number of drivers who fail to see us until the last minute is amazing. We can hear the cars coming and they often take racing lines on corners so we hang back if needed. Now the clocks have gone back we can't ride after work as its pitch black so we are getting to the yard at 6.15am and riding out by 6.45. Its light enough, there is hardly any traffic but we still both wear loads of hi-viz.

In my opinion its dangerous, drivers are just plain stupid and often in 'get to work' or 'get home' mode and just don't see horses.
 
I hack out in the dark/dusk but with full hi viz and flashing lights on, BUT I only have to ride on dead end farm lanes which have local traffic only. Mostly there is room to get off road if necessary, although not always, but you can see any cars miles away with their lights, so its easy to get out of the way before they reach you.

To be honest, with the flashing lights, the cars see me from a long distance and slow right down, but again, this is because its in the middle of the countryside, no other light pollution or cars coming the other way to blind them, so I kind of stick out!

Although I voted that I do ride in the dark, I wouldn't ride on "normal" roads in the dark/dusk/bad light - but then I don't particularly like riding on normal roads anyway any more, too dangerous.
 
I don't have easy access to off road hacking, so I always wear high viz, and I'd never hack in those conditions. The road next to our yard is far too busy and quick.

In winter I only hack out during the day.
 
I always wear high viz, and I never ride in poor visability aside from being caught in random downpours. When that has happened (quite a few times this summer
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) I have purposely taken detours home so as not to go on the road in poor visability. Surely that's just common sense!
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Its not dangerous if you trust your horse 100%. My neddy can be spooky but if im riding out in the dark he always follows so is a lot better!

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What a load of tosh
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You can't be serious??
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I trust my horses implicitly! Star has done nothing but look after me 100% in the years I've had her. I would still NEVER ask her to go out in the dark. I value our lives far too much.
 
QR - I don't ride in poor visibility but I am very interested to know how many of those that do ride in poor visibility are car drivers.
 
I've hacked out on a country road at dusk, but not in the other conditions. I have a fluorescent and reflective quarter sheet, leg bands, tail guard and a flashing vest. And I'm still adding to my collection
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I would hack out in worse conditions if I was staying on the forest. Always wear my reflective gear though.
 
Always in high vis, and I only cross a road to get to the woods. It's always in my mind that if I ever fell off and he ran off onto the road he might not be seen. I wear it also for low flying aircraft and so people can see me coming in the woods. The worst weather for being seen is late afternoon when the sun is very low and bright. People who ride on the road withough high vis are mad, no matter what the weather.
 
I think one thing we're mising here is - what the roads themselves are like. Some areas are incredibly dangerous; I'm thinking Dorset lanes, here: narrow, blind, no verge; you are totally at the mercy of the other person whether you're on foot, on horseback, on a bike or in another car; dark or daylight, you can't get out of the way. In somewhere like the Lincoln Wolds, however, the lanes have big verges and you're relatively safe whatever the weather or time.

I used to live & ride out on the outskirts of London; best time there was 4 in the morning; it was the only time when there was no traffic!

I must confess that, whatever the real-life dangers and practicalities, I hate the attitude that its irresponsible as in morally wrong to ride out in adverse conditions, as if by doing so you were causing the accident. Its the car that hits you; not the other way round. To me its the same attitude that makes a woman "responsible" for being raped; its shifting the blame onto the wronged party.
 
Despite having ridden many thousands of miles on the roads of Great Britain including in Central London I would not ride out on the roads in the dark and avoid riding out on the roads when there was fog, low bright sunshine or the roads where very wet.
This is because I value my horse and do not want to put my horse in a position where it may be injured or killed.
Cars are driven at greater speeds and are more powerfull than they have ever been.
I would however agree with the point that because fewer and fewer people ride out on the roads that car drivers are less likely to encounter horses on the roads.
I feel that if riders spent as much time being trained to ride horses on the roads as they do in menages and indoor schools then many more would have the skills to ride on the roads.
 
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Its not dangerous if you trust your horse 100%. My neddy can be spooky but if im riding out in the dark he always follows so is a lot better!

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What a load of tosh
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You can't be serious??
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I trust my horses implicitly! Star has done nothing but look after me 100% in the years I've had her. I would still NEVER ask her to go out in the dark. I value our lives far too much.

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What a load of tosh!!!!!!! I ride my horse in the dark and i trust him if i didnt trust him i wouldnt ride in the dark! Its simple would you ride a daft horse in the dark on the roads no! would you ride your horse in the dark on the roads if you did trust it yes! You dont know anything about my horse so you cant say anything!
 
All it take is one driver not concentrating properly, or having their lights too low, or rushing, etc and you could be dead. I'd never ever risk riding on the roads in the dark as I could never gamble with my horses, or my life.
 
For those that ride out at dusk or night I have just been sent details of the 'GS Glowsafe Equestrian' Tabard which lights up at both the front and rear. Check out www.glowsafe.com (and no this is not advertising as I have nothing to do with them). Their contact details are Glowsafe Ltd The Old Vicarage Glastonbury Somerset BA6 8BY Tel: 0870 1998524 Email enquiries@glowsafe.com
 
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Its not dangerous if you trust your horse 100%. My neddy can be spooky but if im riding out in the dark he always follows so is a lot better!

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What a load of tosh
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You can't be serious??
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I trust my horses implicitly! Star has done nothing but look after me 100% in the years I've had her. I would still NEVER ask her to go out in the dark. I value our lives far too much.

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What a load of tosh!!!!!!! I ride my horse in the dark and i trust him if i didnt trust him i wouldnt ride in the dark! Its simple would you ride a daft horse in the dark on the roads no! would you ride your horse in the dark on the roads if you did trust it yes! You dont know anything about my horse so you cant say anything!

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Its not the horse thats the problem, its the drivers!!! We were riding out this morning at 6.45, perfectly light, we were hi-vized to the hilt, when some twat comes flying around a corner, taking the racing line and JUST misses us. Its nothing to do with how safe your horse is, the drivers do not expect to see horses in the road at that time of the morning, let alone at night, when, in my opinion its even worse as idiots like that bank of seeing the car lights coming the other way when the straighten the roads out.

IMHO its dangerous and I would not want my beloved horses death/injury on my concience for the rest of my life
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So everyone thinks i dont value my horses life when i ride out in the dark! I ride in a well lit area with lights like a crimbo tree! If i wasnt bothered why would i put lits on! Im sick of hearing "I value my horse to much" so do i just becasue i ride in the dark doesnt mean i dont care!
 
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