Wear High Vis - even in the summer...

I dont hack out on roads very often if at all, at least not public ones, so hi viz is not an issue for me (cows and grouse don't take particular notice to hi viz) but I'm always out in bright colours incase I come off in a field after last year's saga!
I think it is the riders choice, much like wearing a hat, putting boots on your horse etc etc.
 
Why has this thread got so nasty further up ? *sigh*. Inevitable I guess.

It comes down to personal choice - I choose to wear a hat, and I choose to wear hi-vis. I value my life, the boy's life, and any motorist's life too. I don't care if I look stupid, I don't care if someone sniggers, I just do not care what anyone else thinks. I love my pony enough to do ANYTHING to protect him, and myself enough to not be proud. Hang on tho - I am proud to wear hi-vis.

I don't think it will be long before laws are introduced for riders and bikers - hi-vis and hats. It's only a matter of time, like the introduction of laws on seatbelts. How many people went mad about that at the time, but it's saved hundreds of lives.

sm x
 
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pastie2 said:
PeterNatt, we dont all live in conjested areas, please let us have our own judgement on whether we do or dont. Do we really want to protect ourselves in bubblewrap. I personally want to get on my horse and go, I dont wear Hi Viz if I go huntng, sorry but the Hi Viz and health and safety has taken the joy and pleasure awayfrom even blowing your nose!
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It's not bubblewrap,it is a sensable precaution.
If you dont want to wear it then grand-completly your choice to do so.This thread was also well titled,the OP is asking people to wear it not telling them they must.

If yo fall and are injured,hi viz will make it much easier for the emergency services/someone from the yard to find you.
It lets dog walkers spot you earlier giving them time ot pop dogs back on a lead,people on push bikes can see you better so can let you know they are about ect ect.

It's up to the indivual to decide if they want to wear it or not,but the reasons for doing so are clear.
There is no valid argument for not except "I don't want to".
 
I honestly think at a similar time that kite standard hats and hi viz are made compulsary someone will simply suggest that the most safe solution for horses, riders and motorists alike would be to just not be allowed on the roads...
 
Here's one for you - next time you are out driving and come across a pair of riders, one with and one without hi vis, ask yourself honestly which you see first...

I was once driving and saw 2 riders wearing hivis - it wasn't until I got much, much closer that I realised there were actually 3 riders...
 
Inky_and_Sunny said:
Here's one for you - next time you are out driving and come across a pair of riders, one with and one without hi vis, ask yourself honestly which you see first...

I was once driving and saw 2 riders wearing hivis - it wasn't until I got much, much closer that I realised there were actually 3 riders...
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It always amazes ,e how much suh a large,imposing animal blends into teh background :o

Would also like ot point out that for those of us who don't drive,hi viz is also essential off the yard.
I have a short walk(only about half a mile) to the nearest bus stop,the roads are not the best and poorly lit.
Last winter,some of the teens had left a bit before me and I was about 5 mins behind.
Car comming up the hill obviously spotted my hi viz easily and moved over to make sure they had enough room to pass so it was a sensable driver.
When he got to the group of teens,he had a very near miss.
 
As a relatively recent convert to hi vis (I admit to being vain about this in the past) I have noticed that drivers definately slow down more and give more room (there are exceptions but this is generally the rule)

This could be because they see us sooner, or perhaps an acknowledgement that we are being safe, or perhaps think we wear it as horse is a youngstesr, novice etc (this isn't the case and we don't have this written on us). Whatever reason, slowing down is good (I always thank drivers too).

Its hi vis now for us.
 
muddy boots said:
As a relatively recent convert to hi vis (I admit to being vain about this in the past)

Its hi vis now for us.
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And this makes a post like this totally worth it imo as I do think people can have a rethink sometimes, as unglamorous as it looks I am so chuffed to hear someone else is wearing it as a matter of course :D
 
To the people who choose not to wear hi-vis, its your choice. But, if you were out riding one dull day, a nice hack along a 'quiet'road, without wearing hi-vis, and a car came round the corner and hit you, the car driver gets out of his car and says to you, 'I am so sorry, I didnt see you' What would your reply be?
 
I am heavily on the side of High Viz being compulsory.

A number of times I have come across riders and horses that have blended into the hedges. Nearly hit two a couple of months ago - I was going at about five miles an hour at the time: end of drive, I glanced left and saw nothing, I glanced right and saw nothing, I started to (thank whatever very slowly) pull out and as I did so I looked left again - two brown horses with brown clothed riders; I hadn't seen them as they look just like the hedge behind them.

