Why does anyone NOT wear Hi-Viz, esp in winter?

[Sunny08]

Honestly... I am genuinely surprised. Out hacking today I passed two girls on dark horses, in dark clothing on very windy, country roads - they were an accident waiting to happen and to top it all I am pretty sure they were sniggering at my hi-viz jacket and hat cover. Maybe I've just gotten old but I don't venture out on the road without it!

 

[MuesliMoo]

Because they are stupid!

 

[pinkypug1]

i know its crazy!!
from past experience when i was on a livery yard the younger girls didnt/wouldnt wear hi viz because they thought it was "silly looking" & no matter what horror stories you told them they wouldnt put it on. i was always out head to toe in hi viz any time i hacked out but they didnt seem to care, so long as they had the latest hats, boots & tack on their horses was all that seemed to matter! i do think for the most part its an age thing (in my experience anyway) teenagers seemed to go without whereas 25+ wore their hi viz!

 

[tonitot]

I never normally wear hi viz but recently I wanted to hack out on I very foggy day but decided against it as I have no hi viz! It's now on my list of things to get and I won't hack out till I get it unless it's a bright clear day and even then I'll be wandering around the park rather than the roads. Can't ride at the mo anyway due to injuring myself like I seem to do evey winter

 

[Clofox]

I'm a teenager, But i'd rather be extremely un-fashionable and not have the newest hat ect, but buy hi-vis, my main concern is my ponio and me being safe
surely being safe is much more important than fashion!

 

[horsey mad matt]

i'm fairly good with hi-viz i have a hi-vixz bomber jacket, which is the best thing that i have ever got i always wear it in the winter when it is colder and also on wet and misserable summer days although i am guilty of not wearing it in the really nice wweather but then there is a lot less risk of not being seen and i am on a skewbald horse (alot of white)!!!!

 

[MuesliMoo]

It's not just the being visible on the roads though. I've heard that military pilots are trained to look out for riders in hi-viz and will fly higher over them if they can help it. Plus if you come off your horse off the beaten track and an air ambulance has to come get you, they're much more likely to find you if you're wearing hi-viz - getting you to hospital quicker, and saving their fuel costs flying around trying to find you.

 

[HollyB66]

Also useful for cyclists to spot you on bridlepaths, dog walkers to put dogs back on leads, generally in the woods, etc and for random gunmen with their shotguns in our local woods !!!! At least they were very unlikely to shoot us.

I like to wear hi vis - coat/waist coat and hat band, and I like exercise sheet on ponio - just incase we part company (no matter how unlikely) - I want her safe should she chose to make her own way home

 

[Merry Crisis]

Havent these "hi viz" threads not been done to death on this forum? Yes it is sensible to wear it, but all of us still live in a free world where we can make our own judgements without some lemony, meely mouthed forum member reminding us of resposibilities to ourselves, our horses and the general public. I dont live by health and safety, I use my own common sense and I dont need to be indoctrinated by the lemony mouth brigade with nothing more interesting to post about. Thank you.

 

[Trot_On_Dressage]

Havent these "hi viz" threads not been done to death on this forum? Yes it is sensible to wear it, but all of us still live in a free world where we can make our own judgements without some lemony, meely mouthed forum member reminding us of resposibilities to ourselves, our horses and the general public. I dont live by health and safety, I use my own common sense and I dont need to be indoctrinated by the lemony mouth brigade with nothing more interesting to post about. Thank you.

Someone having a bad day?

 

[Merry Crisis]

Someone having a bad day?

YES, the above crap! Again.

 

[RatzFatz]

Merry Crisis, l hope you or your horse never get hit by a car, what a revolting reply!!!!

 

[Trot_On_Dressage]

YES, the above crap! Again.

It does get a little repetitive on here!

 

[MrsElle]

Someone having a bad day?

That did make me laugh!

I wear hi-viz all the time, even if I am riding up the tracks into the mountains. As someone has already said, if anything does happen I will be more visable to mountain rescue than I would be if I wasn't wearing hi-viz.

