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

It's funny, Horse and Hound don't see hi viz as necessary but I'm sat here watching a paramedic on a motorbike lights and sirens on, fully clothed in hi viz. Who would have thought he needed it with the lights and siren??
 
bikerchickone said:
It's funny, Horse and Hound don't see hi viz as necessary but I'm sat here watching a paramedic on a motorbike lights and sirens on, fully clothed in hi viz. Who would have thought he needed it with the lights and siren??
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Maybe he's nervous, inexperienced and rather novicey when travelling on the roads... :p :D
 
Such a silly comment to make.
I don't wear any hi-viz on my person (which I probably should), but my pony wears a big orange rug in the winter time when we go out on the road
407109_2968971946003_1312840159_3215602_1067730577_n.jpg

Has a tail flap so we can be seen from behind too. I have leg wraps but they don't do up round his tree trunks...
Have been stopped by motorists 3 times now to thank me for making him so visable.
Am trying to find a mesh type one for summer time
 
Hi viz is essential. I live close to the livery yard where my horse is kept, its on the edge of a housing estate and this must be ridden through in order to do any hacking. There are several schools nearby and quite a lot of traffic on the local roads and 9am and 3.30pm. There are approx 25 horses on this yard and everyone who uses these roads regularly will be well used to meeting horses including myself. I expect to see the horses out on these roads yet i have repeatedly been taken by surprise when riders without hi viz have suddenly emerged from various places where there have been trees or the light has been poor. On many many occasions i have seen a rider in hi viz from a good distance then found when i got quite close that there was actually a second rider without the hi viz, as i know the local riders i usually have a word and explain & and happily so far they have all made sure that take precautions in future. Any responsible horse publication should be supporting saving lives not mocking any steps taken to reduce accidents. H&H need to take notice of the the circumstances many many modern riders enjoy their horses and not ridicule people for trying to do so in a safe responsible manner.
 
No-one in my yard uses hivis...but that hasn't stopped me! before taking my youngster out in hand his bridle was kitted up....tail band doesn't fit so I'm getting a new one! But I have a vest too.

We have barely any roadwork...just quiet single lanes, but lots of corners! he is jet black and very difficult to see by motorists as some of the lanes are dark with tree cover even in the bright sunshine (its the new forest).
 
Is it so that H+H magazine isn't a representation of it's readers opinions, but rather a bible - that should be adhered to ... lest the "bertie bassetts" among us be cast out!? Belittled and shunned by our betters at HH towers? :(
That's why I stick to other magazines, who actually LISTEN to their readers, rather than throw scorn on the vast majority. :)
 
Posting also to support this thread. As a fellow Bertie Bassett I am in good company and think the statement made by the author is disgraceful.
 
I am very lucky that I have direct hacking to off road hacking, but still wouldn't dream of hacking without hi viz on myself or my pony - for one thing, it makes you visible to air rescue team should the worst happen but also allows cyclists, dog walkers, runners etc to spot us too. I am one of the few people from my yard to year hi viz and often get comments such as 'your bright' or 'we could see you coming' ... Which is the whole point! Funny enough, those that don't wear it are the first to complain that someone didn't see them!

I always wear - a hat band, hi viz coat, gilet or tabard depending on time of year and hi viz gloves.

Pony years - hi viz noseband cover, rein slips, neck band, high viz saddlecloth, tail guard and leg wraps.

All in various colours - pink, orange and yellow.

IMHO everyone should wear high viz whatever time of day or year or weather conditions regardless if they are hacking on roads or not.
 
chels said:
Such a silly comment to make.
I don't wear any hi-viz on my person (which I probably should), but my pony wears a big orange rug in the winter time when we go out on the road
407109_2968971946003_1312840159_3215602_1067730577_n.jpg

Has a tail flap so we can be seen from behind too. I have leg wraps but they don't do up round his tree trunks...
Have been stopped by motorists 3 times now to thank me for making him so visable.
Am trying to find a mesh type one for summer time
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Chels I love that rug, where did you get it from?
 
