Yard rule for wearing hi viz

[FourLeafClover]

Hi all.
Have any of you had the rule on your yard that you must wear basic hi viz (vest/tabard) when hacking out?
I won’t say which side of the fence I’m on... Go! ?

 

[Cutgrass]

Yes we have that rule. Tbh I don't mind. It feels like it's for the best here due to our location. I view it in the same light as when I need to wear hi viz at work.

 

[poiuytrewq]

On my old yard yes, it wasn’t an official rule but YO used to screech at us if we attempted riding without it. She’s probably the reason I’m good about wearing it now, it just became the normal thing to wear to hack out.
Several liveries made bit of a fuss, one wore a vest off the yard and removed it once out of sight ?‍

 

[Gloi]

O we haven't any rules like that but if it's a requirement on the yard when you go there it's your choice if you want to be on the yard or not same as yards with no kids or no dogs rules.

 

[Red-1]

Never had it as a rule, but I wouldn't object as I wear it out every time anyway. Same with wearing a hat.

Their yard, their rules.

People can either comply or leave.

 

[milliepops]

yes, on a previous yard. fine by me, i always wore some anyway.

 

[ihatework]

No I haven’t, but it wouldn’t bother me provided it was high viz in moderation rather than decked out like a Christmas tree

 

[Kahlua]

I never wore it in Australia riding out but then I never road on the roads there. I have always worn it here, and would whether on the roads or not, as it means all the cyclists, walkers can see me from miles away and act appropriately (which they mostly seem to do!).

Can I ask why anyone wouldn’t want to wear it? Out of interest!

 

[GreatDove]

Interesting...
I always wear hi viz hacking out but honestly would be annoyed if it was a ‘yard rule’, sounds like a very controlling yard owner. What’s it to them?

 

[TPO]

If people need to be told to wear hi-viz out hacking then they're the problem not the YO.

 

[Flame_]

Can I ask why anyone wouldn’t want to wear it? Out of interest!

I agree and always wear hi viz. I wouldn't like to a yard telling me I had to though, tbh it's my business what I wear off their premises.

Anyway, the point I felt inspired to make was that someone I knew who had strong objections to hi viz was older and extremely traditional. They felt it spoiled the country hacking dress code they were accustomed to.

 

[Kahlua]

I agree and always wear hi viz. I wouldn't like to a yard telling me I had to though, tbh it's my business what I wear off their premises.

Anyway, the point I felt inspired to make was that someone I knew who had strong objections to hi viz was older and extremely traditional. They felt it spoiled the country hacking dress code they were accustomed to.

Interesting, so you’d say (without wanting to sound rude) more of a aesthetic thing over anything else?

 

[Cowpony]

Our yard has a hi viz rule for all hacking and when leading on the roads to and from the fields. Seems sensible to me.

 

[scats]

I think it’s a very sensible rule.

 

[MissTyc]

It's a rule for under 18s on my yard as I don't tell adults what to do ... however I make my thoughts on the matter clear. Our yard is on a big, fast road that needs to be crossed right away. Then we have to hack around 5 minutes of lanes with blind bends to access unlimited South Downs hacking. I think we need to be seen. VERY seen.

 

[MissTyc]

Interesting...
I always wear hi viz hacking out but honestly would be annoyed if it was a ‘yard rule’, sounds like a very controlling yard owner. What’s it to them?

Depends on your yard, but my TO and frequently me as YM, always seem to be the first port of call when there's an accident or emergency. Get phone calls day and night. If people were more self-sufficient, I wouldn't really mind what they did, but when they expect me to pick up the pieces I am entitled to an opinion! That said, we don't require it of adults, although strongly (and loudly at times) recommend it. Kids, however, MUST wear hi viz when leaving the yard gate.

 

[Carrottom]

I wear it even when riding in my own fields, planes and helicopters make deviations to avoid us ?

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

Probably one of the most sensible and least weird Yard rules you could have given some that people have told us about on here over the years. I always wear a hi-viz tabard but I wouldn’t want to be made to wear more than that generally unless I was doing a lot of road riding in which case I’d not need anyone to ask me to.

 

[Floofball]

Never had it as a yard rule but wouldn’t bother me as I always wear it out hacking. I thinks it’s a sensible rule nowadays - can’t believe people risk not wearing it ?‍ Each to their own I suppose, but the horses don’t ask to be put in potentially more danger/extra risk situations. As said further up, if its a rule the Livery can choose to stay there - or not.