I'm a cheapskate however, and bought a padded hi viz workmans jacket for £15 off the market, and a hi viz workmans polo shirt for £8. I actually love my hi viz polo shirt

 

[MuesliMoo]

If this thread makes just one person go out and buy some hi-viz, then it's worth it. If you don't like it, don't read it - it was quite obvious what the thread was about!

 

[Merry Crisis]

If this thread makes just one person go out and buy some hi-viz, then it's worth it. If you don't like it, don't read it - it was quite obvious what the thread was about!

Good, I just hope that the people that deck themselves out in Hi Viz can remember to thank the drivers that slow down for them. I come across so many that think that they are immune to the thank you look. I would rather a person in mufti that thanked me to slow down that a vizzed up that glared at me like I was an idiot look.

 

[Trot_On_Dressage]

Good, I just hope that the people that deck themselves out in Hi Viz can remember to thank the drivers that slow down for them. I come across so many that think that they are immune to the thank you look. I would rather a person in mufti that thanked me to slow down that a vizzed up that glared at me like I was an idiot look.

This is true

 

[Merry Crisis]

This is true

I know.

 

[LaurenM]

No idea but when I see people in hi viz I feel like running up to them and thanking them!

 

[Merry Crisis]

No idea but when I see people in hi viz I feel like running up to them and thanking them!

I feel like battering them if they dont thank me for slowing down.

 

[BringoutheBest]

I'm with Merry Crisis on this however shot down I may be

Then again I rarely ride on roads (well there is about 5m of country lane I occasionally go on) so my opinion is not really based on much anyway.

 

[Enfys]

Merry Crisis, l hope you or your horse never get hit by a car, what a revolting reply!!!!

This?

Havent these "hi viz" threads not been done to death on this forum? Yes it is sensible to wear it, but all of us still live in a free world where we can make our own judgements without some lemony, meely mouthed forum member reminding us of resposibilities to ourselves, our horses and the general public. I dont live by health and safety, I use my own common sense and I dont need to be indoctrinated by the lemony mouth brigade with nothing more interesting to post about. Thank you.


Revolting? Really?

Or this? -----> YES, the above crap! Again.



I didn't think that it was rude or insulting, merely MC exercising her right to voice her opinion - as are we all.

 

[MuesliMoo]

I didn't realise there was a correlation between wearing hi-viz and not thanking drivers *shrugs* is it not that the majority of riders do actually wear hi-viz, therefore unfortunately a proportion of them may be rude and not thank drivers, completely unrelated to the fact that they wear hi-viz? I always make sure I smile at drivers and thank them when they pass slowly and carefully.

I just don't really get why you wouldn't wear it tbh, looking at photos of riders on the road wearing hi-viz vs. not wearing it it's quite clear to see how much more visible you are, therefore how much more time a driver has to see you and slow down. Each to their own though I suppose.

 

[Emilieu]

Not so merry crisis

 

[Merry Crisis]

Not so merry crisis

Mmmm, oh yes, its always a crisis, if your lucky it MIGHT be Merry.

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

Oh no not thanking someone is poo. I forgot today as I was persuading my horse to stand on the verge, (I always stand on the verge so people can pass ) and totally forgot, felt so bad.

No comment on hi viz, the only bit of road I go down is a straight very quiet country lane, if it was foggy or dull the hi viz would be on ( my old royal mail one ) or if I was doing a lot of road work

 

[burtie]

I don't wear any Hi-Viz, but then I don't have any roadwork, if I were to go on a road I would.

 

[chestnutmarelover]

I feel like battering them if they dont thank me for slowing down.

Ditto!!! Is it that difficult?!

 

[ISHmad]

Where do you store that sweepingly wide broom of yours MC? Second thoughts maybe don't answer that. Non hi viz riders don't thank drivers too you know. Round here anyway.

And my 'measly mouthed lemon' answer to the question is that I love my horses too much and value their safety so always have hi viz on when riding.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I don't know, I do not understand why you would not. I think people on push bikes and motorbikes should always wear it too as I think thy are more vulnerable road users.
Thing is, your are not only protecting yourself but your horse.
I know it is a free country, but I still think it crazy not to wear at least a little hi viz