Yard rule for wearing hi viz

[Deleted member 150717]

I used to be on a yard with people who wouldn't wear it because it looked chavvy

Chavy??!!!! If anything it’s smart lol..

 

[Gingerwitch]

Not sure why my comments are being misconstrued. I'm not so much objecting to wearing hi-viz where appropriate, just to being told I have to when that is not the law of the land and I'm actually free to wear it or not as I wish and whether that is sensible or not. As I've said, advice tactfully given is a much better way of getting people on side than trying to order them about. Just because I would do something anyway doesn't mean I don't object to someone else telling me to do it as though I was a baby with no judgement of my own.

The highway code which is the interpretation into English of the road traffic act, states in numerous places that road users should make themselves visible to other road users. So in effect its the law stating this not the yard owner. If a car hits you and kills your horse and your not visible then you could end up being the negligent party. Leafy lanes on summer nights are the worst, and the horse is usually at drivers eye level not the rider. If you dont give a stuff about yourself at least give your horse some consideration and put high viz leg bands on. If you ever see a dying horse hoping a farmer with a gun will come past whilst waiting on a vet then crack on.

 

[Hanno Verian]

The highway code which is the interpretation into English of the road traffic act, states in numerous places that road users should make themselves visible to other road users. So in effect its the law stating this not the yard owner. If a car hits you and kills your horse and your not visible then you could end up being the negligent party. Leafy lanes on summer nights are the worst, and the horse is usually at drivers eye level not the rider. If you dont give a stuff about yourself at least give your horse some consideration and put high viz leg bands on. If you ever see a dying horse hoping a farmer with a gun will come past whilst waiting on a vet then crack on.

I completely agree, I used to cycle from work and would rather have pitch dark then the deadly Low Sun in the Sky.

 

[TulipTilly]

Really sensible, for me a no brainer. As a driver also I'd see it as the best thing for both rider/horse and motorists. Agree with the person above who says hi viz recommended for pretty much all outdoor activities with any element of risk

 

[tallyho!]

I used to be on a yard with people who wouldn't wear it because it looked chavvy

that's hilarious. Chavvy or dumb? Chavvy or dumb... hmmm let me think.

 

[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 have not but we do for any of the sharer's who share our horses, but don't enforce it for liveries. I know we should but so many opposing people in the yard may reduce our livery status, as I am re doing yard agreements I may add it in.

 

[tiga71]

I think it is a great idea. It is only like any other business and sports having basic rules.

We don't have it on our yard but most people do wear it. We don't have a lot of road work as we are straight on the South Downs but if you fall off up there, it could take the emergency services a while to find you without hi viz or someone with you.

I have a selection of yellow, pink and orange and generally mix and match. But I have been slack about using the leg wraps and this thread has reminded me to put those on too.

 

[COldNag]

I have never understood why some people choose not to wear hi vis.
If I was a YO I would absolutely have it as a yard rule.

 

[zandp]

Chavy??!!!! If anything it’s smart lol..

It never stopped me, I go out decked in as much as I can wear and the horse always wears leg bands at least. I like leg bands for me too as my feet are often at driver's eye level. I had a close call with 2 liveries from this yard in afternoon sun once, they came back and laid into me but weren't wearing any hi viz, dark clothes on bays !!

 

[conniegirl]

it is a good rule and I would have no objection at all. Yard owners are normally the ones called to fix anything horsey so it would likely be them called to deal with a horse hit by a car whilst relatives etc deal with the rider/ambulance/hospital.

Also having a horse turn up on the yard with no rider is heart stopping at the best of times, i've had it 3 times and thanked god that everytime they have arrived back via the road that the horses were wearing hiVis (the one time the horse wasnt the rider had fallen off whilst riding in the field), I've also been part of a hunt for a rider who has fallen off, not phoned and not come back to the yard. She was found eventually but it would have been much sooner if she had been wearing hivis and her injuries may not have been as life changing as they were. It took the local community 6 hours of searching to find her, she had fallen, struck her head on a rock as she fell (No hat to go with the no hivis) and the swelling/bleeding on her brain left her with very little ability to do anything. If she had been found sooner less damage may have been done by the swelling and if she had worn a hat she may have walked away from the accident.

 

[stormox]

I wont wear hi viz rugs sheets whatever, I consider them fairly dangerous as they can flap and rustle in the wind and scare the horse especially if you are doing fast work.
I would wear a hi viz bodywarmer gilet type to hack out in, and I would also like to see the onus on motorists looking out for riders pedestrians etc more and not one hand on the wheel other on a phone.

 

[Pippity]

I wont wear hi viz rugs sheets whatever, I consider them fairly dangerous as they can flap and rustle in the wind and scare the horse especially if you are doing fast work.
I would wear a hi viz bodywarmer gilet type to hack out in, and I would also like to see the onus on motorists looking out for riders pedestrians etc more and not one hand on the wheel other on a phone.

The gilets are pretty useless if a motorist is approaching you from in front, because the horse's head and neck will often cover them. How about at least hi-viz bands on neck, tail and legs?

