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

[Dave282B]

I've helped your cause CC as I cancelled mine but the reason was I do it this time every year as I have too much to do during nice weather . Trouble is I will buy nexts weeks hoping for a retraction

 

[Ceris Comet]

It's everyone's cause surely to save lives.

 

[PucciNPoni]

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.

hmmmm a friend of mine lives on Anglesey - where apparently the MOD has advised the wearing of HiViz even if schooling on your own yard ?! I could have this wrong - but it might seem over the top but when helicopters are hovering about your arena on exercise, might be useful at least to have hi-viz gloves (like I gave to my friend last xmas) so they can clearly see which fingers she's holding up!

 

[lannerch]

I suspect cc though they are not cancelling sibscriptions left right and centre. How many even have subscriptions?
Personally I would never consider cancelling a subscription due to a flippent comment ( as I posted earlier even if they wrote all eventers smell ) because lets face that would be a massive overreaction and I do query the motivation for your obsession about the subject, do you work for the opposition perhaps?

 

[Ceris Comet]

No, just horrified about what I read . I feel strongly about the wrong message going out to impressional youngster who now may well put themselves at risk .

 

[Shantara]

I suspect cc though they are not cancelling sibscriptions left right and centre. How many even have subscriptions?
Personally I would never consider cancelling a subscription due to a flippent comment ( as I posted earlier even if they wrote all eventers smell ) because lets face that would be a massive overreaction and I do query the motivation for your obsession about the subject, do you work for the opposition perhaps?

Maybe she's just passionate about it? I know I am!!

 

[HihoGinger]

I read the whole article, and felt that it was a throwaway remark, but that it was meant all the same.
It was an irresponsible thing to say, and as others have said; it's taken long enough to get people to come round to the idea of Hi vis, but it only takes one stupid, flippant remark to make all the people who are terrified of being labelled as "happy hackers" or "novices" put their hi vis away and increase their risk of being hit.
I work on the railway, so wear it most days anyway, and it's just another bit of kit to me, but I wish people would put safety over vanity and help themselves be seen.

I also remember Mr Ratner. Epic fail.

 

[AprilBlossom]

I thoroughly enjoyed the article and ref the hi-viz, interpreted it as 'whilst hi viz is great, there's no need to break the bank and buy everything you possibly can in the stuff'! The Bertie Bassett likening made me chuckle, so true!
I don't wear hi viz, but don't really hack on roads. I also ride within a few miles of a small airfield but don't feel I need to hi viz for the benefit of a helicopter either - its not like they'd be looking down a great deal is it!

 

[Ceris Comet]

If god forbid you ever have a fall they will be .

 

[Marydoll]

I hacked out this morning, very quiet country roads, but lots of runners, cyclists and the occassional lorry or car, i wore a Hi viz pink jacket
Horse wore a hi viz pink quarter sheet and boot wraps, with hi viz pink martingale and rein covers. ( oilseed rape is nearly 4ft high )
My friends call me Marydoll, numptys like Ms Higgison call me Bertie Basset

 

[Parker79]

I thoroughly enjoyed the article and ref the hi-viz, interpreted it as 'whilst hi viz is great, there's no need to break the bank and buy everything you possibly can in the stuff'! The Bertie Bassett likening made me chuckle, so true!
I don't wear hi viz, but don't really hack on roads. I also ride within a few miles of a small airfield but don't feel I need to hi viz for the benefit of a helicopter either - its not like they'd be looking down a great deal is it!

We are encouraged to use hi-vis as we ride in the New Forest....Air ambulance would never find us! Would hate to think of mine running around the forest without hi-viz either... its 40pmh twisty roads!

CC - I can understand your passion

 

[EstherYoung]

The positioning of the comment was weird too, and didn't really fit in - it was between a quote encouraging people to get out of the school and go hacking, and a comment warning readers that winding country lanes can be more dangerous than wide open roads. The 'Bertie Bassett' sentence could have been left out completely and the article would have read better IMO.

 

[AprilBlossom]

Parker79, I get the hi viz on horse in NF so should you part company steed is more visible to search party/drivers, but I thought helicopters use heat seeking cameras to find people in such a circumstance? Genuine question btw, I'm not trying to cause argument, just curious.

 

[Ranyhyn]

^ I'd always like to have visual back up, in case of good old equiptment malfunctions etc

 

[HihoGinger]

Parker79, I get the hi viz on horse in NF so should you part company steed is more visible to search party/drivers, but I thought helicopters use heat seeking cameras to find people in such a circumstance? Genuine question btw, I'm not trying to cause argument, just curious.

I know the police helicopters use heatseeking equipment (on crims, usually at night...seen it on Road wars eh! ), but am not sure whether air ambulances are fitted with the technology or not. I suppose they might be.
Either way though, it's still better to be visible from the air if possible, just incase

 

[Parker79]

Parker79, I get the hi viz on horse in NF so should you part company steed is more visible to search party/drivers, but I thought helicopters use heat seeking cameras to find people in such a circumstance? Genuine question btw, I'm not trying to cause argument, just curious.

No worries...I suppose the problem in the forest would be all the new forest ponies perhaps? (of course I realise they are a different shape!). I dont know but we have a poster on the wall in our tack room from air ambulance asking us to wear high hi vis

 

[Rowreach]

Advice is to wear hiviz so that helis and other low flying aircraft can see you, and emergency helis can find you quicker. I used to live on a Chinook flight path and training area, and we wore hiviz even when riding in the school for this reason

 

[touchstone]

I was issued with Hi Viz from the MOD, an exercise sheet and tabard so that low flying aircraft and helicopters could see me, so it must make a difference!

