Was stopped today for wearing Hi Viz!

[jodie1084]

On my local hack around my village today, me and my friend were stopped by a lovely lady in a car who thanked us for wearing hi viz. I thought this was lovely that she appreciated us making ourselves more visable.

I dont ever leave the yard without my tabard, hat band, leg bands and breast plate on, to me it's just like riding without a hat without my hi viz!

My friend told me that neon colours are back in this year, so i could even be fashionable aswell!!

Anyone else had the same experiance??

 

[Chestnutmare]

so there really are some nice people out there in this world? that was nice of her and Hi viz certainly saves lives

 

[competitiondiva]

No but I did actually stop a lady the other week for not!!!! I'm not normally someone who intereferes but she was just being ridiculous and I nearly didn't see her on her dark horse at getting towards dusk in a snow fall!!!!

 

[myfatpony]

ive never bee stopped before but i never leave the yard with out my hi vis, even the pony has his own hi vis sheet. it irritates me when i see people out on a ride with no hi vis on, silly if you ask me.

 

[Witchy]

An instructor at our yard goes out with nothing, not a single bit. Arrogant woman needs to have a near miss to bring her to her senses.

Am I right in thinking it's illigal not to wear hi-viz now?

 

[mystiandsunny]

A little - I have a fluorescent yellow ear cover for my horse, and so many people have commented on it lol! Usually 'Nice ears!' from postie or walkers etc!

 

[trendybraincell]

I've had the odd sarcastic comment about not being missed, I was almost on the other end of thing today...in the driving rain I came across 2 riders out in dark cloths on dark horses with not a stitch of high viz!!

 

[monkeybum13]

I've had quite a few people stop and comment (all positive btw!)

My hat cover has been the topic of conversation several times with people driving along windy roads to say they could see my hat above the hedge line further up the road.

Also if it's raining and I've got my lights on people think I look like a Christmas tree!

 

[jodie1084]

I felt like stopping the other day when I saw a grey horse in the fog!! people should know better!

Need to see a picture of the hi viz ears!!

 

[Beatrice5]

I always don the high viz even for leading across the road.

But I see so many people on these twisty narrow dark somerset lanes on dark horses in dim lighting with not a stitch of hi viz and wearing dark clothing. I am a very careful driver and pootle around and even I have had a few "Oh ***** thats of horse moments" where I have narrowly avoided a close call. Not fun and so ignorant. Rant over - it should be made the law.

 

[monkeybum13]

A little - I have a fluorescent yellow ear cover for my horse, and so many people have commented on it lol! Usually 'Nice ears!' from postie or walkers etc!

Ahh, how could I forget the hat, how many time have I had people tell my horse she's wearing a "nice hat!"

 

[The_snoopster]

Hahah I get called a copper by the local kids on the estates, Mmm my mare tries to look alot bigger than her 15hh to fool the kids.

 

[LaurenM]

My friend and I have been stopped before and thanked. It's nice to hear that you were thanked too

 

[jodie1084]

It made my day, can you tell i don't get out alot!

 

[minkymoo]

I've been told that K's 'necklace' stands out and asked whether my horse is gay! (lots of pink you see!)

 

[MrsHutt]

I thought you meant you'd been stopped by someone to complain!! lol!

I am a big fan of all hi-viz and even wear my hat band in the indoor school! Got my 'POLITE' vest through the post this week too. Not that I've been anywhere near a road with Hugo yet!! At least I will be all prepared - lol!

 

[RoseGrey]

Hi-Viz is a necessity these days and I was shocked to see two local riders out on their horses this morning wearing green and brown clothing and riding on bay horses without any Hi-Viz, just plain stupid.

Insurance companies will probably reject a claim for any incidents on the roads where riders fail to wear Hi-Viz. Some companies insist on a minimum of five Hi-Viz items, check the small print.

Its nice to hear of drivers being polite !

 

[RoseGrey]

I thought you meant you'd been stopped by someone to complain!! lol!

I am a big fan of all hi-viz and even wear my hat band in the indoor school! Got my 'POLITE' vest through the post this week too. Not that I've been anywhere near a road with Hugo yet!! At least I will be all prepared - lol!

