When will riders take responsibility...

it drives me mad. My sisters sharer refuses to wear hi-viz when hacking and my sister makes a point of leaving her stuff in the grooming box for her.

I make a point of putting extra on when she's their to make sure one of us is seen if we go out together. I have a rule for anyone riding my ponies, no hat or hi-viz, no ride. My girls wouldn't dream of breaking the rule for fear or a tongue lashing.
 
I did a bit of research on attitudes of horse riders towards wearing high vis as part of my MSc. As far as I am aware it is the first research that has been done on horse rider and driver attitudes/perceptions of using the road. In summary my findings relating to high vis are as follows;
• Older horse riders had more positive attitudes towards high vis than younger riders.
• Older riders felt less safe on the road in general and had greater fear of accidents due to either a) having had an accident/near miss on the road or b) having greater responsibilities in life made them more cautious in general.
• Younger riders considered high vis wasn’t necessary in good weather conditions or in the middle of the day as they would still be visible.
• Learning to drive changed some younger driver’s perceptions of their conspicuousness on the road and made them more likely to wear high vis.
• Fear of riding on the road does not particularly influence younger riders decisions to wear high vis
• Peer influence was particularly important in influencing younger riders decision to wear high vis . If they are hacking out with friends they do not want to be the only one in high vis.
• Parental influence was considered the most important factor for both younger and student riders in deciding to wear high vis
My conclusions are that if we are to encourage people to wear high vis then it needs to become a social norm;
• Do not ride out with anyone who will not wear high vis and do not let your child hack out with anyone who does not wear high vis.
• Parents need education on need to wear high vis not just children. Parents also need support through PC/RCs (nagging a teenager is hard work but it does seem to pay off).
• High vis needs to become more cool, we need to see professional riders Zara Phillips etc using high vis.

I am sure people will have their own opinions but the above was based on 3 focus groups of around 10 riders each aged 14-15, 18-21 and over 30.
 
howengold said:
it drives me mad. My sisters sharer refuses to wear hi-viz when hacking and my sister makes a point of leaving her stuff in the grooming box for her.
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I'd write in to the share agreement that she has to have at least one item of hi viz on her and on the horse whenever she hacks out. If she broke that she'd be gone! If she wants to get hurt herself then fine but hurting a horse and involving others is not fine :(
 
My kids (7 and 9) think hiviz is cool and wear it all the time. They wear it round the farm, they wear it hacking (most of which is off-road) and they wear it when we go to shows/rallies etc. It's not expensive and you can get some pretty nice coats and stuff which they are comfortable and warm wearing, and tabards for the warmer weather. I lead by example too, and we are known as the family that always shows up and that you can spot a mile off:). I've had lots of PC mums ask me wear I get the stuff from, but only one (the DC) has actually gone out and bought any for her child :(
 
Good on you for saying something, it gets right on my t*** that people do not protect themselves and their horse by being in at least some hi-viz. Not only could they be injured, their horse may be injured and the person in the car could be injured.
I am lit up like a xmas tree, and I feel its sad others don't protect themselves and their horse. I do see it as keeping your horse safer as well, I just do not understand why people don't wear something, but what can you do, people will potentially take their lives, their horses lives and the potentially innocent drivers lives into their hands by being practically invisible.

Call it OTT but I think it should be law that riders, cyclists and motor cyclists should all wear some degree of hi-viz when on the roads, but that's my opinion and not everyone likes it, oh well. I feel happy that I wear hi-viz as I do feel I am helping to the best extent I can to protect my horse....

*jumps down off soapbox*
 
I used to wear hi viz every time I hacked out as it was down a very busy A road. Now that I've moved to my new yard where the bulk of my road work is 500 yards down a very quiet country lane I hardly ever wear it. I will put it on if I am doing the block though.
 
Im a firm believer it should be compulsory summer and winter and that insurance companies should write it into thier policies - my words to ppl who dont wear it is " if you love youre horse you want to protect it and why, if I hit your horse, should I live with that knowing I have killed a horse. You have a choice but youre hosrs doesnt" Make it compulsory
 
Argh this annoys me so much. TBH I really couldn't give a rat's arse if somebody stupid enough to go out without hi-vis gets splatted. What I do care about is the poor horse who will take the brunt of it, and the driver who has to live with it.

Another thing people often don't consider is if they are wearing hi-vis, and their horse isn't - they fall off then there's suddenly an out of control, invisi-horse sodding off up the road, ready to go straight through somebody's windscreen because it hasn't been seen.