The BHS have info here:-

After the tragic death of Mrs Heather Bell, which was directly attributed to an incident with a low-flying helicopter, the Coroner instructed the Ministry of Defence to undertake a review such that this must never happen again.

The major review was undertaken working closely with the BHS following the Coroner’s instruction that the MoD should work closely with equestrians to resolve the matter. It quickly became obvious that the most economical and easiest way for pilots to identify equestrians was for riders to wear hi-viz (fluorescent) clothing on both themselves and their horse. Extensive trials were undertaken using two riders who acted as guinea pigs for the Chinook pilots and it was easily shown that with a rider wearing a hi-viz jacket, a hat band/cover and the horse wearing a hi-viz fly sheet, the pilot could see them up to half-a-mile sooner. That was plenty of time for them to avoid over-flight and thus avoid frightening the horse and rider. Many riders wearing appropriate hi-viz clothing have reported that they have witnessed pilots taking avoiding action and remained safe as a result of this.

 

[AprilBlossom]

Lol that's where I got the idea from - some sort of police tv programme where the chase down chavs with a heat seeking heli! Never even thought of hi biz for anything other than roadwork really...

 

[blood_magik]

I've just ordered a set of hi-viz leg wraps for mine because of the amount of hacking we'll be doing on the roads. he wears an exercise sheet and I have a hi-viz jacket.

I'd rather my horse not be hit by a car.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I was issued with Hi Viz from the MOD, an exercise sheet and tabard so that low flying aircraft and helicopters could see me, so it must make a difference!

The BHS have info here:-

After the tragic death of Mrs Heather Bell, which was directly attributed to an incident with a low-flying helicopter, the Coroner instructed the Ministry of Defence to undertake a review such that this must never happen again.

The major review was undertaken working closely with the BHS following the Coroner’s instruction that the MoD should work closely with equestrians to resolve the matter. It quickly became obvious that the most economical and easiest way for pilots to identify equestrians was for riders to wear hi-viz (fluorescent) clothing on both themselves and their horse. Extensive trials were undertaken using two riders who acted as guinea pigs for the Chinook pilots and it was easily shown that with a rider wearing a hi-viz jacket, a hat band/cover and the horse wearing a hi-viz fly sheet, the pilot could see them up to half-a-mile sooner. That was plenty of time for them to avoid over-flight and thus avoid frightening the horse and rider. Many riders wearing appropriate hi-viz clothing have reported that they have witnessed pilots taking avoiding action and remained safe as a result of this.

And this advice ^ is also what is issued by our local airfield, which has a very busy schedule with training, pleasure and business flights for Heli and fixed wing 7 days a week. This is less than a mile from the M25 and also close to 2 large commons.

 

[Ceris Comet]

I received the same advice when I used to ride out over the downs in Wiltshire.

 

[lannerch]

I've just read the first line and don't worry I too am a pansy I might not deck myself and my horse out like Bertie Bassett orca Christmas tree ( for those that have not read the whole thread I do wear a tabbard before you shoot me down ) however I d turn my horse out in a rug just to keep him clean. And no even so I will not be cancelling my subscription

 

[Marydoll]

I've just read the first line and don't worry I too am a pansy I might not deck myself and my horse out like Bertie Bassett orca Christmas tree ( for those that have not read the whole thread I do wear a tabbard before you shoot me down ) however I d turn my horse out in a rug just to keep him clean. And no even so I will not be cancelling my subscription

Omga a rug to keep clean shocking

 

[piebaldsparkle]

And this advice ^ is also what is issued by our local airfield, which has a very busy schedule with training, pleasure and business flights for Heli and fixed wing 7 days a week. This is less than a mile from the M25 and also close to 2 large commons.

This just shows how out of touch HHo (or their rep.) is.

 

[Vixen Van Debz]

I think it's terrible that such a damaging comment was allowed into an otherwise mostly sound article, and am even less impressed at the unapologetic, ignorant response of Lucy in the face of the majority opinion of the readership posting on this thread. Writing to IPC may well have a more direct effect than this thread I think though, given IPC's sale of Hi-Viz and the potential knock-on effect on subscription.

I would like to make a small point though: while there is no such thing as too much hi-viz, there is a point where adding more high viz won't make the horse and rider perceptible to others sooner. For example, I doubt yellow ears and rein covers will aid visual reaction times when the pair already have on a high viz nose-band, breast plate, boots, stirrup clips, leg bangs (on the rider), a tabbard and an exercise sheet. However, if this is the point the writer was trying to make (and certainly I think contributors to this thread were trying to assert as much), H&H have failed woefully. On top of that, labelling those who wear lots of high-viz negatively is deplorable for such a widely available publication: for me, making sure yourself and your horse are both easily visible (including when separated) is a duty of care not only to your animal, but it is the action of a fair and responsible road user, and can reduce the amount of time lost in searching for casualties by the emergency services. For such a flippant comment to cast negativity on folk who take such a responsibility is so wrong that it is laughable.

The best thing about this article is clearly this thread, and I for one have enjoyed reading it.

Shame on you H&H!

 

[Ceris Comet]

Hopefully we will get a more thought out response In the morning from H&H.

 

[kirstyl]

Would like to add that after reading a large part of this thread I bought 4 fluorescent leg wraps which I hacked out in today. I always wear a tabard but the comments here made me realise my horse needed to be easily spotted too. Thank you all!

 

[Queenbee]

Cc, I'm worse than you, my mare is consistently in a mw stable rug at the moment, I'm the biggest mollycoddler of em all although in my defense she is poorly and has lost lots of weight, normally she would be roasting in it!

 

[Ceris Comet]

H&H need to now try to encourage hi-viz before a life is lost due to that ridiculous article.