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

We’re delighted to see letters printed in today’s issue of Horse and Hound on the comment about hi-viz in their ‘mollycoddling’ feature last week.

As it didn’t make today’s issue, below is the letter we sent to H&H this week.

Sheila Hardy said:
Sir,

What a thought provoking article you produced in ‘Are we becoming a nation of pansies?’ (17 May). For the most part it was a superb feature, covering many issues which are a constant source of frustration to us at the BHS – overfeeding, over-rugging, over-fussing; even down to being brave enough to make the right decisions for your horse at the end of its life.

However, there was one statement which raised cause for concern: ‘A hi-vis vest may be prudent for roadwork, but not the Bertie Bassett levels of neon seen on some horses and riders’.

We face a constant battle to encourage riders to wear hi-vis clothing on themselves and their horse, and statements like that make the challenge far greater. We strongly recommend that hi-vis 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. If the horse gets loose, a ‘vest’ on the rider is not going to help him be seen by anyone, particularly traffic.

It isn’t just ‘prudent for roadwork,’ either. Research by the Ministry of Defence has shown that military helicopter pilots can see a rider in hi-vis gear up to half a mile sooner and thus avoid flying straight over the top of them. We regularly receive reports of this and civilian helicopters can see the hi-vis bedecked riders up to two miles away. It also means that in the unfortunate event that a rider is thrown from their horse and left perhaps injured, in open countryside, the searching police helicopter or air ambulance will see them much sooner and prevent their injuries from becoming more serious. I’m sure there will be plenty of riders reading this that wish they had been spotted quicker following a fall.

It may be a cliché to say wearing hi-vis could save your life – but it really could! There is an enormous difference between discouraging the over-the-top procedures seen as ‘mollycoddling’ and discouraging measures that could save lives. So no, we mustn’t become a nation of pansies, but we must also not allow ourselves to be ignorant to measures which could help keep ourselves and our horses safe.
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Mithras said:
What a fuss over nothing. No point in keeping things in perspective, eh? Or having a sense of humour? The comment, which I also read, was part of a humerous article, which I enjoyed, but which like all good humour was based on truth. It certainly didn't advocate not wearing enough hi-viz, but advocated not being obsessed by hi-viz, in the context that British riders are becoming woosy and obsessed with health and safety to the point that it overrules everything else in their sport.

And I think the comments in here prove that (written before the tragic accident caused by a driver towing a flatbed truck happened before all the vitriol is heaped on me as well). I've read some overwrought, exaggerated drivel on here sometimes, but this takes the biscuit.
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Personally I think it actually highlights that people first of all read the magazine and secondly when your driving along and you see a horse rider or cyclist in hi viz that you can spot one at least 2 seconds faster with hi viz on, although the rider this morning I could see a quarter of a mile away it proves that it helps other road users. It also gains the respect of other road users. So obsess about it yes anything that helps yourself, your horse and others.

I recall there were a few threads about how chinese laterns had landed on horses.
 
BHS_official said:
We’re delighted to see letters printed in today’s issue of Horse and Hound on the comment about hi-viz in their ‘mollycoddling’ feature last week.

As it didn’t make today’s issue, below is the letter we sent to H&H this week.
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Nice lets hope they print it next week.
 
Kaylum said:
Personally I think it actually highlights that people first of all read the magazine and secondly when your driving along and you see a horse rider or cyclist in hi viz that you can spot one at least 2 seconds faster with hi viz on, although the rider this morning I could see a quarter of a mile away it proves that it helps other road users. It also gains the respect of other road users. So obsess about it yes anything that helps yourself, your horse and others.
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I think it highlights the fact that some people will believe whatever they read and have lost the ability to think for themselves. And its not "advice" is it? Its a humerous article full of comments, but not advice. Any fully cogniscant adult should be capable of distinguishing between advice and humour.
 
I see that yet again, some who consider themselves to be 'competition' riders and so superior to the rest of the horse riding community, feel the need to belittle the efforts of those who attempt to make hacking a safer experience for the horse, the rider and perhaps most importantly, OTHER ROAD USERS. I do despair of the arrogance shown and as a side issue, given that they are often the most humorlous individuals on the forum, worry about what they find amusing!
 
YorksG said:
I see that yet again, some who consider themselves to be 'competition' riders and so superior to the rest of the horse riding community, feel the need to belittle the efforts of those who attempt to make hacking a safer experience for the horse, the rider and perhaps most importantly, OTHER ROAD USERS. I do despair of the arrogance shown and as a side issue, given that they are often the most humorlous individuals on the forum, worry about what they find amusing!
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I don't know if you are referring to me, but as an amateur rider who has not yet jumped beyond Foxhunter, I hack regularly and in hi-viz all over the place. In fact, I'm just going to hack my two today.
 
