Riding in the dark

Birker2020

Birker2020

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In the winter as I work full time and its dark after work I am really limited to when I can ride as my horse can’t be ridden in the school and my only other choice is to ride around the yard in the dark which my horse doesn’t mind (the perimeter takes about 60 seconds and I can only really go one way to avoid the sharp slope going downhill). This gets very boring as I am sure you can imagine. We also have a field and again my horse would be safe enough in the dark but it will be too wet in the winter. We have a walker but my horse benefits from actually being ridden and I feel a walker can be counter- productive for some physical problems. Plus, I’ll be honest, I really want to keep riding.

We have a long lane directly outside our gate and I rather fancied hacking up there as it is very quiet in the evening after rush hour has died down. As I wear loads of hi- viz and also have flashing leg bands for my horse I can’t see it being a problem. Photo of the lane below. Obviously I can see headlights from a long distance as it’s a long lane and they can also see me with the flashing lights which gives both driver and myself time to see each other. I wouldn’t do it if it were a busy lane or if it was winding. Photo of the lane - it's about a 20 minute return journey to go as far as I would dare go before it narrows and goes around a bend.

My horse is sensible on the road and is usually fine ridden on the yard in the dark so I am assuming the same will be the case if I ventured onto the road. Yes, no. Or undecided? Is this really foolhardy as I am getting mixed opinions from people.

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hopscotch bandit said:
In the winter as I work full time and its dark after work I am really limited to when I can ride as my horse can’t be ridden in the school and my only other choice is to ride around the yard in the dark which my horse doesn’t mind (the perimeter takes about 60 seconds and I can only really go one way to avoid the sharp slope going downhill). This gets very boring as I am sure you can imagine. We also have a field and again my horse would be safe enough in the dark but it will be too wet in the winter. We have a walker but my horse benefits from actually being ridden and I feel a walker can be counter- productive for some physical problems. Plus, I’ll be honest, I really want to keep riding.

We have a long lane directly outside our gate and I rather fancied hacking up there as it is very quiet in the evening after rush hour has died down. As I wear loads of hi- viz and also have flashing leg bands for my horse I can’t see it being a problem. Photo of the lane below. Obviously I can see headlights from a long distance as it’s a long lane and they can also see me with the flashing lights which gives both driver and myself time to see each other. I wouldn’t do it if it were a busy lane or if it was winding. Photo of the lane - it's about a 20 minute return journey to go as far as I would dare go before it narrows and goes around a bend.

My horse is sensible on the road and is usually fine ridden on the yard in the dark so I am assuming the same will be the case if I ventured onto the road. Yes, no. Or undecided? Is this really foolhardy as I am getting mixed opinions from people.

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I ride in the dark. You can use a head torch, and I think you need lights on your stirrups showing white to front red to rear. Also reflective bands on legs and tail so car lights can pick you up easily.
Also I think reflective gloves are a good idea so your hand signals can be seen.
 
I'd give it a go, kit yourself with plenty of reflective material & some lights, the lane seems to have decent verges that you can get onto if you see headlights coming towards you. I've hacked in the dark when hacking to early morning meets for autumn hunting, to get to a 7am meet that's a few miles away I had to leave the yard in the pitch black, with lights & reflectives I could be seen from quite far away, my horse didn't mind & I enjoyed it.
 
Wouldn’t be for me. Once the clocks change I’d ride early morning in the light, and early evening until it gets too dark (which is what I’ve always done.

I then just ride at the weekend.
 
amymay said:
Wouldn’t be for me. Once the clocks change I’d ride early morning in the light, and early evening until it gets too dark (which is what I’ve always done.

I then just ride at the weekend.
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I couldn't do that as I'm at work for 7am and its a 40 min journey which means I'm up at 5.15/5.30am lol. So it's out of the question. And its a lot of hassle in the morning I found as I've done it years ago before doing rehab when my hours were different although enjoyable in the summer months.
 
stormox said:
I ride in the dark. You can use a head torch, and I think you need lights on your stirrups showing white to front red to rear. Also reflective bands on legs and tail so car lights can pick you up easily.
Also I think reflective gloves are a good idea so your hand signals can be seen.
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I thought about a head torch but assumed it would be too high and possibly blind drivers coming towards you? (I'm hoping there won't be many mind!)
 
I used to ride in the morning in the dark (V early) horse was absolutely fine, plenty of hi viz and torch but in fairness only a small stretch along the road
 
Personally it would be a no from me. Yes to riding in the dark on tracks/in fields etc where you don't have the added risk of cars.
Might be worth considering how your horse would react to headlights coming directly at them.
My worry would be people drive fast on country lanes at night as use the whole 'i'll see the headlights so can slow down in plenty of time'
People have accidents in daylight let alone with the added joy of it being dark. Also worse case what if you came off? Loose horse in the dark on a road - no thanks!

God I sound like a windy so 'n' so!
 
