As the days draw in and the weather is dull, riders need to be sure that they can be seen when riding on the road by wearing bright fluorescent and reflective clothing.

According to British Horse Society figures, every year there are over 3,000 accidents on the roads involving horses–eight a day. These figures include several fatalities, and many horses die of their injuries. Many accidents could be avoided if car drivers would hold back, and only pass, wide and slow, when the road is clear. However accidents often occur because motorists fail to see the horse and rider until too late, and this is something that riders can easily remedy.

Riders need to be aware of how invisible they can be. Wearing wax jackets with dark hat and jodhpurs, usually on a dark bay horse, they too often blend into the shadows.

BHS head of safety, Sheila Hardy, said, “Riders should develop a responsible attitude towards road safety and realize that when on roads they become ‘road users’ like everyone else. We urge horse riders to adopt the lead of the police in the way that they dress by wearing fluorescent and reflective clothing. Visible attire should be worn as a matter of course by riders, summer and winter, at any time of day