Please, please, wear hi viz.

[Madcatgirl]

For the love of God, put hi viz on. Day or night when hacking out you need to be seen. This time of year it's especially hard as the sun angles lower. I damn nearly ran up the back of a horse today because it was blending nicely with the trees and hedges we were all passing.
The silly woman didn't have ANY hi viz on at all!

Please, please, please put your hi viz on. Be safe, be seen!

My son doesn't go out without it, I don't go out without it,it's a yard rule for me.

[Pixel]

Totally agree, I always wear mine. There are two riders who come past our field gate regularly doing roadwork on their racehorses. They are plain bay horses and the riders are in dark clothing from head to foot. Many a time I've seen them disappear into the background before they are very far down the road, especially if it is drizzly or overcast, and I always want to shout 'hi-viz' as they go past. Doubt they'd listen though, they obviously think they are too cool to wear it.

[Plomino]

Absolutely . I wear mine all the time all year round not only because of the roads , but because we have low flying helicopters as well . Everyone wears it round here without exception, even the pro's .

[bonzo77]

Not only high viz but reflective too. It's not only safer in traffic, but makes you easier to find if you have an unscheduled dismount and you cannot get up.

As for looking silly, I look lovely in my hot pink get up!

[Pixel]

Years ago, before we had hi-viz or reflective clothing, a friend of mine had a fall from her horse. It took a long time before the helicopter found her lying unconscious on the Downs as she was wearing the then-standard green waxed jacket (it was before they had the thermal cameras as well). Thankfully she was ok but not long after that I needed a new riding coat and I bought a really bright orange one! I think I was the brightest thing for miles around .

[TooMuchCantBreath]

Same goes for cyclists. I wouldn't leave the yard without hi viz yet someone asked me the other day "why do you cycle to the yard without hi viz then put it on to ride?" It just hadn't crossed my mind

I now have a set especially for my bike.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Totally agree. I mean obviously the usual reaction when the low sun dazzles you is to slow down and take your foot off the accelerator, but even so horses and bikes and dog walkers etc really blend into the background in the shadows.

I practically stopped the car the other day because the sun was absolutely blinding. I crawled along for a few yards until I could see clearly and was most suprised to see a lady on a horse stood in a field entrance waiting for me. She had a fantastic view of me bathed in sunshine, from up on her perch. I didn't see her until I was nearly level with her. She didn't have a clue that I couldn't see her at all.

I leaned out of the window and said 'you know I couldn't see you at all in the sunshine'. She just tutted. I was only trying to help.

[fuctifino]

I rode out today, hi-viz as always. About 400 metres in front of me, was a girl with no hi-viz.
A 40 road, not many cars slowed so you'd notice and they didn't pass with acres of space between us.
Her? Brake, go on the other side of the road, the full shebang.

I was saddened and disappointed that I was deemed safe to pass at speed and sometimes inadequate room.

Won't stop me wearing my hi-viz though!

[horsemadmom]

I almost hit two MOUNTED MET OFFICERS! One of them was on a new horse and the other on a nanny horse (both bay)walking downhill on a curvy suburban London street in the late afternoon in the dead of winter. If I had been doing the speed limit, I would have hit them. NO HI VIS!!!! I actually pulled into a drive and told them that I couldn't see them and had to swerve. They were actually rude to me!

[Eve]

having had to deal with my friends dead horse and visit her in hospital with a broken back from being hit from behind ...... I want to scream at people to wear high-viz.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Oh Christ Eve

I was always taught when learning to drive that if you can't completely and clearly see where you're going you slow down. It's not rocket science. If you can't see where you're driving how do you know it's safe? Yes wearing high vis helps but if you get a car driver up your arse who hasn't got the brains to slow down you're in trouble anyway.

[Eve]

She was hit in broad daylight by a 70 year old driving a 4x4 on a 40mph road. You could see from the photos of the car that the horse went up onto the roof of the jeep.

He wasn't prosecuted but was fined for no insurance.

[Pixel]

We went up to London for a show last year and were early so sat in one of the parks (Green Park is it, near Buck house? I get confused) to enjoy the sunshine. A couple of mounted police officers rode through the park and I was stunned to see they weren't wearing any hi-viz whatsoever. I suppose I'd just expected that the police would be setting an example and assumed they would be all decked out.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Shame he couldn't have lost his concentration as he approached a stationary lorry. Your poor friend.

[BlotOnTheLandscape]

It's a rule here as well - hat, body protector, phone and hi-vis plus laminated card in my pocket with emergency contact details on it.

[funwithforresters]

I don't understand those that don't wear hi-viz. You shoe him, get best bed, feed, tack, get the vet for jabs etc, new head collar each Christmas but won't spend £20 on a hi-viz jacket to give a car a few extra seconds to not hit your horse.
Crazy.
Horses are naturally camouflage animals after all.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I once had to stop my car on a busy back road to allow a young lady to control her horse.
It was a few years back in December. She didn't have an Hi-Viz on herself or her dark bay ........but her horse was wearing antlers . And the reason he was arseing about was he was terrified of them