Where did you get the Polite vest from ?

 

[Faro]

Jodie,

If this was FB, I'd be pressing the "Like" button!

 

[MrsHutt]

Where did you get the Polite vest from ?

From the Equisafety website:

http://www.equisafety.com/cat/catitem.asp?pc=R02N-AIRPO&d=1&s=1

(it took quite a long time to come as I understand they are overwhelmed with orders!!)

 

[BentleyBelly]

Insurance companies will probably reject a claim for any incidents on the roads where riders fail to wear Hi-Viz. Some companies insist on a minimum of five Hi-Viz items, check the small print.

5 items, really? I wear a tabard and my horse has a neck strap, Petplan isn't one of those is it? It does drive me crazy seeing people without it, such a simple thing but makes such a difference.

 

[Nickles1973]

A friend of mine works in a local barbers and the other day one of the customers said how he'd seen a lady wearing an amazing pink high viz jacket on a really big horse and how he thought it was great as it showed up so well! She was quite happy to tell him that I was her friend, and that she also rides out in the same bright pink coat! We're known locally as the pink ladies lol!!

 

[DW Team]

On leaving our village just tonight I stopped a friend leading her pony to the stable said my good evenings and asked if she would like to borrow my hi Viz that I keep in the car for breakdowns/accidents as I nearly hit her brown pony, brown rug, owner in brown clothes. Answer "Oh no I can see perfectly well thank you" !! I pointed out strongly that I had nearly hit her as she was all in brown. She said well I am only 1/2mile from home now. I gave her the vest anyway and said please put it on it will make me feel better with reluctance she did. Thank goodness as one of the boy racers nearly hit the pair of us while we were talking even though I had my hazards on.

 

[Sanolly]

If I'm hacking round the farm I don't wear it as I am only on the road for 3 minutes and all the drivers round my yard are fab (30mph limit). If doing the road block as it wear then I wear my vest.

 

[ISHmad]

I haven't been fashionable for years so it's good to know that the huge amount of hi viz I wear out hacking could bring me right back up to date fashionwise OP.

We used to be a yard where they thought anyone wearing hi viz was a saddo and used to get quite a bit of (friendly) stick for it. I simply would not ride out without it quite honestly.

That was good of the driver to stop and compliment you for wearing it, I think we've all seen selfish muppets not wearing it who endanger their horses and other road users. Greys in the fog as someone mentioned, dark horses by the side of dark hedges and trees and so on.

 

[Pedantic]

Now if we could just get car drivers to put their lights on, particularly the ones in grey/silver ones on a grey day on a grey/black road, they just melt into the background.

 

[trakehnersrock!]

Here In Belgium you very very rarely see anybody hacking in Hi-Viz and the tack shops have very little for sale either. When we were at another yard years ago, it was a quiet area but very very badly lit. My daughter was mortified when I insisted she put a high viz exercise sheet on our bay tb esp in winter or late afternoons but I put my foot down "No sheet, stay on the yard then!". Going to pick her up one dark late afternoon, even I was amazed at how the Hi-Viz showed up so clearly and for such a distance!!!
At our present yard, there used to be only one other person who hacked from her nearby home to use the school who used some Hi-Viz plus me, the mad Englishwoman
I have had some influence in popularising it at our yard, once I explained why I felt it was important. One lady now rides out fully equipped, even down to a bridle tag with her mobile number and the number of the yard, should she and her horse ever part company on a hack and she be injured, after I told her what had happened to an English forum friend.
I want to get one of those "polite" tabards (if it will fit over my airbag vest!!!!) as here it would probably work even better as the Flemish for police is Politie haha

 

[rubyrumba]

Those 'POLITE' vests are really good, it will make more people slow down as you look like police, I am just going to order one!!!!

 

[cindars]

Never ride horse or bike without hi-viz jacket. I got it from an army surplus type shop for £20 and it brilliant incredibly warm as padded and pockets everywhere. I've been told I look loke a traffic warden, in the middle of a country lane! but it obviously works, summer I wear a lighter jacket.

 

[Seahorse]

We have seen about 7 riders today all wearing high viz stuff, shame none of them bothered saying thank you to us for slowing down!