For those of you who don't believe Hi Viz makes a difference.....

I won't be going out without my hi viz stuff again... Last few times I've hacked out I haven't worn any, :o although I was riding light coloured ponies, but I really ought to find it again, and I will after seeing those.
 
Wow thats good proof - im not going hacking now witout at least 1 thing:o
 
Obviously it helps in the dark, but I'm still sceptical as to its efficacy in daylight. About a week ago I was driving up the road, a chestnut horse was coming towards me, and I'd seen it and slowed down before I realised that the rider had a hiviz tabard on.

Deffo use hiviz in poor light or bad weather, mind you, but in normal daylight the difference it makes is minimal. I would also say that having something on the horse rather than rider makes more of a difference, as the rider is often too still to be easily noticable, whereas a set of reflective boots, martingale cover, and tail guard are much more visible as they are moving!

Or don't ride on roads in poor light at all - that's probably safer than any amount of hiviz!
 
Gosh that does make a difference doesn't it!!

Think I am definatly going to invest in a hi-viz sheet for Bry and a big yellow hi-viz coat for myself.
 
Remember too, even if you don't ride out on roads it's still worth wearing hi viz.

I can't be the only one that's almost crashed into another horse coming the other way whilst cantering through the woods, it can be pretty dark when riding through trees - even on a sunny day - there's also a lot of kids riding their motorbikes through the woods where I ride and I don't think they mean any harm, but they don't always see you when they're concentrating on that they are doing. :rolleyes:
 
Now that I only have on-road hacking, have already decided that I will always wear my hi-viz from now on and am in the process of buying additional pieces for Chez :)
 
Always wear it and Silver has some reflective brushing boots as well. I have forgotton to wear my tabard sometimes but I always wear a white t-shirt and only ride in the daylight.

Really worries me when people from my yard go out on their almost black horses, wearing all black clothes, in foggy dusky weather :( I dread to think
 
Don't forget, horrible thought, but if you fall off out hacking or in some woods, field etc, it will be much easier for someone to spot you and find you. Same for a loose horse. I always hack out with a tabard and hat band on, though I should use my horse leg bands too.
 
Laura+Phantom said:
Don't forget, horrible thought, but if you fall off out hacking or in some woods, field etc, it will be much easier for someone to spot you and find you. Same for a loose horse. I always hack out with a tabard and hat band on, though I should use my horse leg bands too.
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absolutely. 99% of my hacking is off road but i still go out decked up like a christmas tree incase we parted company, makes it easier for us to be found. I do think you need more than a simple tabard though for hi-viz to be really effective. I've a full set of woof flourescent brushing boots, a hi-viz breastplate with flashing lights, an independant light i strap to my leg, i hi-viz tailguard, a flourescent quarter sheet, flourescent tabard and flourescent hat cover. I wear all these when i'm out hacking.
 
evilgiraffe said:
Deffo use hiviz in poor light or bad weather, mind you, but in normal daylight the difference it makes is minimal.
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I personally disagree as on a nice sunny day the sun can actually make it difficult to see and it can sometimes be blinding. I personally have found it difficult to see a horse and rider in broad daylight. Also you have to remember that roads can become shadowy etc and then there is the point that if horse and rider become separated it will be easier to find them.

At the end of the day if I am out riding on the roads I will wear hi-viz despite the weather as it gives me a bit more piece of mind. If anything happens at least I wouldn't be questioning whether it would have happened or not if I was wearing hi-viz gear.
 
i think evilgiraffe has differently abled eyes to me then, hi viz makes an impact whatever the light conditions when i see it.
 
its a firm rule on our yard that you have to wear at least a tabbard or your not allowed out on the roads, some people moan like hell but at the end of the day its for our own safety
 
If I had to ride on the roads, I would, of course, wear high visability gear. It's silly not too!I just ride Falcon round the livery farm, in the jumping arena and in the 2 schools they have there. The roads where I am are too dangerous for a pony who has never seen the sort of traffic we have here in the south east and after having a road accident on a horse a long time ago, I'm not in any mood to repeat the incident!!!
 
I wear Hi-Viz (tabard and hat band) even if I am just walking in-hand up to the old airfield next door (with miles of concrete roads and grass :) ), only a 5 minute walk on a quiet lane. Will be getting some other stuff to put on Frayne as soon as I have earned the money. Life is just too valuable to take any unnecessary risks.
 
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