Riding in the dark- right or wrong?

FigJam

FigJam

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West Lothian, Scotland
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Last night I wasn't able to escape from work until 8.15pm. I flew home, got changed and was out at the yard with poor hubby in tow by 9pm.

My mare is coming back from injury and on a "walking on the road" fittening plan, currently doing 15mins straight line road work to build up her leg strength/fitness after being on box rest since March.

This means that I am desperate not to lose time on getting her better and am dedicated to going out no matter what the weather etc. Last night, or course, it was getting pretty dark by the time we were tacked up adn going out (9.15pm).

I had a hi-viz exercise sheet on her, hi-viz vest on me, headtorch with big LED full beam on (facing forwards) and hubby was walking alongside with a torch facing behind us (another moving light to attract any passing cars from behind's attention)

The road is wide enough for two cars to pass and a very quiet country road, dead straight so you can see quite a way ahead in both directions. We only encountered one van who slowed down for us (so could obviously see us fine) and my mare was just as well behaved as ever.

However, when we got back to the yard, the YO's husband came over and questioned whether we thought we should have been out and he didn't think it was safe, he was worried for us etc. He didn't say "you're not allowed" as such, but obviously I don't want to upset him/YO unnecessarily.

So what do people think- was I right or stupid? My worry is that with winter coming up pretty quick, I'm soon not going to have much option. We are scheduled to do another 6-7 weeks straight line walking on the road so don't have the luxury of being able to school as deep surface/turning is to be avoided until the leg is stronger.

I work full time and when the nights get longer, how can I avoid riding in the dark? If I can't ride, she can't get better. I feel so demoralised and stuck, I'm not sure what to do really.
 
Well if you have to. you have to. No it's not as safe but those of us who work can end up in these situations.

But you are actually illegal at the moment, you need to get yourself some proper riding lights. They usually strap onto your boot and show white light in front and red behind as per highway code requirements.

So as you're going to be riding in the dark for a while to come invest in some of these if you can.

Good luck on the rehab for your you mare. Hope it all goes well.

Quick Goodle of Highway Code came up with this

34-44: Rules about animals


Horseriders
34: Safety equipment. Children under the age of 14 MUST wear a helmet which complies with the Regulations. It MUST be fastened securely. Other riders should also follow this advice. Law H(PHYR)R

35: Other clothing. You should wear

boots or shoes with hard soles and heels
light-coloured or fluorescent clothing in daylight
reflective clothing if you have to ride at night or in poor visibility.

36: At night. It is safer not to ride on the road at night or in poor visibility, but if you do, make sure your horse has reflective bands above the fetlock joints. Carry a light which shows white to the front and red to the rear.

 
IMO - there is NO WAY I would or could ride around the roads in my area in the dark as they are all fast country roads - and last year a woman was riding - had all the gear you had on but she was still hit and her horse died - the driver just couldnt judge how close he was to the horse in the dark apparently.

You did all the right things to make sure you were safe etc ..... I think you are much safer with someone on foot with you helping cars seek you out etc...... so well done for taking precautions.

I think it depends on where you live - but I wouldnt ride in the dark anyway! I think the full beam headlights would upset my pony.
 
Can you ride out in the mornings instead? Its light by 5 and the roads will be quieter too. That would be my choice as personally I wouldn't ride on the roads at night, although it. sounds like you are taking sensible precautions
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Or would your boss maybe let you work flexible hours for a few weeks if you explained the situation and that it would only be a temporary arrangement?
 
I think it's just plain stupid quite frankly.

Get up early and do it before work, or get someone to do it for you in the day.

I did that with Amy when she was recovering from an injury because it was too dark at either end of the day to do the road work. (It was November time).
 
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I think it's just plain stupid quite frankly.

Get up early and do it before work, or get someone to do it for you in the day.

I did that with Amy when she was recovering from an injury because it was too dark at either end of the day to do the road work. (It was November time).

