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

[justforfun]

Wow, I am still shocked with some peoples attitude towards 'too much hi-viz'
I think I look like a muppet on the roads but its not about me is it? its about my horses safety, my own and all road users.
I would rather live in my hoody, but then again I am not selfish.
Horse riding is a risk to me and my horse but do I want to add yet another risk from a motorist without some kind of prevention?
I am on a yard where we have lots of young people go out ridng on the roads, no hi-hiz and no manners either, I am ashamed to be on the same yard as such SELFSH people.
Surely this must reflect upon out yard?
If I was a yard owner I would insist upon some kind of hi-viz, even a tabard and somthing on the horse.
IN todays society of the 'no win, no fee claims' I for one wouldnt be happy if I had injured horse in my car because I was unable to it on the roads, and thnk some horse riders would be in for a rocky ride if they was involved in an accident when they wasnt vissable.

 

[Ceris Comet]

A perfect post JFF xxx

 

[PeterNatt]

My advice is to wear long sleeved Hi-Vis so that other road users can see your hand signals. Also have a dog tag on your bridle, saddle and head collar with your contact details and that of your vet so that if you are seperated it is easy to contact you or your vet.

 

[duckling]

Just another thing to those mentioning hi-viz rein sleeves - we were advised not to use these on R&RS exam training cos if for whatever reason your horse gets loose or needs to be caught, grabbing a rein sleeve isn't going to help much as it will just slide right along the reins and you wont have any grip...

 

[Ceris Comet]

Excellent advice as always Peter .

 

[Ceris Comet]

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

They are so obviously locked in their Ivory Tower that real life issues dont concern them

 

[Bikerchickone]

Wow loads of interest in this thread I'm pleased to see! I re read the article again today and showed it to my non horsey parents who were also shocked at the attitude taken by Horse and Hound.

I don't use every little bit of hi viz I can get my hands on but I do have the polite tabard, rainsheet, hatband, leg wraps and neck strap. I will continue doing my Bertie Bassett impersonation because I know it makes car drivers take notice. I value my life and that of my horses. Who cares about a fashion statement, except maybe all the teenagers who will read that article and decide not to bother! Well done Lucy, hope you're proud of yourself and your team.

Also waiting to see this thread in the top 5 next week!

 

[Ceris Comet]

Wow loads of interest in this thread I'm pleased to see! I re read the article again today and showed it to my non horsey parents who were also shocked at the attitude taken by Horse and Hound.

I don't use every little bit of hi viz I can get my hands on but I do have the polite tabard, rainsheet, hatband, leg wraps and neck strap. I will continue doing my Bertie Bassett impersonation because I know it makes car drivers take notice. I value my life and that of my horses. Who cares about a fashion statement, except maybe all the teenagers who will read that article and decide not to bother! Well done Lucy, hope you're proud of yourself and your team.

Also waiting to see this thread in the top 5 next week!

Its the youngsters that Im worried about. I have two , and trying to get them to wear hi-viz was hard enough before HH decided that it was soooooo uncoool

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Here's a little taster

LOVE IT

 

[milo'n'molly]

Glad to see this thread has stayed on the front page

 

[lannerch]

Ive now read the whole article and overreaction is a massive understatement for those that havnt read the article ( suspect most if you ) go back and read it all it says I quote 'a hiviz vest may be prudent for roadwork but not the bertie Bassett levels of neon seen on some horse and riders, undoubtedly traffic is a consideration while volume and shortage of off road hacking is worse around London and big cities winding rural roads can be as treacherous if one meets a wannabe rally driver'
It is tongue in cheek the whole way through critizising most of us horse owners in a very humorous light way I enjoyed it

 

[Tinypony]

I've read it and I disagree with you Lannerch.
I didn't read this as tongue in cheek, and if it was supposed to be then it's pretty poor writing because that is not clear from the style:
"...a hiviz vest may be prudent for roadwork but not the bertie Bassett levels of neon seen on some horse and riders..."
That is very clear - "a high vis vest maybe prudent" No, I think the majority of riders would agree that it's a very good idea indeed.
"but not the Bertie Bassett levels of neon seen on some horses and riders" So what's not "prudent" about that?
The definition of prudent is wise or judicious in practical affairs, cautious, discreet, wary, careful and similar words. (that would be discreet within the definition of that word meaning to be judicious rather to avoid being embarrassed).
The article is clearly saying that it is not wise to wear "Bertie Bassett" levels of neon.

