Shocked at H+H advice not to wear too much hi-viz

mtj

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Today's H+H has an article on mollycoddling horses. Most is about overfeeding/rugging/clipping etc., but it also implies that wearing more than a hi-viz tabard is excessive.

Bit shocked to be honest. Thought the recommendation was for some hi viz on both horse and rider.

What do you think?
 
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POLLDARK

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With todays traffic & speeds you need to be seen so hi viz is a must. It's a bit like chocolate, is there ever too much.:) Though I prefer a bit of moderation, safety first.
 

ThePony

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Haven't read the article, but it seems rather a stupid idea!

Harm can be caused to the horse by over feeding/over rugging etc, no harm can be caused to anyone by wearing alot of high viz (not using the word excessive or 'over' as I pretty much don't think it is possible!).

The more high viz worn means other road users spot you more quickly. Ok, so if it hinders movement or causes a problem because there is so much then I guess it could become a safety prob, pretty unlikely though? I would consider some high viz on both the horse and rider would be useful, not excessive. We always go out inteding to stick with the horse, but I think we all know that doesn't always happen, both parties need to be clearly spotted!!
 

PandorasJar

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Today's H+H has an article on mollycoddling horses. Most is about overfeeding/rugging/clipping etc., but it also implies that wearing more than a hi-viz tabard is excessive.

Bit shocked to be honest. Thought the recommendation was for some hi viz on both horse and rider.

What do you think?

Can you provide a link to the article. I agree with most, but would definitely disagree with too much hi-viz, that isn't mollycoddling, that's taking safety seriously

Pan
 

mtj

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The article is in the magazine.

Actual quote " A hi-viz vest may be prudent for roadwork, but not the Bertie Bassett levels of neon seen on some horses and riders"
 
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What does it actually say? Difficult to comment without the context or the actual wording of the statement.
 

Double_choc_lab

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Be interesting to know who wrote the article and whether they have thousands of acres of private land over which to ride. Oh but don't fall off and require an air ambulance coz they wont spot you or the horse:eek:
 

Jesstickle

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The article is in the magazine.

Actual quote " A hi-viz vest may be prudent for roadwork, but not the Bertie Bassett levels of neon seen on some horses and riders"

Who wrote it? If it's some columnists opinion then it's someone's opinion. If it's H&Hs official stance on it I am actually pretty horrified.
 

PandorasJar

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The article is in the magazine.

Actual quote " A hi-viz vest may be prudent for roadwork, but not the Bertie Bassett levels of neon seen on some horses and riders"

I hope someone from H+H is reading this.

Very irresponsible thing to post in an article. Safety should come first and foremost.

Pan
 

Leg_end

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If it gets you and your horse seen sooner and avoids any nasty occurences/injuries or worse then there's no such thing as too much in my book...

Agreed! My hubby takes the mickey out of me as I'm very pro hi viz and will never hack out without it. I've even told someone I won't hack out with them unless they wear it!!
 

Molasses

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Wow how helpful:rolleyes:
As if it wasn’t hard enough to convince people to wear it already. I thought the advice was lots of high-viz and if possible combination of colours due to some shades of high-viz working better in certain light conditions?

I’ve got an orange breastplate, yellow jacket, pink brushing boots.
That must make me a laughing stock. Course I’ll be laughing last when they get run over and I’m trotting over the bloodstains on the road.
Idiot comment:mad:
 

Kallibear

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If it saves my horses life (or mine), there is no such thing as 'too much' hi-viz.

I personally think it should be a legal requirement for riders (horse and cyclists) to wear hiviz on the roads. Some insurance companies have very sensibly got it in one of their clauses.
 

tickety_boo

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If it's H&Hs official stance on it I am actually pretty horrified.

This. And if it is I would expect a backlash.
The only thing I have found to slow traffic down is to wear lots of hi-viz AND a very bright but very small cycle light clipped onto my back. It is SO bright for such a small thing. It was £4 on ebay so I bought 4 so that my daughter and I have a spare one each. Massive improvement in attitude of other road users since I've been wearing it. But I would still never go on the roads without the rest of the hi-viz and this quote has made me really cross.
 

Elsbells

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That's madness!!!

There is a lot of horsey snobbery out there unfortunatly. Apparently, if you keep your non competeing horse on a DIY livery and you also wear hi-viz on the roads, you can't ride.:rolleyes:

We all know that one.;):D
 

Doogal

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That's madness!!!

There is a lot of horsey snobbery out there unfortunatly. Apparently, if you keep your non competeing horse on a DIY livery and you also wear hi-viz on the roads, you can't ride.:rolleyes:

We all know that one.;):D

lol :D
 

MissChaos

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Was expecting to see the Bertie-Bassett line in quotation marks from an interviewed party. No, they are the words of article author Charlotte Mackaness.

Feature is subtitled 'Mollycoddling', title is 'Are we becoming a nation of pansies?' and the sub finishes '... and explains how to avoid joining the pansy ranks.'

FGS, H&H. How absolutely bloody backwards can you be? Yes, some points are prudent but to associate a safety aspect with being a wimp/pansy/having no idea?

Much rather look like a literal pansy because of hi-vis than because I got squished into different colours. What a jumped-up, thoughtless and arrogant sentiment. When did we go back 20 years? Particular shame also because there is some good sense in the rest of the piece.
 
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MissChaos

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Also, is it just me (perhaps I have been semi-blinded by my Polite vest) but does point six somewhat contradict itself?
 

tickety_boo

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but to associate a safety aspect with being a wimp/pansy/having no idea?
QUOTE]

I shall get my daughter to remove her BP and hat on saturday at her PC XC rally as I would hate for her to feel she's being mollycoddled, or being a wimp.

I wouldn't. But it amounts to the same thing.

And I also won't let her hack out without being lit up like Berti Basset as I would like her to outlive me if possible.

So call her names if you have to Ms Mackaness. If it makes you feel better.
 

Buds_mum

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Hey guys lets face it if your a pony patting, happy hacker who wears hi viz you just don't fit into the upper ranks of H+H

I do however think that H+H will find the vast amount of their readers are 'pansies' who molly coddle their pet ponies. I for one certainly am. And me and my boy look like a christmas tree when we hack. So what.

Idiot, thoughtless comment. Too much like trying to fit into the peer groups at school, wearing hi viz is like taking a lunch box :rolleyes:
 

mashnut

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This is INSANE! I'm the only one I've seen on my yard that uses hi-vis. You need more than a tabard on single track country roads!
On a side note... My motorbike instructor told me yesterday that as of end of this year/next year that hi-vis is becoming compulsory for motorbikes....
So if it can be compulsory for bikers, why can't it become compulsory for riders/cyclists?
 

Lucyad

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How bizzare and ill thought out! You would think that, even if one article author has rather 'strange' opinions, there would be some editorial control (particularly if a proper article, not a comment column).
 

monkeybum13

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I don't get this whole 'its only happy hackers that wear hi viz idea'.

In my local area I would say it is the opposite tbh, its the people who compete who wear hi viz and 'happy hackers' are less likely to wear it in my area.
 

Meowy Catkin

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I know that we've all seen this photo before, but it really does show that Hi viz works.

hi%20viz.ashx


Charlotte Mackaness is of course welcome to her opinion. It is my opinion that her attitude to Hi viz is idiotic.
 
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