Mithras said:
I don't know if you are referring to me, but as an amateur rider who has not yet jumped beyond Foxhunter, I hack regularly and in hi-viz all over the place. In fact, I'm just going to hack my two today.
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Oh I see you have edited out the bit about how you were laughing with fellow competitors about the article this weekend, it does rather change the context in which you were posting. There was an element of 'aiming' at you, given that you had originally posted rather a different original content.
 
I like a joke but a national horsey magazine taking the p out of people for wearing a lot of hi viz is bad, isn't it? It wasn't funny, but even if it had been, it was pretty irresponsible.
 
Fab letter by the BHS.

Mithras said:
I think it highlights the fact that some people will believe whatever they read and have lost the ability to think for themselves. And its not "advice" is it? Its a humerous article full of comments, but not advice. Any fully cogniscant adult should be capable of distinguishing between advice and humour.
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My biggest concern with it is not with adults who, as you say should be able to distinguish advice and humour, but with the teenagers who read it. Impressionable young adults who may already be self-conscious and then make the decision not to wear Hi-viz through the fear of being ridiculed by their peers, or even by adults who are derisive of hi-viz items.

I actually can't say much, as I do have hi-viz brushing boots, hat band, tabard and hi-viz exercise sheet and on a daily basis I wear - a tabard. My horse is grey so I don't feel anything more would allow her to be seen any quicker, plus some of those items would hinder us as we go into the forest and branches etc are fairly overgrown in spots.
I will however reassess, which hi-viz items I use, when I start hacking my youngster, as she is bay.
 
YorksG said:
Oh I see you have edited out the bit about how you were laughing with fellow competitors about the article this weekend, it does rather change the context in which you were posting. There was an element of 'aiming' at you, given that you had originally posted rather a different original content.
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I haven't edited out anything. Like many people, I compete and also hack my horses. However I have come across people who are so namby pamby that they are afraid of anyone with a forward going horse anywhere near them, and I found that part of the article funny. In fact, a lot of the article was damned funny, particularly taken in context...!
 
fidleyspromise said:
Fab letter by the BHS.



My biggest concern with it is not with adults who, as you say should be able to distinguish advice and humour, but with the teenagers who read it. Impressionable young adults who may already be self-conscious and then make the decision not to wear Hi-viz through the fear of being ridiculed by their peers, or even by adults who are derisive of hi-viz items.
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+1

Good letter BHS, lets hope it gets published next time!

Pan
 
So......can people now not comment if they compete..?

I do see the point about the article, I took it in good fun and with a pinch of salt - not till I came on here that day did I think of it as being offensive.
I see where people are coming from and agree that hi-viz is important, but hasn't this thread gone just a teeeensy bit over the top...?
 
Ceris Comet said:
You def said you were laughing with fellow competitors at the weekend over this thread Mithras and it states under your post that you did indeed edit it this morning at 08.53
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Good heavens! The HHO Inquisition squad strikes again!

From memory, because I really can't be bothered to go back to check the thread, I edited it to add the part about the tragic horse incident, so that I didn't sound crass. The crime that I am accused of, the laughing at a funny article, has not been removed, so what point is it that the pair of you are trying to make?

As for your other point, I do believe it is permitted to laugh with your fellow competitors at something you have read in a magazine?!

fgs! What a bunch of [edit]
 
Ceris Comet said:
The laughing at the article bit is def no longer in your post Mithras
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Its at the bottom of page 83, plain as.

And yes, I will continue to laugh at humerous articles in magazines with my friends. Long may it continue! How anyone in their right mind could find anything wrong with that, I am at a loss. Namby pamby is one thing, but the Laughing Police is another.

I'm loving how you've manipulated this.

This is all getting seriously strange.
 
Ceris Comet said:
Call it what you like mithras, but if this thread makes just ONE youngster think about wearing hi-viz, its been very worthwhile
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tbh I would question whether such obsessiveness is likely to have the opposite effect in some. I think the highlighting of tragic accidents and encouraging people to think about what precautions they may take and the reasons behind doing so is a far better approach than being obsessive and pretending to be all offended and misderstand articles.
 
If feeling passionate about an issue is being obsessive then guilty as charged. I have teenage children and getting them to wear hi-viz was hard enough before hh turned the isssue into a pantomime.
 
I really didn't see a problem with it when I read it!!

If it had been in an otherwise serious article and put forward as serious advice - 'do not wear hi-viz' or similar, it would be different.

It was probably worth bringing up briefly but the level of hysteria, and some of the inverse snobbery on this thread has been astounding.
 
patterdale said:
Plus I don't think H&H were the ones that turned it into a pantomime......
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Indeed...

Anyway, I'm off to hack out my horses, I will be wearing a hi-viz vest and they will be wearing hi-viz brushing boots. And thats it. I have to balance how long it takes to get ready with how long I have to effectively ride in.
 
Have to agree, totally patter dale and mithras also the attitude by some key posters if you date to post against the majority you become the enemy and everything you say is questioned and often inferred as rubbish!
 
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