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Ditto - it's far too dangerous and I wouldn't put my horse at risk by doing this
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Oh wow that's one dedicated hubby you've got there
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Still as all the others said, pretty dangerous for all 3 of you
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Early morning riding or finding someone else to do this for you are best bets.
Hope your mare gets well soon
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i wouldn't ride in the dark. i know it's very very difficult, with winter coming on etc, but tbh it's dangerous enough riding on roads in broad daylight with the attitude and impatience of some drivers. the last thing they expect to see on the roads in the dark is a ridden horse, even if you're lit up like a christmas tree. many drivers go faster down country lanes in the dark because they can see oncoming headlights, so will take the racing line through bends if there's no lights ahead. you can hear them coming... they have no idea you're there.
i've had very very near misses in broad daylight, wearing hi-viz.
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i won't ride out very early in the mornings, or at dusk onwards... and our roads are very very quiet with amazing visibility (no hills or hedges). i am no coward, either.
can't you trust the yard owner or jockey or someone to do this early walking work for you in the daytime? i know you'd probably rather do it yourself, for many reasons, but your horse's safety is the most important thing (and yours, of course!)
 
QR

Thanks to all who've replied so far. I know it's not ideal, but I'm really at a loss to know what else to do. The problem with last night is that extra work made me late, so couldn't pre-empt it and ride in the morning. Hopefully we'll still managed for another month or so before it gets too bad.

I guess if we're still struggling to fit in the riding when the days get even shorter, I'm going to have to ask the YO to do it. I feel it's a bit of a burden to ask her though. I don't have any horsey friends or relatives who could do it for me and all the other owners have their own horses to do.

It's really bad timing as the rides are going to be getting longer as the days are getting shorter.

I'm not trying to recklessly endager me, my horse (or my fab husband!), I'm just trying to juggle full time work with a recuperating horse.
 
I had to bring my horse back into work after an injury in Nov/Dec last year so I appreciate the difficulty of finding enough daylights hours. However, I used to ride before work rather than risk going out in poor light.
 
I don't understand why you don't consider riding in the mornings. you will easily have enough daylight for 6/7 weeks, and it won't matter then if you have to work late as you'll already have finished. I appreciate the idea of getting up early may not be very appealing but a) it's only for a few weeks b) you can ride the horse yourself rather than rely on someone else to do it c) the roads are quieter, and most important of all d) it's light!!!
 
I would if it was a regular thing, but last night was a (currently) one off due to working until 8.15pm. I am more thinking ahead a couple of months where it will be dark both in the mornings and in the evenings.

Currently I am able to ride in the evening in daylight providing I can leave work on time.

Hopefully she will be able to do a little work in the school by then, but I was worrying about it last night and am probably trying to think too far ahead at the moment.
 
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The problem with last night is that extra work made me late, so couldn't pre-empt it and ride in the morning.

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I have to say that whilst I am happy to do overtime, I absolutely won't stay late, unless it's by prior arrangement. It's a shame it's expected of you really.
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Ok well fair enough it's up to you obviously! but you will always have more light in the mornings, because that is the whole point of putting the clocks back.
If you have time in the evenings normally I guess the answer is to make sure you leave on time as AmyMay says, with the mornings as another option if working late becomes regular. But I wouldn't ride out in the dark regularly if i were you
 
I know, it stinks. Sadly it's finance related and a lot of stuff just can't be left and picked up the next day or it's too late.

What's even worse is I was trying to do my colleagues in Boston a favour by taking some work for them! So doing my own work I'd have been fine, but their work made me late!
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It is a downside to the company/team I'm in though that overtime is expected and noone asks you if you're able to/mind doing it.
 
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It is a downside to the company/team I'm in though that overtime is expected and noone asks you if you're able to/mind doing it.

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What if you had kids??
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I think it's just plain stupid quite frankly.




It makes me mad when i see horse ridders out in the dark, to put their horse and thier own life's at risk to think how mad cars drive in the day time let alone in the dark. I had my horse killed on the roads no fault of mine and that was not at night the driver just ploughed into the back of me, i had to sit with him for 3/4 hour before the vet could get to me, the horse had no back legs from below his hocks left, so yes i get very wound up when i hear of poeple putting thier horse at unnecessary risk. And considering its the anniversary on Thursay of his death don't get me stared on this.


