When should reflective gear be used?
Wearing reflective riding gear can be a little unusual at first, but reflective articles are necessary in certain situations to maintain road safety even in difficult conditions. In which situations, should you rely on the brightness of reflective gear?
Horses with dark coats and riders with dark clothing are easily overlooked.
The use of reflective items is necessary in the following visibility conditions:
- Dawn
- Dusk
- Fog
- Heavy snowfall
- Rain
Reflective items should be kept handy for the following situations:
- Horse rides
- Trail rides
- When crossing a road, even if you are only leading the horse
- Always where other people are likely to be encountered in poor visibility (i.e. also off-road).
The legal aspects of visibility for riders and horses in the UK:
According to the Highway Code and their rules about animals horse riders should wear light-coloured or fluorescent clothing in daylight and reflective clothing at night or in poor visibility.
„At night. It is safer not to ride on the road at night or in poor visibility, but if you do, make sure you wear reflective clothing and your horse has reflective bands above the fetlock joints. A light which shows white to the front and red to the rear should be fitted, with a band, to the rider’s right arm and/or leg/riding boot. If you are leading a horse at night, carry a light in your right hand, showing white to the front and red to the rear, and wear reflective clothing on both you and your horse. It is strongly recommended that a fluorescent/reflective tail guard is also worn by your horse.“
We would like to emphasise at this point that these are the minimum legal requirements that must be complied with in Germany. However, in terms of road safety, additional luminous, reflective or fluorescent elements on the rider and horse are strongly recommended to increase visibility. We will explain what you should absolutely pay attention to in the next chapter of our guide.