I am yet to read the article I have it ( and no I will not be cancelling my subscription even if it says all eventers stink,) maybe when I read it I may change my mind but at the moment I cannot help but think what a massive overreaction by th good old h&h possy for what I suspect basically is a slightly tactless tongue in cheek humourous comment!
Prehaps we should all be out actually riding our horses with or without decorations and let each to their own as we obviously have far to much time in our hands to overreact in such a way!
 
The inverted snobbery on this thread is awful. my horses are not on full livery and I don't work in London. I do think if you gave two hoots about yours, your horses or other road user's safety you would not ride on the roads at all. And no, I don't wear hi viz.
 
lannerch said:
I am yet to read the article I have it ( and no I will not be cancelling my subscription even if it says all eventers stink,) maybe when I read it I may change my mind but at the moment I cannot help but think what a massive overreaction by th good old h&h possy for what I suspect basically is a slightly tactless tongue in cheek humourous comment!
Prehaps we should all be out actually riding our horses with or without decorations and let each to their own as we obviously have far to much time in our hands to overreact in such a way!
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I dont think its over reaction, its a reasonable reaction to a thoughtless, stupid comment that may influence some people not to wear hi viz for fear of being seen as a pansy, or a scared rider, thus putting themselves and their horse at risk. The person who made it should apologise, the person who edited the article shouldnt have allowed riders who take care of themselves, their horses and other road users by wearing to be painted it in such a negative way.
 
My horses are exercised off road and the rider not only wears hi-vis but also telemetry!

The forests where we ride up here in the Highlands are so vast that no helicopter would have a hope to find a rider who has come off WITHOUT hi-vis and, even with it, a search would be difficult. The telemetry (I'm a falconer) is an added and, I think, necessary precaution.

As for those who don't wear hi-vis on the road -- well, Natural Selection will eventually sort that out.:rolleyes:
 
RunToEarth said:
The inverted snobbery on this thread is awful. my horses are not on full livery and I don't work in London. I do think if you gave two hoots about yours, your horses or other road user's safety you would not ride on the roads at all. And no, I don't wear hi viz.
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I agree that roads are not ideal environments for horses, however unfortunately the reality is that it is extremely unlikely that the majority of horse riders can avoid the roads at all times. For those occasions that we have to ride on the roads it surely makes sense to take as many precautions as we can to ensure our safety, our horse's safety and the safety of everyone else on the roads too? And that includes making ourselves visible to other road users, surely?
 
RunToEarth said:
The inverted snobbery on this thread is awful. my horses are not on full livery and I don't work in London. I do think if you gave two hoots about yours, your horses or other road user's safety you would not ride on the roads at all. And no, I don't wear hi viz.
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I see local riders riding out in poor visibility on roads round here only because they feel "safe" because they are in full hi viz!!!
They think I am 'wimpy' because I won't let my daughter or my own horse do this anymore- although 15 years ago we all rode out , all the time, on roads.
Car design has changed - people can drive as fast round corners as they can on the straight, and if you think risk assessing each, individual situation is not needed because you are wearing full hi viz .... well, I question that.
Horses on roads are not as fast as cyclists,therefore traffic coming up behind is too high risk, in my mind, to ride out at all.

If you are concerned about being lost in the wilderness, carry a mobile phone. Most of them have tracking technology.
 
RunToEarth said:
The inverted snobbery on this thread is awful. my horses are not on full livery and I don't work in London. I do think if you gave two hoots about yours, your horses or other road user's safety you would not ride on the roads at all. And no, I don't wear hi viz.
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well you obviously dont give two hoots about your safety... wearing a hat with no chin strap. tut tut.
 
chels said:
Such a silly comment to make.
I don't wear any hi-viz on my person (which I probably should), but my pony wears a big orange rug in the winter time when we go out on the road
407109_2968971946003_1312840159_3215602_1067730577_n.jpg