Don't know why it's come out in this writing.
 
Thankfully I don't, but it would be a bit of an issue I'm sure. The only people with kids in my team are blokes who have a wife that stays at home.

Hubby has said I don't have to go back to full time work if I were to be a Mum (still in the future right now though!), so will definitely be holding him to that!
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Work just gets in the way, I knew I should've married into money!
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I don't know what the legalities are, but TBH I wouldn't do it. Isn't there a concrete area in the yard where you could walk her up and down instead?

Very boring I know, but better than having a disaster out on the roads.

The simple fact is that cars, vans, lorries etc. are not expecting to see a horse out on the roads in the dark.

Even though you are wearing all your high viz and your miner's lamp etc. it's not enough.

A car can see another vehicle's headlights coming towards them from a long way off, especially round a set of bends, but they would not be able to see you until it was too late.
 
Please don't do it, too many horses are killed on the road in broad daylight. Also if you shine a white light behind you on a dark country lane you will confuse drivers, they may think it is something coming towards them and try to pass on the left - it sound unlikely but this happened to a friend of mine who was pushing her bike in the dark with the front light on towards the traffic, there was a nasty accident and it was a miracle that no-one was killed.
 
Definatley not, I'd never do it.
As a motorised I wouldn't expect to see a horse out in the dark so I wouldn't be prepared for it, let alone a non horsey motorised driving towards/past you.

The other thing is that once the dark sets in it changes the perception of the roads. Different sounds etc, If a bush blows in the wind or a bag is blown around etc.... the horse could potentialy be spook at things that it wouldn't normally spook at during the day hence jumping out in the path of an oncoming car.

I just dont think it's safe despite high viz and flashing lights
 
I think the 'you're stupid' comments are a bit harsh, but I have to say I wouldn't recommend it.

Can't see that riding in the mornings is much of an option as the days draw in both ends. In my opinion, options are PAYING someone else to do it (ridden or in-hand), asking YO/other livery to do it in return for working it off (some of her mucking out?), negotiating with work to take some annual leave & splitting it into hours (so you leave early every day for a few weeks once the nights really draw in), temporarily moving her to a yard where someone else can do it for you (someone you know?) & probably last resort, cutting a few weeks off the end of the regime & finishing it in hand in the field with car lights to help you.
 
I agree with Sal_E the stupid comments are a tad harsh, although personally I wouldn't do it unless I had too.

As for riding in the mornings thats something to think about but it depends on your job and whether you have to commute for hours. My work regularly requires me to leave for work in the dark and return in the dark, not to mention if I'm on call, however I love my job so don't complain and do most of my riding in my school, hacking out at weekends and restdays.

It's a difficult situation but you need to way up the risks involved and act acordingly.

evenag114
 
I certainly wouldn't ride on a road in the dark, however I love riding in the dark on my farm. Horses have wonderful eyesight in the dark and particularly if there is a large moon then even my vision is clear.
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I'm curious as to why people think that 'Stupid' is being harsh.

How many times do we read on here about dangerous drivers? And that is in the daylight! Riding is a dangerous enough sport as it is - why try and put ones self at increased risk by riding in the dark????
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I'm curious as to why people think that 'Stupid' is being harsh.

How many times do we read on here about dangerous drivers? And that is in the daylight! Riding is a dangerous enough sport as it is - why try and put ones self at increased risk by riding in the dark????
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Well said AmyMay. As in my earlyer post i had to sit with my horse for 45mins before the vet could get to me and he had no hind legs left and i can tell you it's not nice to see, so to ride in the dark and put yourself at risk is stupid.
 
If you really have to go out on the road. Could your husband come out with you with the car? You can be in his headlights and you have all your highviz on. If he has the hazard lights on then people will know he is with you and you are a slow moving vehicle?

I feel that would be the safest way to do this.

High viz clothing is never enough in my opinion. I have nearly driven into horses at night who only have high viz on as you have to have them right in your headlights for the reflectives to work. (Fine on a long straight, no use what so ever on a high hedged country lane on a long bend)!
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