Not the horses choice. Make them safe as you can!

Had an accident last year. Air Ambulance thanked me for wearing High Viz as it made their job so much eaiser to find me (lying in a field, bleed on brain). Ambulance people thanked me as it made it so much easier for them to find me (lying in field, bleed on brain). A&E staff thanked me, as it had made everyone elses job so much easier and they had much more chance of saving me.

And anyone who doesn't like my references back to bouncing on my head, put me on UI. If my words saves one life, human or horse, then it's worth my time and effort in writing those words.
 
always wear it-also always use those little things that fit on your gloves so drivers can see my hand signals more clearly. low light is more of a problem the further north you go and up here there are certain times of day at certain times of year that I will not hack during, regardless of whether its a bright day or not. my horse, my responsibility.

one of mine is rubbish in traffic and I only hack him off road (got him when he was 16). I still wear hi viz as I have to share hacking with dog walkers, scramblers, mountain bikers and increasingly, nordic walkers :D it's only fair to all countryside users!
 
I have read all the posts - interesting reading.
I always without fail wear hi viz. I put on my tabard and then put on my hat,. it's not difficult or time consuming. I realise that wearing hi viz doesn't make me invincible but I know it gives a driver a better chance of seeing me from further away and is then able to drive sensibly past my horse. Do the people on here that choose not to wear hi viz, also choose not to wear a hat or perhaps ride bareback for a change? Just bear in mind the plight of the driver when he hits you and your horse (your horse has spooked at some large leaved plant or similar and has obviously never done it before) and he has to carry the responsibilty of your injury, possible death etc.
Just get in the real world. The roads, wherever you are can be busy with fast moving vehicles. We all love our horses and spend so much time training them, enjoying them and looking after them. Surely it isn't much of an imposition to put on hi viz to enjoy a safer ride out on the roads?
 
Ahh, Pastry lives in Cumbria, well in that case a bullet proof vest would be more appropriate with camaflouge clothing rather than viz gear :(
 
brighthair said:
so if you ever fall off, you'll blend in nicely with the background? do you at least wear bright colours so an air ambulance could spot you?
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i'd love to have the ability to fall off!! but being highly disabled and live my world from a wheel chair i am not allowed that honour- sorry!( by the way my problem is totally uninvolved with anything to do with horses.)
 
I do think it does come down to personal choice. At the end of the day, there is no law enforcing peeps to wear hi-vis. I have just been in the habit of wearing it for the last six years and put it on as a matter of routine. But at the end of the day, each to his own.

I often pass groups of cyclists up here, and not one of them will have hi-vis on. They blend totally into the background - I feel like winding the window down and telling them. Another thing is that we get joggers on the main roads, and they are even harder to spot. Especially when they wear dark colours and are on the wrong side of the road.

One of my reasons for hi-vis is that even on quiet lanes, my pony may bolt, and god knows where we could land up.
 
rosiefronfelen said:
i'd love to have the ability to fall off!! but being highly disabled and live my world from a wheel chair i am not allowed that honour- sorry!( by the way my problem is totally uninvolved with anything to do with horses.)
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Brighthair was clearly commenting on Pastie living in the hills of Cumbria, not you!
 
Yes totally agree any products that assist in making the horse and rider seen are a must. I would additionally comment on making your horse trailer seen as well especially when coming home from shows and it is starting to get dark. How many times do you look in your mirror and see a car suddenly appear who for whatever reason has not seen your trailer and has to anchor on?
You read everyday about lorries on motorways hitting slower moving vehicles and I think horse trailers are a sitting target as well.
My advice and what I have done is fix some large reflective chevrons to the rear of my ifor williams 510 and this has done the trick. They are like the ones you see on the back of delivery lorries and are the proper job.
I bought a pair and they cost me less than £20 from Horse Trailer Shop (www.horsetrailershop.co.uk) and I managed to fit them myself using double sided adhesive tape.
Anything we can do to protect ourselves and our horses is always worthy of consideration.
 
I always wear a high viz when hacking out. On the roads, so cars, cyclists, etc. can see me. And when I go round the fields and tracks, so that walkers with loose dogs can see me, other riders can see me, and most importantly (as a friend found out) so an air ambulance or other rescue team (like maybe people from my yard) can spot me. A friend came off her horse when it spooked round the fields and an air ambulance was called.
As a pilot, I can tell you, it can be extremely difficult to spot someone in dark clothing in the middle of an area of fields. Quite often, people don't even know their exact location when they fall off. If you are wearing high viz I can assure you that you will spotted much much quicker. And imagine if you were unconscious, perhaps your horse headed home and people had to come find you. How on earth are they going to do that? With high viz you will be found alot quicker, and that could save your life.
I have no problems with people who don't want to wear high-viz, as long as they are totally aware of what the consequences could be.
 