Has a tail flap so we can be seen from behind too. I have leg wraps but they don't do up round his tree trunks...
Have been stopped by motorists 3 times now to thank me for making him so visable.
Am trying to find a mesh type one for summer time
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V bandz do a Mesh Quarter Sheet.. I have one .. it is excellent...

http://www.v-bandz.co.uk/category-24/MQTR.html
 
I organise a social rise every year. Last time, to make it more fun I had a couple of prizes. One was for best turned out hi viz. It was won by a young girl with her pony both decked out in a full array of matching pink hi viz and I don't think they looked stupid or like "Bertie basset" I think they looked smart and visible. If I was that girls mum I would certainly want her coming home in one piece every time she hacked out.
kids are so easily influenced though and I know at that age I was reading the h&h avidly, looking up to all my horsey Heros. What a shame if a girl like this decided not to keep wearing all her hi viz for fear of not looking professional or confident.
:(
 
true dragon said:
well you obviously dont give two hoots about your safety... wearing a hat with no chin strap. tut tut.
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my patey may be considered to compromise my safety, but I do not wonder around busy roads considering my self to be incredibly safe because you wear hi viz. Only this morning I've seen 3 women, 3 a breast in the fog, hi viz or not, they are still incredibly vulnerable, and putting others at risk.
 
RunToEarth said:
my patey may be considered to compromise my safety, but I do not wonder around busy roads considering my self to be incredibly safe because you wear hi viz. Only this morning I've seen 3 women, 3 a breast in the fog, hi viz or not, they are still incredibly vulnerable, and putting others at risk.
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Nobody thinks theyre incredibly safe, just safer than if not wearing it.
We all have stories of individuals pushing the boundries of safety and doing stupid things we wouldnt, hacking in fog being one of them, again tarring everyone with the one brush, not helpful.
 
RunToEarth said:
The inverted snobbery on this thread is awful. my horses are not on full livery and I don't work in London. I do think if you gave two hoots about yours, your horses or other road user's safety you would not ride on the roads at all. And no, I don't wear hi viz.
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So everyone who rides horses on roads doesn't give two hoots about them? Nice one, just accuse about 90% of the forum members of not giving a stuff about their horses. :eek: :o

I agree that horses and traffic together make for a risky situation, a bit like horses and big solid fences, children and road crossings, life in general... Putting yourself, your animals, your family at some risk is inevitable to do anything, it does not mean that you don't care. Refusing to make a bit of effort and some small changes incorporating new ideas in order to reduce risks where possible does stink of arrogance and stubbornness, but even that does not mean that people don't care about their horses.
 
RunToEarth said:
my patey may be considered to compromise my safety, but I do not wonder around busy roads considering my self to be incredibly safe because you wear hi viz. Only this morning I've seen 3 women, 3 a breast in the fog, hi viz or not, they are still incredibly vulnerable, and putting others at risk.
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Oh do go and ride your horses Rosie on your hundreds of acres of off road riding. Not all of us are spoiled brats like you that our parents have hundreds of acres for us to ride on.

If weren't so spoilt I doubt you would be spouting this crap.

As a horse rider I hope you spoke to these riders. If you did not, you have no right to be talking about them on a public forum. Yes, they were contravening the highway code, but so are you by not wearing high visibility clothing.

I suggest you revise your Highway Code yourself before complaining about other road users.
 
would you have me not have a horse at all then RTE? They are only for people who have arenas or acres of off road riding on their doorstep? or if I do have one I have to keep it as a pet and not let him out the field?

re the mobiles and tracking technology, does this work if there is no signal?

eta does the same go for everyone not in a car but using the highway? cyclists? runners? (its rural round here, limited pavements and none through my village) motorbikes?
 
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Tracking technology doesn't work from phone mast signals - there are different kinds, so you would have to investigate which would suit your purposes.

I wasn't too thrilled when I found out about it - I feel it's all a bit 1984:eek:

But, I can see the usefulness in certain situations.

i have to say , some people are being incredibly defensive and reactionary on this thread.
 
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