I always wear a yellow tabard and len has a pink exercise sheet both with reflective strips. I don't care how I look AND I'm a teenager - just for the record ;):rolleyes:

I'm always in two different coloured hi-vis thingies but I reckon it's also important to choose colour carefully. Sometimes a bright green tabard when there's bright green leaves on the trees isn't huge amounts of use. Do we agree?
 
freckles22uk said:
Ali2...


love the sig too.... can I steal it and put it on my FB page..(not as my profile pic) just think it would be good for all my horsey and non horsey friends to see....
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No worries - the more the merrier. I've printed it out to do as a car sticker and think I'll laminate some and put them up round the village. The majority of people on my yard wear hi viz but loads of other local riders don't, might make them think as they hack through the village :)
 
JessandCharlie said:
Argh this annoys me so much. TBH I really couldn't give a rat's arse if somebody stupid enough to go out without hi-vis gets splatted. What I do care about is the poor horse who will take the brunt of it, and the driver who has to live with it.

Another thing people often don't consider is if they are wearing hi-vis, and their horse isn't - they fall off then there's suddenly an out of control, invisi-horse sodding off up the road, ready to go straight through somebody's windscreen because it hasn't been seen.

I always wear a yellow tabard and len has a pink exercise sheet both with reflective strips. I don't care how I look AND I'm a teenager - just for the record ;):rolleyes:

I'm always in two different coloured hi-vis thingies but I reckon it's also important to choose colour carefully. Sometimes a bright green tabard when there's bright green leaves on the trees isn't huge amounts of use. Do we agree?
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Good posting :)
 
Pony_Puzz said:
Also we pulled up to a group of kids twice now (both times ignored) they were only between 10-16 years old about 6 of them first time and we told them that if they didn't wish to be a blood pool in the road to put some hi viz on as they were very stupid to think that they could be seen. The second time we saw just two of them, one had no hi viz on AND was riding UP a hill with a blind top WITH NO HANDS ON THE REINS and was swinging her arms around. If a car had flown by/something that spooked the horse she wouldn't have had any control. You don't drive a car without any hands on the wheel (can be prosecuted) so why do it on a horse who can think for itself!
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how about keeping a couple of pre-written letters to the parent sof the kids on horses in envelopes in the car saying how dangerous it can be and how you only saw them last minute etc etc.... then when you see them next, wind down the window, hand them one and say ''can you give this to your mum please'' as though you know their mum and passing on something she 's waiting for....
 
I wish our local Vodka swigging druggie would wear HIVIZ for her horses sake more than her, she seems to have a death wish anyway, she always rides in the middle of the lane which is tree lined so darker than would be normally. I have nealy ploughed into her a few times, and I don't drive fast, so it will only be a matter of time before someone does ;-(
 
Katt said:
Tragic :(

I recently narrowly avoided a runner purely because my head lights caught the reflective piping on his trainers.

The fool was running on a narrow unlit country lane that doesn't have pavement in places. In places it is only just wide enough for two cars to pass, and yet full size lorries use it to deliver to the pubs.
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Yep, had this happen to me (well, it was a bike rider) about two months after I passed my test. Scared me so bad that I really let rip on him!

Well, I've just emailed my local paper with a letter asking people to use high viz. Bet it won't get published....
 
Walkers too (Whatever happened to "Be safe be bright wear something white wear something white at night")last night driving home down dark country road with no footpath I just missed four pedestrians dressed top to toe in black!Luckily I wasn't doing the national speed limmit,just a safe speed for that road and expecting to avoid,deer,rabbits, badgers, fallen trees,and loose farm stock ;)
 
I always wear a tabard on me and a tail guard and neckstrap on my horse. This way there is high-vis on both her front and back end and also on me (so we can be seen from either direction or if I've fallen off and we are separate). If my Mum walks with us then she also wears a tabard and sometimes I wear high vis brushing boots too.

This is us on what was actually a fairly sunny day.

20091115-DSC04953.jpg


I also now have a flashing LED band for my hat and I am strongly considering getting an exercise sheet too so that we are truly unmissable! I am 23 and actually had to convince my parents of the benefits of high vis as my stepdad thought it was ridiculous. I'd rather be ridiculous than squished and, more importantly, I'd rather be ridiculous than have a squished horse!
 
Agree with those that have hi viz on them and the horse (we do too, tabbard and 4 leg wraps as a minimum), be a bit stuck if you came unstuck and poor horse was loose and difficult to spot!

The Parson's Rump is fab for the summer when its too warm for a full exercise sheet but you want good visbility for the horse from behind :)
 
kaylouise67 said:
I have done exactly this too.

I was told 'well what do you know!!' I told them I knew I couldn't see them and that I thought it was dangerous THEN...one of the riders (4 in total) said her horse didn't like hi viz!!!!!!!
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I always wear hi viz when hacking, BUT one of my horses hates yellow hi-viz with a passion, genuinely can't get near him in it, so I wear pink hi- viz with reflective strips.
There is no excuse.
 
I saw a girl today on a hack wearing no hi viz. I drove around a sharp bend and all of a sudden there she was. She was lucky not to have been hit or killed ... As always though she was none the wiser to the danger!

A real pet hate of mine is riders out hacking on their mobiles :mad: Grr!
 