I only used to wear Hi Viz when visibility was poor, not realising it was necessary even in bright sunlight. But one day a friend stopped me when I was riding to point out that I was almost invisible in the shadow of the hedge, so since then I have always worn hi viz when hacking on the roads, and ensure my daughter does too, even though we may only meet one or two cars in the lanes round here.

I really can't understand why someone would value their horse's safety so little that, even whilst being aware of the benefits of hi viz, they refuse to put it on to help protect their horse whilst riding on a public road where they may encounter vehicles. After all, we have choice as to whether we ride on the roads, but the horse doesn't.
 
Pedantic said:
Been done to death ( no pun inteneded) on here, but for those who missed it, basically, all of us who wear it cant ride for peanuts, those that never have or will have an accident because they have a crystal ball bother wearing it as they are brilliant riders and dont need it at all, all stuff and nonsense, just like hats body protectors seat belts CO detectors MOT's trailer checks school crossings speed limits MRSA ect ect ect, I think you can buy an "it'll never happen to me policy" from some Equine insurance companys,.........can we leave it now, getting bored
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Yes! V original and sums up my exasperation at seeing this topic on AGAIN. I also found the tone of the original post patronising. I do not need to be told how to be safe on the roads, with or without a horse. Snore, yawn, falling asleep.
 
It never fails to amaze me that people can get so incredibly nasty and personal on here!

Hi Viz is possibly the single most important safety item that any rider can use. If you chose not to wear a hat/body protector then it's just your head/body that you're risking and that IS totally your choice.

If you ride out without Hi Viz you are risking so much more. If I hit you when I'm driving because I haven't seen you there is a high possibility that I'm going to be injured too along with anybody else in my car - probably my children. If I don't see you until too late and swerve I run the risk of injuring myself, the occupants of my car and anybody else that happens to be in my way when I swerve to avoid you.

Threads like these are important to raise awareness. I insist that my daughter always wears hi viz for all the reasons raised - to make her visible to road users, farmers on tractors, people out shooting, dog walkers, rescue services if she comes off etc, etc. I haven't actually ever considered the scenario of the horse returning on it's own to the yard and not being visible - she has a hi viz exercise sheet that we use in winter, but she often doesn't have any hi viz on her in the summer. (We have thought about the horse making her way back on her own from a phone point of view, and always attach a mobile to the rider rather than the horse/saddle......). I will now make sure that I buy something for her to wear in the summer - leg wraps or neck strap perhaps.

So I commend this thread for making me see the issue from a slightly different perspective and directly influencing my practice for the better. I'd hate to think that my horse returning to the yard on her own at speed injured anybody simply because they didn't see her until it was too late - especially as I feel so strongly about it.
 
this is one of those topics that i class as marmite u like it or you don't, hi viz is stated in some claims that u need 3 or more equipped if u claim for a road accident. personally i don't think in some occasions it matters if you have hi viz on or not as some people drive like numpties the rate of unlicensed drivers ( peeps who haven't taken a driving lesson in the life) is on the rise however i agree hi viz gives them a better chance to see you. but cannot always work on sharp bends. You also get the riders who love to ride to abreast on corners or ride into middle of the road so not always drivers fault!

look at my sig im the fluorescent queen however even in hi viz Ive had close calls due to drivers stupidity

sig pic small here this is me going out
913.jpg
 
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Greetings from France - I am unique. Not only do I wear hi-viz I wear a hat too!! Most of the riders I meet here don't wear either.

Should we have a debate on the benefits of wearing a hard hat, as so many people in the rest of the world (Europe, Americas, Asia, Australia) don't bother?
 
Rollin said:
Should we have a debate on the benefits of wearing a hard hat, as so many people in the rest of the world (Europe, Americas, Asia, Australia) don't bother?
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The hat debate has been done a gazillion times and it goes the same way as the hi-viz one, I'm afraid.
 
Persephone said:
Where does OP come into it again?
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do you have nothing else to do bar make little asides at me? it was Brighthair that made the comment-it was directed at me and not Pastie in Cumbria, or do you know differently? being as she and are the only burkes in the world that dont wear Hi Vis it seems to be bit of a witch hunt, what happened to free speech and different opinions???
 
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