Out of interest, do you also think exercise sheets are dangerous?

As a driver, I do look out for vulnerable road users, but I'd like them to help me out. I was driving home from the yard the other day and came very close to hitting a family. Two adults, two children and a dog, walking down the left-hand side of a 60mph road with no pavement and hedges on both sides, all dressed in black/dark green, and the dog was even black. I only saw them because my headlights happened to catch the clip on the dog's lead. If they hadn't had the dog, I'm not sure whether I would have seen them in time to avoid them.

 

[stormox]

neck,

Out of interest, do you also think exercise sheets are dangerous?

.

Excersise sheets seem to be a lot more fitted, and heavier material so no.
I have seen some riders in hi viz lightweight material flapping around and almost down to the horses hocks.

 

[Tiddlypom]

The gilets are pretty useless if a motorist is approaching you from in front, because the horse's head and neck will often cover them.

This.

I saw this in action a few weeks ago when out walking the dog. A horse and rider were coming towards us. Initially, the rider’s tabard stood out well, but when the horse spotted us it lifted up its head to suss us out, and the tabard vanished from sight for a fair few seconds, leaving a camouflaged dark coloured horse and rider in dark clothing.

Although it is not hidden, the rider in front in this dash cam still is wearing a hi viz tabard. It barely showed up.



The mesh V bandz exercise sheet that my mare is wearing in my avatar doesn’t rustle.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I really like the V-bandz mesh quarter sheets. My yellow one that I've had for years has been used on many horses including youngsters and it's never been an issue.

 

[Pippity]

Excersise sheets seem to be a lot more fitted, and heavier material so no.
I have seen some riders in hi viz lightweight material flapping around and almost down to the horses hocks.

You can get fleece-lined hi-viz which is just as heavy as an exercise sheet. Alternatively, a parson's rump.

I never hack out without a hi-viz quarter sheet (the V-Bandz mesh ones) and I've never had a horse react to it, whether that's the horse I'm riding, horses accompanying us, or horses we happen to encounter out and about. I have had motorists comment on how visible we are because of it.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

This.

I saw this in action a few weeks ago when out walking the dog. A horse and rider were coming towards us. Initially, the rider’s tabard stood out well, but when the horse spotted us it lifted up its head to suss us out, and the tabard vanished from sight for a fair few seconds, leaving a camouflaged dark coloured horse and rider in dark clothing.

Although it is not hidden, the rider in front in this dash cam still is wearing a hi viz tabard. It barely showed up.

View attachment 66668

The mesh V bandz exercise sheet that my mare is wearing in my avatar doesn’t rustle.

What some don't realise from a drivers point of view, only wearing a tabard is often obscured by the horses head and neck, so a tabard alone is often not enough

 

[Annagain]

It's not a rule on our yard but everybody does wear it. Our roads are far busier than they were designed to be. Even so. it's taken years of me nagging my friend to wear it - even now it's minimal but it's better than nothing. The irony is she makes her daughter wear it but just wears a little seat belt style band herself!

I wear a hi-viz cycling jacket under my air jacket (the gilet type so it covers all but the sleeves) and a tabard on top and a hat band. The boys wear a really wide soft material breastplate (as they're big I like something on their chest as it's in line with most drivers' line of vision) and an exercise sheet in winter. I've given up on leg wraps as part of where we hack is a bit boggy and they lose them all the time. I'd like something for their back ends for the summer when it's too warm for the exercise sheets. I know you can get mesh ones but I still think they can be a bit warm, my friend's horse gets really sweaty under hers and Charlie is very sweaty generally. The parson's rumps are good but I'd rather material than something plasticky as M has very sensitive skin and a plastic breast plate caused quite a nasty sore. If anyone has any bright (pun intended ) ideas please let me know.

 

[Pippity]

It's not a rule on our yard but everybody does wear it. Our roads are far busier than they were designed to be. Even so. it's taken years of me nagging my friend to wear it - even now it's minimal but it's better than nothing. The irony is she makes her daughter wear it but just wears a little seat belt style band herself!

I wear a hi-viz cycling jacket under my air jacket (the gilet type so it covers all but the sleeves) and a tabard on top and a hat band. The boys wear a really wide soft material breastplate (as they're big I like something on their chest as it's in line with most drivers' line of vision) and an exercise sheet in winter. I've given up on leg wraps as part of where we hack is a bit boggy and they lose them all the time. I'd like something for their back ends for the summer when it's too warm for the exercise sheets. I know you can get mesh ones but I still think they can be a bit warm, my friend's horse gets really sweaty under hers and Charlie is very sweaty generally. The parson's rumps are good but I'd rather material than something plasticky as M has very sensitive skin and a plastic breast plate caused quite a nasty sore. If anyone has any bright (pun intended ) ideas please let me know.

If they're happy with things wrapped round their tail, you could get them tailguards, either tassel type or solid. Unfortunately, Blue's a dainty delicate lady (ha!) and hates things under her tail, so I can't use them. I've seen some that clip in to the hair, rather than being wrapped around, so I've considered trying them (or MacGyvering something similar myself).