It's a pain. I wouldn't though. I inadvertently hacked out during sunset the other day - hadn't realised how fast the light was going and decided to use the woods which is tree lined on both sides so it was pretty dark from the outset. Head torch was fab and I did have plenty of hi vis inc red light in the back and white one for the front. Still, it wasn't fun and a bit stressful not having great visibility and that's without any road traffic.
 
I wouldn't as I don't think my girl would have liked it. She is clumsy too & I would worry in case she put her foot into a pot hole or similar. I would also worry about cars not seeing me or headlights dazzling both me & horse.
 
I bring my horses in from the field is the dark about a 5 min walk down the road (×2). I have a head torch and a red light fixed to the back of my cap. In addition to hi viz I have fixed a small light onto on side on a head collar.
Horses never seem bothered by car lights.
Also, as it's usually the same time each morning the same people are on the road and expect to meet me.
 
It’s not something I’d do but more because I hate riding late after work anyway, I much prefer riding mornings and shift my working day back to accommodate.

I think if you are well kitted our in high Viz and plenty of lights then on that type of road I wouldn’t have a safety concern - you will probably stand out better than in daylight!
 
Pretty good selection of replies. Think its seven against and five for so far. Pretty much the same figures as my friends. Its a hard one.
 
I would do it, decked out like a christmas tree, assuming your horse is quiet and safe to ride in the dark/in headlights. looks like you can get onto the verge if it felt iffy anyway.
 
An older sensible horse would cope fine especially one that has been out and about a bit on dark lorry parks etc, but regardless of how peaceful and unused the lane is unless it is a no through road to traffic I would not risk it. Car drivers never expect to see a horse being ridden in the dark, why should they really. Bikes in the dark are common and car drivers are used to their lights/hi viz but rarely need to slow down much to pass them as bikes don't have a tendency to shy or whip round at a rustle in the hedge.

Is the lane just access to a few properties ? if it is you could mention to the property owners that you are about in the dark ?
 
i had to ride on the roads to get to the off road riding in the dark. my horse was stabled 24/7 so there was no choice really. i used lights and never had any problems as my horse was very traffic proof and in our area quite a few people were in a similar situation to me so horses on the road in the dark were commonplace. things were different in the 60's and having horses in all the time was quite common. i wouldnt keep a horse with no turnout now but it didnt seem odd then....as that lane had pretty wide verges i would give it a go..
 
I would. I used to ride in the dark all the time as a teenager - I would think nothing of setting out in the dark after school, decked out in lights. I used to ride on a fairly similar lane and I never had an issue with a car seeming not to see me or not slowing down. If you have lots of lights on you are very visible - I know as a driver I always spot a well lit up cyclist from a good distance away and it will be the same with a horse rider. I actually suspect you will find drivers slow down more and are more respectful than they are during the day.
 
It will be all right until it isn't and something happens that frightens/damages either yourself or your horse - or both heaven forbid! I think I might investigate a competent rider to take my horse out a couple of times in the week if this would be possible??
 
I'd check it out on foot beforehand and if it seems alright go out head to toe in reflective and flashing stuff. Is it only really used by locals? If so going at the same time each day and being something they know to expect to see will help.
 
I wouldn't. We had two girls round our way who used to ride in the dark, often around rush hour and even wearing every bit of hi-viz going, you didn't see them until far later than you would in daylight. A lot of drivers - many of whom had been very supportive of horses on the road in other conversations - complained on local Facebook groups that no matter how responsibly they were driving they couldn't see them until it was almost too late. It's not just yourself and your horse you're putting in danger, it's other road users. Half a ton+ of horse coming through someone's windscreen is no joke.
 
annagain said:
even wearing every bit of hi-viz going, you didn't see them until far later than you would in daylight. A lot of drivers - many of whom had been very supportive of horses on the road in other conversations - complained on local Facebook groups that no matter how responsibly they were driving they couldn't see them until it was almost too late
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To be fair his viz alone is useless in the dark it needs to be reflective as a bare minimum and ideally some sort of light emitting type. There are lots of strong and powerful lights available for cyclists now, no reason they couldn't be attached front and back to a horse. On a straight open lane like the op's it should be easy to spot a horse and rider with lights on.
 
I wouldn't.
Once when I was driving back from work in winter along our pitch black single lane road I saw a light as I rounded the corner. I couldn't work out what it was as all I could see was a light bobbing about. I slowed right down and could only see that it was a horse when I was virtually going past as I was pretty much blinded by the headtorch. Probably didnt 't help that she didn't have a stitch of hivis on, so would not have seen them from behind. Worried the crap out of me.
 
I’m trying to find someone to ride my mare once a week for this reason. Last winter I could use my school (have lights) but rehab means I won’t risk it this year. I will ride weekends, maybe one weekday (if i wfh) so an extra day with another rider will keep her ticking over.
 
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