Safe winter hacking... I wear hi vis, who else?!

Buds_mum

Buds_mum

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So we all (should) know how important it is to be safe and seen when out and about on the roads with our neddies, especially in the low night and duller days.

However I still see basically everyone else who rides out round my area in no hi vis, today on leaving the yard at 6.30 a young girl was riding up the main road without a scrap on yet she was on a bay horse at dusk, is it still the looking like a christmas tree issue?
I know where she keeps her horse and she still had 20 mins to ride home...

So I thought we could start a ''hands up who wheres hi vis'' thread, maybe we can proove it isn't square/uncool. And no its not cream breeches and a tweed jacket, but we aren't in 1950 anymore either ;)
It is sensible and safe, and basically could save yours and your horses life!

What part of this do people not understand!?

I wear hi vis on me and Buds at whatever time of day, whatever time of year. Last week a driver stopped and thanked me as he saw us from so far away, brilliant!
So post below if you are a hi vis wearer :) maybe someone who does hack out without will maybe have their minds changed!

Here we are today, I think he makes a good police horse :p

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Ooops apologies for huge photos!!
 
I never go out without a hi viz tabard on. I also have some flashing blue armbands from ebay which I put on if I go out before it's fully light. I also have a head torch which I wear on my hat again if it's not completely light...
 
I have a yellow viz and reflective vest and pink hat band, pony has leg wraps of.both colours and a yellow sheet for when its cold.

I work as an instructor on a riding school and see it as my duty (as well as my own safety) to wear it and set an example whether working or riding my own.
 
I wear hi-viz all year when i go out on the roads. I want to be seen. I once was looking at a horse being ridden down a road on a sunny day and as it went into the shade of a tree i couldn't see it anymore and that was a light grey horse and less than 100 yards away from me :eek:, i found that quite an eye opener. It made me think then and i have always worn hi-viz since that day and that was in 1987 so i have worn it along time. I have a hat band and a tabard at the very minimum. The rest of the time i have a jacket on and my horse has an excersice sheet, a martingale and boots that are all reflective and bright. I intend to be seen and keep living :D. I've certainly never had a driver tell me they can't see me.
 
I wear a yellow hi viz tabard and pink hi viz hat band - pony wears orange hi viz exercise sheet, pink hi viz noseband and martingale covers, a set of yellow hi viz leg wraps over boots in front and a set of pink hi viz boots behind!

I will try and get a picture when we are next out!!
 
Sorry my phone died....it had given me enough warnings haha.

I was saying...i hate people without hi vis especially those on brown harder to see horse. I have to force myself to keep driving rather than stopping to berate!
 
That horse is stunning!! :D
I wear a tabard everytime I go out on roads. I also have a reflective strap for noseband and reflective leg straps which I use sometimes.

I have a hiviz pink exercise sheet that I use in winter :D
 
I always wear a tabard, and my horse wears leg wraps, breast plate and bridle kit, and also an excercise sheet in autumn/winter. I want both me and my horse to be visible both while we're riding or if we should somehow part company.
 
Always Always Always!!

Thick fluro bands on all four legs, Hi-viz neck band and I have fluro jackets/tabards in many different forms for different weather!

If it is really murky then I put a fluro exercise rug/mesh quarter sheet on too. I also have flashing bands for legs and my arm for winter use.

I really don`t understand those who hack without :eek:
 
I don't have pics, but I mostly wear at least a tabard all the time. If it's a winter's day or any evening I wear far more, use an exercise sheet and LED lights.

I know from when I'm driving that it's so hard to see people who don't wear any, especially dog walkers etc.
 
I always stick to hacking on busy main roads when it gets to winter, through town centres. So even though both horses are black, we don't need hi viz with the street lights. Most cars are already in a slow moving pile up behind us anyway, because neither horse good in traffic (jump about in road centre lol!). Don't wear a hat too, so the drivers can see my cascading blond hair from a distance, which helps our visibility.
 
I wear a 'Polite' tabard and hat band as a bare minimum all year round- usually add more if I'm going on the road.

I wear it even when I'm going no where near a road- figure I'm far more likely to be spotted amongst the bracken on the hill or the undergrowth in the forest if I've fallen off if I'm wearing something bright!
 
littlelegs said:
I always stick to hacking on busy main roads when it gets to winter, through town centres. So even though both horses are black, we don't need hi viz with the street lights. Most cars are already in a slow moving pile up behind us anyway, because neither horse good in traffic (jump about in road centre lol!). Don't wear a hat too, so the drivers can see my cascading blond hair from a distance, which helps our visibility.
Click to expand...

Ll I read that like this... :eek::eek::eek::eek::o:o:):D
 
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Always. Tabard, rein bands, leg bands (for him). Have just added flashing leg and arm bands for me and we use a high viz sheet in rain / cold.
We think we look pretty cool :)
 
Always hack out with one of the Polite waistcoats and also a reflective band on my hat. Even when just going along the bridleway and back as just as important to be seen there as used by lots of cyclists and dog walkers. Particularly good so fast cyclists can see you before they're on you too quick and as important for them to slow up behind you too as much as a car should on the road. And also based on some threads I've seen should you fall off in a field or something, you might be easier to spot. Also have a disc attached to my saddle with all relevant ICE numbers and where horse kept etc.

Love your horse BTW!
 
I wear a long sleeved hi-viz jacket, have one for winter, one for summer and a fleece for inbetween :D Hat band on hacking hat, hi-viz gloves. The mare has a Hi-Viz martingale thingy (goes round her neck and to the girth) four hi-viz leg bands and a hi-viz tail guard. She also has a summer weight exercise sheet, but I rarely use that tbh and a winter weight waterproof one which gets a bit more use. I also have a collection of clip on bicycle lights in white and red, which can be set to flash or give a steady light. I rarely ride in the dark/dusk, but anyone can get caught out and it take longer to get home than you expect.
 
ALWAYS - the more the better!!

Was involved in a road accident in May, where very tragically my friends horse was killed by a car. We were all in tabards at the time, crystal clear bright weather. All the fault is on the driver - long story but there is a very messy court case ongoing.

Still too nervous to take my gelding (who I was riding when it happened) out, but have lately started taking my mare out again.

Have always worn a tabard, but since this I have gone all out. See below! :)

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How terrible for you and your friend CB :(

We rock the hi-viz matchy matchy look :D
I ride out a lot on my own so horse normally goes out wearing this set up:
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plus I'll be wearing either a tabard or jacket depending on weather. I also have a hi-viz mesh sheet although I don't tend to use it that much since I got the saddlecloth.

If I'm hacking out with others I'll sometimes 'just' have neckband and boots for madam:
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I also have emergency contact info on a dog tag attached to her saddle.

eta Buds Mum I love your chunky monkey!
 
this is me last winter on my old boy, will be similar this winter, though to be fair the only dif summer to winter is the quarter sheet. I have swapped his lanyard to a yellow one as pink would clash horribly with Mr Arnie!

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heres me with my welshie in the summer Iam also thinking of adding leg wraps, and a flashing tail guard (do they stay on )
when its darker we add a hi viz yellow wrap around sheet, and workers hi viz jacket under the tabard and i have the aldi flashing bands which i put 2 together around my hat considering them round his legs also thinking of replacing the neck band with homemade orange wraps for the breastplate and we hack through the centre of town often get asked if were police :)

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