Horse & Road Safety: Protect Yourself and Your Pony
Girl and Pony Hit by Lorry – A Tragic Reminder to Drive Safely
A young rider in our community recently lost her pony in a devastating accident while returning home from Pony Club. Despite wearing high-visibility (Hi-Viz) gear, a lorry failed to slow down and struck them. While the rider miraculously escaped serious injuries, her pony had to be put down on the road.
This heartbreaking incident has led to a safety awareness campaign, with local riders raising funds for a national TV advertisement. Until then, please remind all drivers to slow down when passing horses on the road.
Why Hi-Viz Gear is Essential for Riders and Horses
The Importance of Visibility
During foggy weather, overcast days, and low-light conditions, making yourself and your horse as visible as possible is crucial. Hi-Viz gear increases visibility, giving drivers additional time to react and take necessary precautions. Many accidents can be prevented with simple safety measures, such as:
- Reflective rugs with high-visibility strips
- Hi-Viz leg bands that make a horse’s movement more noticeable
- Fluorescent tabards, helmets, and jackets for riders
- Reflective strips on bridles and headcollars
Research shows that Hi-Viz gear can make a rider visible from up to three times further away compared to riding without it.
Recommended Hi-Viz Riding Gear
- Personalized Hi-Viz hoodies with custom safety messages
- Equisafety Aspey waterproof winter jacket for visibility in harsh weather
- Parsons Rump Hi-Viz cover for horses’ rear to maximize visibility
Wearing the right safety gear can significantly reduce the risk of road accidents involving horses.
Don’t just assume the driver will see you
Cloudy, foggy days and nights are drawing in and it’s getting harder to see horses and riders on the roads. Making you and your horse or pony as visible as possible to people and drivers couldn’t be more important this winter. Many accidents can be avoided and prevented if you take a few simple steps. Putting a brightly coloured rug on your horse with a few reflective strips in it, reflective strips on the headcollar or bridle, wearing HI VIZ bands and tabards will make all the difference. Wearing HI VIZ clothing gives drivers vital seconds to react and take avoiding action if necessary. (By Barbara Moore)
Choosing the Right Helmet for Maximum Protection
A properly fitted riding helmet is one of the most important pieces of safety equipment for equestrians. Helmets are mandatory in riding schools, clubs, and many equestrian sports, yet some riders still choose to ride without one.
Starting Young – Suitable helmets for little people
Here is my son in a good bike/skate board helmet that meets standards for insurance. Thomas is two and a half here. Then he moved into the Troxel when he had grown out of this one. They are nice and light especially for little heads and weaker necks. (Annie Worsley)
The Gatehouse Airflow Hickstead fits tiny tots and is good enough for showing too. I had one for my two year old son. (Nicola Stead-Howarth)
Choosing the right helmet for a 2 year old child
© Annie Worsley
Best Helmets for Young Riders (2+ Years Old)
- Bike or skateboard helmets – Suitable for very young children as an introduction to wearing head protection
- Troxel riding helmets – Lightweight, comfortable, and designed for young riders
- Gatehouse Airflow Hickstead helmet – A good option for showing and everyday riding
Investing in a high-quality, certified riding helmet can prevent serious head injuries in case of falls or accidents.
Personalised High Vis Hoodies
Caroline Almond and Maisie in Hi Viz pink
Worcester Woman Launches Hi-Viz Biz – Parsons Rump
A Worcestershire woman who has been riding since she was 7 years old has started a cottage business producing a new safety product for horses. Jan Parsons, who lives in Hanley Castle, has given her name to the Parsons Rump, a hi-viz band to cover a horse’s rear. Jan has been a member of the British Horse Society for 25 years.
Hi-Viz for horses and ponies by Parsons Rump
Always wear a riding helmet
Most riders agree that a riding helmet is vital to protect your head. Yet there are some who still won’t wear them. They are compulsory in riding schools, clubs and in equestrian sports like eventing and show jumping, although the dressage and showing disciplines haven’t enforced this as yet. Even if you are only hacking or doing flat work at home, why would you risk your life?