In summer, I hack in a ride-on fly sheet which is sadly lacking in hi-viz, so I've sewn some hi-viz/reflective streamers to the tail flap.

 

[Annagain]

If they're happy with things wrapped round their tail, you could get them tailguards, either tassel type or solid. Unfortunately, Blue's a dainty delicate lady (ha!) and hates things under her tail, so I can't use them. I've seen some that clip in to the hair, rather than being wrapped around, so I've considered trying them (or MacGyvering something similar myself).

View attachment 66676View attachment 66677

In summer, I hack in a ride-on fly sheet which is sadly lacking in hi-viz, so I've sewn some hi-viz/reflective streamers to the tail flap.

I've seen those. I suppose it's a case of don't knock it till you've tried it but I suspect Charlie won't wear it. He's quite a tail swishy horse and he usually manages to get his tail guard off on the trailer. Something I could maybe plait into his tail might work but I need to grow it out to a plaitable length at the top. He's a hunter type so was turned out by the seller with a pulled tail which looked very smart. I've let it grow all winter - partly as we have nowhere to go to look smart and we don't do showing anyway and partly as I love a full tail so will probably go with that if it looks ok on him when we get there. It's slow though. We're currently at that awful in between stage where it looks like it hasn't been pulled and needs it. I have to sit on my hands not to do it now and undo all that growing.

 

[catkin]

I wont wear hi viz rugs sheets whatever, I consider them fairly dangerous as they can flap and rustle in the wind and scare the horse especially if you are doing fast work.
I would wear a hi viz bodywarmer gilet type to hack out in, and I would also like to see the onus on motorists looking out for riders pedestrians etc more and not one hand on the wheel other on a phone.

in stormy weather (and we get lots of wind and rain ere) I have found that layering 2 hi-viz sheets works well - the 'flappier' of the two on the bottom, the little bit of extra weight from the top layer seems to hold it down. make sure that they fit the horse well.

Like everything you have to train the horse to it - but mine don't seem to mind - perhaps they don't think it's much different to the back ends of their rugs moving a bit in the wind. If the wind is very very strong and lifting a well-fitting exercise sheet combo then I would be considering if the weather means I rethink exercising plans that day..........

 

[Renvers]

The highway code which is the interpretation into English of the road traffic act, states in numerous places that road users should make themselves visible to other road users. So in effect its the law stating this not the yard owner. If a car hits you and kills your horse and your not visible then you could end up being the negligent party. Leafy lanes on summer nights are the worst, and the horse is usually at drivers eye level not the rider. If you dont give a stuff about yourself at least give your horse some consideration and put high viz leg bands on. If you ever see a dying horse hoping a farmer with a gun will come past whilst waiting on a vet then crack on.

A rep at NFU told me that on this basis they would consider a rider insured by them to be the negligent party in the event of a claim if they were not wearing hi-viz.

 

[Griffin]

Having had a very scary near miss a few years ago, one of the main points in my favour in getting the incident taken seriously was that my horse and I were dripping in hi viz, there was no way the driver could have missed seeing us.

I use a V-Bandz exercise sheet and I have used it on several different horses over the years with no issues. I also have breast plate that is hi viz too.

My YO had wearing hi viz while on the roads as a rule and I fully support them. Even if you're not bothered about being flattened by a car, you should care about your horse.

 

[Kaylum]

To keep yard reputation yes you have to. There are other rules like you do not go onto anyone else's land. Yard reputation is very important.

 

[tallyho!]

Having had a very scary near miss a few years ago, one of the main points in my favour in getting the incident taken seriously was that my horse and I were dripping in hi viz, there was no way the driver could have missed seeing us.

I use a V-Bandz exercise sheet and I have used it on several different horses over the years with no issues. I also have breast plate that is hi viz too.

My YO had wearing hi viz while on the roads as a rule and I fully support them. Even if you're not bothered about being flattened by a car, you should care about your horse.

This is my fear. In a situation, some toerag driver may well try and claim that they "didn't see" but if you can prove you had made a concerted attempt to be seen, this would make the job of prosecution (however small) much easier.

If I had a yard, especially with young people, it would be an absolute top rule. I couldn't live with myself knowing I could've conscionably prevented an incident with something so simple. I'm not saying I don't care about the older riders, I just think they should have some level of common sense, but if not, I'd apply it for them.

 

[Sossigpoker]

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 ?‍

Well the Army and RAF aircraft are meant to divert if they see a horse rider , this was due to a rider dying some 15 or so years ago. I've lived near Salisbury Plain and can confirm that if you wear high viz and they spot you they will divert as much as possible. Particularly when they're flying low over the villages. I've experienced this several times.

 

[Deleted member 150717]

It never stopped me, I go out decked in as much as I can wear and the horse always wears leg bands at least. I like leg bands for me too as my feet are often at driver's eye level. I had a close call with 2 liveries from this yard in afternoon sun once, they came back and laid into me but weren't wearing any hi viz, dark clothes on bays !!

Oh my!!

 

[Merrymoles]

Not a yard rule but as we all love our horses, none of us venture out without it anyway!