 

[oldie48]

I agree and always wear hi viz. I wouldn't like to a yard telling me I had to though, tbh it's my business what I wear off their premises.

Anyway, the point I felt inspired to make was that someone I knew who had strong objections to hi viz was older and extremely traditional. They felt it spoiled the country hacking dress code they were accustomed to.

Trouble is when they started riding there was little traffic on country lanes and what there was respected horse riders and slowed down. There's a local yard run by a real old school type who never wears HV, it's a wonder she's still with us as she hacks straight out onto a busy main road.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hi all.
Have any of you had the rule on your yard that you must wear basic hi viz (vest/tabard) when hacking out?
I won’t say which side of the fence I’m on... Go! ?

no, we trust people but if they are of the opinion
1. I wont wear it
2. I hate it
3. its ugly
4 don't see the need

It is up to them, but my horses are safe, and sometimes what we do rubs off with no words spoken, so action speaks louder than words

 

[Abby-Lou]

Wouldn't dream of riding without one, shows the YO cares. It makes me cringe when I see riders, joggers on the side of the road not wearing Hi-Viz.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I've had my own yard rule on it, plus hats at all times when mounted and no uncovered feet on the yard. I don't have liveries any more, but if I did, the same rule would apply. The few yard rules were always explained prior to anyone moving in. No likey, no move in.

No need for any proper roadwork from my yard, but where I hack is very busy with walkers cyclists etc, so no room for anyone saying that they didn't see me

 

[asmp]

I never wore it in Australia riding out but then I never road on the roads there. I have always worn it here, and would whether on the roads or not, as it means all the cyclists, walkers can see me from miles away and act appropriately (which they mostly seem to do!).

Can I ask why anyone wouldn’t want to wear it? Out of interest!

That’s what I’d love to ask the riders from the yard opposite. They own it too as they have worn it when riding at dawn but generally they don’t bother. Usually have a child with them as well ?.

 

[ester]

I've known it be a rule - they also kept a collection of cheap tabards in the tack room.
That YO would definitely be one of the older set too but as well as safety concerns thought it reflected badly on the yard and on riders as a whole if it wasn't worn.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I agree and always wear hi viz. I wouldn't like to a yard telling me I had to though, tbh it's my business what I wear off their premises.

Anyway, the point I felt inspired to make was that someone I knew who had strong objections to hi viz was older and extremely traditional. They felt it spoiled the country hacking dress code they were accustomed to.

When I first started riding in the 1960's it was usual to wear 'traditional hacking' wear, when sister and I got our first horse we used to ride along a main road with double decker buses, and tractor transporters but there wasn't much more traffic than that. I wouldn't leave the yard now without 'being decked out like a Christmas tree'. I don't see the problem with that. I want my hat to be seen over the tops of walls/hedges, so I wear a hat band, I want drivers to notice my horses' legs moving, so I use legbands, I want drivers to see my handsignals, so I wear hi-viz gloves and I want to be visible to all road users a few seconds earlier than without hi-viz so I wear a jacket/tabard. I have been known to literally look like a Christmas tree because when we were riding in the evenings in September we had tabards with lights that flashed in case of getting caught in failing light

 

[poiuytrewq]

I wear it even when riding in my own fields, planes and helicopters make deviations to avoid us ?

So I always firmly (obviously without actually thinking about it) believed that if you had high viz on aircraft would attempt to avoid or rise up if very low.... I happened to say this in conversation to a RAF wife recently, it amused her ?‍

 

[ester]

Have observed helicopters take quite urgent avoidance action when riding in the vicinity of salisbury plain .

 

[poiuytrewq]

Have observed helicopters take quite urgent avoidance action when riding in the vicinity of salisbury plain .

Really? So maybe I’m not such an idiot ?

 

[Pippity]

It's written on a wall in the washbox, along with some other rules, but it isn't enforced at all, and the YO has been known to hack out without a scrap of hi-viz (although it was as part of a group hack with the rest of us decked out).

We have a very novice rider on the yard who didn't like wearing hi-viz to ride, because he wears it all day for work. I think what persuaded him to wear at least a tabard was a woman on the yard telling him how she'd driven past me out hacking, and had barely seen me. And I'd been decked out like this, but with added legbands:



Regarding helicopters, my cousin pilots an RAF SAR chopper, and says that most of his lot will avoid horses where possible but he doesn't know about other branches. He recommends wearing hi-viz when doing anything outdoors-y, because it makes it a hell of a lot easier for him to spot you if he has to come in and pick you up.