Riding helmets and caps
- Always wear a riding helmet on a horse.
- Never wear a riding cap with a solid peak for cross country or hunting. If your horse goes under a low tree branch, you can break your neck. The soft helmet cover peak prevents this happening.
- Always do up the strap of your helmet or cap. If the helmet/cap falls off, you risk death or serious injury. Don’t undo strap until off the horse.
- Wear a riding helmet when clipping horses, training young horses or lungeing.
How Drivers Can Help Prevent Accidents
Riders can take all the necessary safety precautions, but driver awareness is just as important. When passing a horse on the road, motorists should:
- Slow down well before reaching the horse and rider
- Give plenty of space to avoid startling the horse
- Avoid sudden noises such as honking or revving the engine
- Watch for signals from the rider indicating if they need extra time or space
Riders should also acknowledge considerate drivers by giving a clear wave and a smile as a sign of thanks. Encouraging positive interactions between riders and drivers can help promote safer roads for everyone.
Hi Viz can save your life
Horses and cars don’t mix. Most of us however have to ride on roads at some point. The bare minimum you should be wearing is leg bands and a tabard. This should be one of the fluorescent colours and include up to date certified reflective strips. It may seem silly; you can buy a cheap one from the £1 store so why spend much more? But this will make a difference in the courts should, God forbid, anything ever happen.
Remember that the accident ratios are barely different from summer to winter and the time of day doesn’t seem to affect it either. You are no safer on any colour of horse, they should all be covered and people who ride out with only their tabard on must have forgotten their ponies’ boots… what happens if you fall and your horse heads home alone? Leg bands attract a driver’s eye as they move not just forward and back but up and down too.
More fashionable Hi Viz wear available now
The stores have got much better and you can get bands, martingales and jackets that all have a slightly more fashionable look. As a person who has lived for the last 15 years in a roadworks jacket that costs about £25 from an industrial supplier, I have just received my Christmas present of a superb jacket from Rockfish, who have finally bought out something my dear partner wants to be seen out with me in. There are other cheaper options and I urge you to remember your arms – they are what stick out when you signal and communicate with a driver.
Danger from helicopters and jets
Don’t forget those of you that don’t need to go on the roads, the distances a helicopter or jet training can see you is more than halved again just with leg bands and a tabard. The MOD and BHS have worked together and pilots will avoid you if they see you. The down draft from a helicopter will freak even the calmest horse and it will hurt if they are under 150ft! I live in a training zone and have witnessed planes and choppers avoid us. I keep an eye on the BHS site for when they are training and you can find out your zone and follow it. Don’t forget if your horse bolts you can’t guarantee it won’t end up on the road flat out with a nonplus helicopter following it.
Don’t risk your life and the life of your horse
Please people I have lost my own ponies on the road and I have lost a dear friend too. I have sat at more than one accident where I was purely holding a horse until it either died or the vet arrived to euthanize. Even a slight knock can break a hock and render a horse to an early grave. Only two years ago I sat with a pony and her young rider while the fire brigade released them from under a van. The van didn’t see her, the pony was roan, the child was in her blue jods and a blue rain jacket. NO one was blamed and the courts didn’t even find any negligence from the driver because he just had no way of knowing she was round the corner. I walked with the police around the corner and they could see me with my tabard on from nearly 1/3 mile but without it they too, on one occasion, only saw me coming round the corner… and they were looking for me!
(Horse and Pony Info would like to thank Annie Worsley for writing this article).
Final Thoughts
Horses and traffic can be a dangerous combination, but many accidents are preventable. Wearing Hi-Viz gear, choosing the right helmet, and increasing awareness among drivers are all essential steps toward improving road safety for riders and their horses. Taking these precautions can make a life-saving difference.