'Young Horse in Training' tabards - yay or nay?

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Violet3549

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There has been a lot of controversy around 'Caution Young Horse' or 'Young Horse in Training' hi viz tabards and whether by wearing them you are automatically admitting liability in the event of an accident. On the HRSA web page on the matter - http://www.hrsa.org.uk/legal_advice_tabards.htm - they are saying that it does not necessarily mean you are admitting liability but drivers could use it against you in a claim and it will be their word against yours. It also says that if you do have a young or inexperienced horse and you are not wearing a hi viz stating that fact, it could be used against you because you are not warning other road users of a spooky horse.

What are your thoughts on this? I am a freelance rider and I ride a lot of young and green horses - Does the plain 'please pass wide and slow' really work? Or what about the 'Polite' tabards?

I want to get something with words on as opposed to a plain tabard, especially as it is getting darker earlier and its getting duller in the days :)

Thanks in advance.
 
I wrote "young horse please pass wide and slow" on my plain yellow tabard for taking Jazz out. I would hope it would be seen as giving other road users fair warning rather than admitting liability. I know he's fine with cars passing, but if they speed by or come too close, he WILL get a fright!
 
Put L plates on, drivers slow down every time - even if it's only to point and laugh :D

I think the polite ones have had their day, drivers are wise to them now and find them insulting.

I once saw a tabard with a picture of a bucking bronc and the words 'breaking in, please pass wide and slow' lol
 
I have an equisafety young horse one and find that it does work worth most drivers. Those that ignore it would not sloe down for anything in my experience. Only problem is our can only be seen when coming up from behind you
 
I think that any writing on a tabard will either mean absolutely nothing to most drivers, or irritate some others. Average drivers seem to have no clue about how to drive when a passing or meeting a horse, or have an idea that a young horse is different to any other horse.

I like the L plate idea, everyone can understand that. :)
 
I genuinely don't think most drivers even read what a tabard says, so I always think it's best to ride in plain - I can see why the writing may admit liability, and I wouldn't want the tester case to be on me!
 
I like please pass wide and slow in huge letters and nothing else. Most drivers won't read it but if they do it actually asks them to do what I would like them to do. I think a lot of drivers don't have a clue so if they read it they may get the idea.
 
I did wear a L badge on my riding hat for about a year an a half after I backed my pony and was well respected. I continue to ride in a polite jacket. I don't like the tabbards "smile you are on camera" think its disrespectful to drivers to be honest and could wind up drivers ?
 
You have as much right to be on the roads as any other road user. A tabard, regardless of any instruction, does not make you liable for reckless/careless or dangerous driving (if proven) with regards to any accident.
 
blazingsaddles said:
You have as much right to be on the roads as any other road user. A tabard, regardless of any instruction, does not make you liable for reckless/careless or dangerous driving (if proven) with regards to any accident.
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I could walk down a road with a tabard stating "All motorists are ********s" if they hit me due to their careless, dangerous or reckless driving (if proven) they would be charged.
 
I wear a tabbard with a hugh red triangle on it, drivers do take notice.
Was wondering about the L plates my self, i might try that as well.
 
I think the simple ones are most effective. Like the L plates, and the warning triangle. Don't like the ones with too much pointless writing, harder to read and covers up too much tabard sometimes.

I don't agree the wording on your tabard makes you responsible or at fault for anyone else's knobbish driving though.

I hate the smile you're on camera ones. The feed shop I go to has signs up saying that and I always think rude thoughts when I read it.
Don't like the 'Polite' ones either, don't like the whole semi-fancy dress aspect of it.

(Personally i don't think they look remotely mounted-police- hiviz like, and coupled with someone pootling round on a short hairy pony I'm baffled that any member of the public could mistake people for mounted police, even at a glance, but hey. Also, other stuff I've had from that company has been the most god-awful rubbish quality).
 
I ride my just broken horse is a " caution young horse" tabard and since moving from a normal hi viz to this one iv seen a great difference in how vehicles respond to me, cars are much more responsive and cyclists actually stop and ask if its ok to past. I am so impressed with it that it was worth every penny.
 
I wear one with the disabled symbol on (wheelchair symbol) and the word caution underneath it----do you think that is okay? (I am a disabled rider just to clarify! ;) )
 
My horse as a 3/4 year old
maxholiday132.jpg

Worked a treat :)
 
I wear the one with caution young horse on the back and I definitely have a much better response from drivers than any other tabard, so I wear it on every horse regardless of age!
 
The Polite one also have issues with some, like the Young Horse ones. I have never had, but do like the idea of the L, as it is plain and easy to understand by all, possibly legal issues with the L too though
 
I was the second car behind a rider who was wearing L plates and as the car in front overtook the rider he gave her a mouth full of abuse along the lines of if she was a learner rider she shouldn't be on the road.

I think drivers might think it's more to do with the rider rather than the horse
 
Over the years I've collected tabards and a few of mine have 'caution young horse'... I pick the first tabard up I see and have worn a caution young horse one on my 21yo ex-eventer! I don't think drivers even read them half the time sadly... to be honest I'd rather the driver was looking where they were going and what they were doing than focusing on the writing on my back. A driver should pass wide and slow whatever the horse's age and as long as you are wearing hi viz I don't see how caution young horse admits liability... any horse of any age can spook at a car and each driver SHOULD know this (sadly they don't/can't be bothered).
 
throughtheforest said:
I wear the one with caution young horse on the back and I definitely have a much better response from drivers than any other tabard, so I wear it on every horse regardless of age!
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Me too - I was wearing it when a van hit me and my old boy about 20 yrs ago. Luckily, it was just a side swipe and no harm was done to my boy other than a singe mark on his (thankfully) thick winter coat, but the van had £800 worth of damage. He tried to claim I shouldn't have been on the road on a young horse, but lost that argument when he found out my boy was actually 17. My insurance company argued he should have given me extra space if he thought I was on a young horse rather than trying to force his way past me at an unsuitable spot and he was found to be 100% liable so it certainly helped in my case.
 
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