Why do they laugh at me?

[FryingNemo]

It's hi viz gear. Not a fucking comedy turn. Grrrrrr. Rant over.

Yes. Hi viz upsets them! Probably not as much as a Citroen up the arse though!

@older yet wilder

Love it. :o

One of the best I ever saw was a couple of girls riding in the dark with some sort of flashing lights all round their hi viz exercise sheets, and boots, and hats. No danger of not being seen.

Saggy - honestly, some people!

I was very glad of my hi-viz today! Just crossing the main road when 3 police cars came zooming towards me with sirens and lights going. My life flashed before my eyes but they spotted me from a good distance away and all turned off their sirens. They kept their lights flashing but dhorse was ok with that and stood nicely as they went past. Phew!

www.cavaletticlothing.com/p-1454-best-seller-equisafety-polite-hi-vis-waistcoat.aspx

This is the Polite range, its designed to look like police wear to make drivers slow down

Polite is great, but its not quite convincing when you are riding a 10hh Shetland!

Mine says 'caution, young horse' horse is 16yrs old!

All the strings wear hi viz jackets out on the heath for first (and sometimes 2nd and 3rd lots) here in Newmarket, doesn't upset these horses.

I have a tabard and exercise sheets (which don't always get worn -depends if it is too warm) but as I have a bright pink coat too , I think the tabard and coat have a great clashing effect that would startle most drivers into slowing down :o

Hi vis clothing means a drive will see you from 700 feet away as opposed to 100 feet according to a few sites I looked up. I have also heard that your insurance company may not pay out if you are not wearing Hi Vis, not sure if this is true but it sounds plausible.
In answer to your question OP, they laugh at you because they are cretinous fools. Pay them no heed.

I just tell them that I wear the hi-viz so that the search & rescue team can find the body when I fall off

That's not so far from the truth actually. I bought I bright orange riding coat long before anyone had hi viz. It was after a friend of mine fell off on the Downs and was lying unconscious for ages while the helicopter searched in vain for her in her green waxed jacket. (The horse had gone home on its own and no one knew where she was). Luckily she was ok.

Also a factor is you would be easy to find if unconscious after a fall when out hacking they would feel a prat with helicopters overhead unable to spot them!

Ha very slllllloooowww x post!

You know what, I'd rather be lit up like a Christmas tree in Hi Viz equipment and be seen on the roads, than be appologising to my horse as the vet put him down because he was hit by a car due to the fact he wasn't seen in time.

The people at your yard are morons - ignore then and feel smug that you are the one with common sense.

Well, thick fog today and visibility down to 10 metres in places.

Guess how many other riders had hi viz? That's right. None. I just can't believe it. Mind you not many other people were mad enough to ride out in such pissy weather.

I was wondering if I could ask the farmer to put his cows in hi viz gear? They keep on appearing suddenly out of the fog and giving little mare the jitters... Well, it made it an interesting ride!

DD has such a good hi vis she wears it everywhere. flo pink, scotchlight AND around flashers on battery. We even used it when we did the walk to school in winter. Thousands of horses around here (racehorses) but funny bit was the tack shop/ equi supply where I bought it said they only sell kids ones, no adult buys it.

You used to see them here- strings of racehorse 30 and 40 deep walking in the dark at half five/ six with nothing on them. Then a rider got hit, horse died. Now most of the bigger strings at least have riders in vests.

It's lovely and sunny here today,and the dds still wore hi viz to ride in,We passed 4 adults riding too and all of them were wearing high viz too.

Chobbler are you in 'the home of flat racing'? If so I think I know which incident you are referring to, and it did make more strings wear flourescent jackets, most were quite good before though.

There is no place like it is there?

They have rules in place now that they are not allowed on the gallops before 7am in winter (i think it is 7) as some trainers (ok, mostly one in particular) would still have his pulling out at 5.30am and doing a whole lot in the pitch black - nutter!

unique is the politest way to say it. :)