Starbucks said:
Don't know why people can't mind their own business really.
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Would you want to go through the pychological trauma of seeing a horse lying in the road screaming in pain because you'd smashed its hind legs to pieces????

Safety is EVERYONE'S business.

Put this way: wearing flourescent gives drivers an extra three seconds thinking and braking time against riders who do not wear flourescent. At 40mph that would be a long distance, the difference between life and death.

If you are still in doubt I suggest you read the story of Holly:

http://kyspd.webs.com/

For those sensitive souls please be aware that the story is very sad.
 
Ali2 said:
Agree with those that have hi viz on them and the horse (we do too, tabbard and 4 leg wraps as a minimum), be a bit stuck if you came unstuck and poor horse was loose and difficult to spot!

The Parson's Rump is fab for the summer when its too warm for a full exercise sheet but you want good visbility for the horse from behind :)
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I have a flourescent tail strip which fits to the top of the tail with velcro. My horse doesn't seem to mind it although I live in fear of forgetting to take it off at the end of a hack and finding him the next morning in his stable with his tail fallen off through lack of blood supply :D
 
cmarychapman said:
I did a bit of research on attitudes of horse riders towards wearing high vis as part of my MSc. As far as I am aware it is the first research that has been done on horse rider and driver attitudes/perceptions of using the road. In summary my findings relating to high vis are as follows;
• Older horse riders had more positive attitudes towards high vis than younger riders.
• Older riders felt less safe on the road in general and had greater fear of accidents due to either a) having had an accident/near miss on the road or b) having greater responsibilities in life made them more cautious in general.
• Younger riders considered high vis wasn’t necessary in good weather conditions or in the middle of the day as they would still be visible.
• Learning to drive changed some younger driver’s perceptions of their conspicuousness on the road and made them more likely to wear high vis.
• Fear of riding on the road does not particularly influence younger riders decisions to wear high vis
• Peer influence was particularly important in influencing younger riders decision to wear high vis . If they are hacking out with friends they do not want to be the only one in high vis.
• Parental influence was considered the most important factor for both younger and student riders in deciding to wear high vis
My conclusions are that if we are to encourage people to wear high vis then it needs to become a social norm;
• Do not ride out with anyone who will not wear high vis and do not let your child hack out with anyone who does not wear high vis.
• Parents need education on need to wear high vis not just children. Parents also need support through PC/RCs (nagging a teenager is hard work but it does seem to pay off).
• High vis needs to become more cool, we need to see professional riders Zara Phillips etc using high vis.

I am sure people will have their own opinions but the above was based on 3 focus groups of around 10 riders each aged 14-15, 18-21 and over 30.
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You should have done a poll on here, I think you would be amazed at the answers! I did a poll about why people don't bother to freezemark their horses and most of the answers came back that "they didn't like the look of them".

Sadly I think you'd find this attitude towards flourescent too.

I've been hit by a car (and yes I was wearing flourescent) but I would have felt extremely bad if I hadn't. I was riding a loan horse, luckily both of us escaped pratically unharmed but it could have be a different story. I was hit because I was riding up a road with a steep hill which bended to the right and I was right over by the hedge on the left but the sun ahead of us was low in the sky and unbeknown to me we were completely in the drivers blind spot.
 
I've found it's almost as if some riders think wearing hi viz is some sort of statement about your ability. Like "only novices wear hi viz, and I'm a good rider so I don't need it" That's certainly the attitude I've come across, and of course it's total rubbish! But we all know the horse world is so set in it's ways and it's very hard to change traditions.

Also some non horsey friends have said to me it seems to them the non hi viz thing "is typical of arrogant horsey people" Which I know is how we get viewed by some people, although I guess could be true in some cases! :o

I think it would be good if people like Splash clothing and h&h did tabards with their range of slogans on. I'd definatly get a couple of those, and it might encourage more people to wear hi viz.
 
We have a road near our yard where there have been at least 5 accidents with cars and horses. One of the horses had to be put down. The cars go down it a lot faster than the 40 limit. I got told off the other day for "having a go" at 6 riders off our yard who decided to hack down it on a dull day with no hi viz on. i told them they did not deserve to have horses if thats how they thought of their safety, their reply was "we had a grey at the back". OMG!!! how thick can people get.

I also had a run in of my own last winter. i was riding down a road with reflective boots, hat, coat, breastplate, bridelse and rug on. A woman came whizzing past me over 40mph on a 30 limit road (as is usuall on this particular stretch) just to pull up on our yard. She is the yard owners daughter in law who also has a horse. When i asked her why she didnt slow down for me she claimed "i couldnt see you from behind!".

I am absolutely gobsmacked at how ignorant people can be. But we cant place all the blame on drivers. Maby if more riders where polite enough to thank drivers who slow down we wouldnt have such a reputation as being snobby and rude.
I have since bought a reflective tail guard so there is not a single piece of my horse or me that isnt visible
 
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