One of the reasons I don't normally buy these horsey magazines is because they are filled with adverts and padded out with pointless articles like this that are designed to stroke egos. They have very little substance and really only repeat common topics of discussion and generally agreed wisdom. In this case however a seriously misleading statement was made and although I tend not to get wound up about this sort of thing, I can understand completely why so many people are.

 

[quirky]

Excellent advice as always Peter .

What made you change your tune CC? PN makes no mention of the horse wearing hi viz, yet he gives "excellent advice". You have ridiculed anybody else who has made such a similar statement .

My advice is to wear long sleeved Hi-Vis so that other road users can see your hand signals. Also have a dog tag on your bridle, saddle and head collar with your contact details and that of your vet so that if you are seperated it is easy to contact you or your vet.

 

[Ceris Comet]

Hello !! Peter advised WEARING hi-viz and anyone who has any interest in saving lives would agree

 

[MerrySherryRider]

What made you change your tune CC? PN makes no mention of the horse wearing hi viz, yet he gives "excellent advice". You have ridiculed anybody else who has made such a similar statement .

I was a bit surprised too.

 

[touchstone]

Here's what the BHS say about it:-


The dark nights and early mornings can make riding on the road more dangerous. Even low sun on a bright winter's day can temporarily blind a motorist causing them to miss seeing a pony and rider in time. That's why it is so important to wear high visibility clothing and to make sure your pony has hi-viz as part of their tack too.

It doesn't have to be winter or dusk for you to wear hi-viz items. In fact, it's best that riders always wear hi-viz when out on the road as it give motorists more time to see you and slow down.
So what is hi-viz clothing?

High visibility or hi-viz is clothing that is fluorescent and / or reflective. It looks bright and eye catching in daylight and shows up well in low light levels. Hi-viz that is also reflective, can shine when a torch or car headlights are shone onto it.

You can get many different types of hi-viz clothing for you and your pony, from tabards and jackets to riding hat bands and gloves for riders. For your pony there are loads of hi-viz items, such as martingale-style neck bands, tail wraps, quarter shees and leg bands.

They even come in pink! It is a scientific fact that leg-bands are seen first by motorists beacuse they are moving as the horse walks along.

So if you have to ride out on the road, always wear as much hi-viz clothing on both you and your pony as you can, no matter what time of day, what time of year and regardless of what the weather iss doing.

You'll stand out from the crows and stay safe!

 

[Tinypony]

Always a good idea to stand out from the crows Touchstone. One wouldn't want to be mistaken for a crow.

I thought Peter Natt's advice wasn't quite right (very unusual for him!) because he didn't say that the horse should wear something high viz.

 

[touchstone]

Always a good idea to stand out from the crows Touchstone. One wouldn't want to be mistaken for a crow.

I thought Peter Natt's advice wasn't quite right (very unusual for him!) because he didn't say that the horse should wear something high viz.

Lol, I copied and pasted that too!

 

[Ceris Comet]

Thanks for posting the BHS advice Touchstone.

 

[Shysmum]

Just ordered a tail guard, and I also have yellow hi vis chaps. I will not ride without it. i have to say, the number of horses that simply cannot be seen round us (and I'm talking a main A road) is shocking - please understand that even as a careful horse watching driver, you CANNOT be seen in sunny conditions, as well as against trees and in bad weather. I have been shocked to drive "almost right onto" horses and riders in various clothing, cos they have just blended in. One particular couple ride out, one in hi vis, the other in none, and the difference is incredible. And words failed me yesterday - not only no hi vis, but two kids riding one TB on the main road, no saddle, and horse clearly spooky. For god's sake.

This tabard has literally changed the way traffic behaves towards myself and Shy. it's been a revelation. I will do anything to protect my beloved pony. x

 

[Shysmum]

I should add here - hubs is a former copper, and had the misfortune to have to attend a horse-thru-the-windscreen incident. The horse was killed instantly, the driver was decapitated. nuff said.

 

[ClobellsandBaubles]

Wow, I am still shocked with some peoples attitude towards 'too much hi-viz'
I think I look like a muppet on the roads but its not about me is it? its about my horses safety, my own and all road users.
I would rather live in my hoody, but then again I am not selfish.

I discovered neon hi viz hoodys the other day

 

[Niddlynoo]

As a result of this thread I am about to order some leg wraps and other hi-viz. I admit to only using tabard up until now!

 

[Jesstickle]

I would suspect that the comment was not careless, but that the entire article was intended to 'provoke' in the Daily Fail sense of the word, i.e. make some imaginary stuff up that ridicules some people in the hopes of causing a (profitable) controvercy.

Agreed. And it's the reason I don't subscribe any more. I used to love H&H and grew up with it (it lived in our downstairs loo as a kid ) but it just isn't the same these days. Sorry IPC but it just isn't.

I have read the article, although I'll confess I didn't buy it, just read it in Tesco.

I stand by everything I said. It's still a ridiculously irresponsible thing to have said, even if it was said in a 'light hearted' way.

 

[quirky]

Hello !! Peter advised WEARING hi-viz and anyone who has any interest in saving lives would agree

You need to read back what has been said, by whom and your response.
You are talking c-rap

Take a look at llanerch's posts and how you responded.

I don't expect an apology .

 

[Bertolie]

As a result of this thread I am about to order some leg wraps and other hi-viz. I admit to only using tabard up until now!

Same here. I have also had the misfortune of a rider becoming parted from one of my horses. Horse paniced and bolted, ending up on a main road approximately 5 miles away. The horse did not have any hi-viz on him, was galloping down a shaded road in glorious October sunshine and collided with a car. According to the vet, the only things that saved the lives of both my horse and the driver/passenger of the car was the fact that 1) he was unshod, and 2) a passing motorcyclist took a brave decision to 'race' the horse, overtake him (horse was travelling at 45+ miles an hour) and alert the oncoming traffic which meant that the car was stationery at the time.

Even after the accident I didn't think it was necessary to deck my other (sensible) horse out in hi-viz when hacking. I always wear a tabbard and felt that was enough, but will now be ordering some hi-viz leg bands as a minimum for both of my horses.

 

[ribbons]

Do you know, the one thing that annoys me about this forum. Is time and time again people posting arrogant and sometimes rude responses which are the result of not reading the post they are replying to properly. Often I read something unpleasant and think, the poster has actually made themselves look silly, by skim reading and getting it wrong. I have not read a post properly before replying on one occasion. Thankfully I try not to be overly judgemental so it wasn't offensive, just an inaccurate reply by me. I quickly apologised and corrected myself.
It would be nice if brains were in gear before some people let the clutch out on their mouths. (or keypads in this instance)

 

[PandorasJar]

A response from BHS...

Thank you for your emailed enquiry which has been forwarded to me for response. I have read the article in Horse & Hound which has generated the thread to which you refer. The BHS will be making a response to this but of course have no jurisdiction over whether it will be printed in the magazine or not. We strongly recommend that hi-viz equipment is worn by both horse and rider whenever they ride out, regardless of the time of day, time of year or prevailing weather conditions. It is a fact that wearing such equipment allows others to see riders and take whatever action is necessary to avoid an incident between them, or indeed to help recover a rider who may be lying hurt on the ground.



I hope this answers your enquiry, but if you feel there is anything further I can do to help you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards

Sheila Hardy



Sheila Hardy (Mrs)

Senior Executive Safety

The British Horse Society

Will be interesting to see if H&H print the BHS response...

Pan

 

[Ceris Comet]

If trying to keep this issue in the forefront of peoples minds and want to saves lives is talking c**p then I guess I'll just carry on .

 

[Feathered]

C'mon Nah!! We wanna see the final Bertie Bassett cartoon

Think you should do it as a mock-up of the next h&h front cover