We all know the importance of wearing hi-vis when you and your horse are out hacking.
Whether you need to ride a lot on public roads or have the luxury of a large network of bridleways, lanes and tracks, it’s still vital that you and your horse are clearly visible.
Visibility matters to other road users so that they slow down and give you plenty of room as they pass, plus, in the unfortunate event that you and your horse part company, wearing hi-vis will make it easier for the emergency services to find you.
To discover which brands of hi-vis gear you rate for both yourself and your horse, who better to ask than our Hack1000Miles challengers. We also asked a few of our usual testers to tell us what they use.
Read on to find out which items made the cut and rate the most highly with our hi-vis fans.
Each hi-vis brand is marked out of five for fit, performance and value for money. This gives an overall rating out of 15.
Dopo Riding Skirt – RRP from £30
Colours: Fluorescent orange, fluorescent yellow, fluorescent pink (various reflective trims available)
Sizes: 20in – 35in length
Buy at dopocoats.co.uk
Fit: A good fit — the skirt wraps around your waist covering your thighs and some of your horse’s hindquarters. It’s great for hacking out in wet weather as it’s not as restrictive as riding in a long coat.
Performance: A good addition to my hi-vis kit, especially for winter riding as it keeps me dry and visible toother road users. I’ve worn my Dopo skirt a lot and it’s still in good condition.
Value for money: Good value. It’s well made and very effective.
Our ratings
Fit: 4/5
Performance: 4.5/5
Value for money: 4/5
Rating: 12.5/15
V-Bandz Combi-brite Range – RRP from £24.99 (mesh waistcoat), £35.99 (waterproof quarter sheet)
Colours: Pink/yellow, orange/yellow
Sizes: Small adult, medium/large adult, extra large adult. Pony, cob, horse, extra full
Buy at v-bandz.co.uk
Fit: The waistcoat is fully adjustable so you can wear it over a t-shirt in the summer, or over a coat when it’s colder. It looks smart too. The waterproof quarter sheet is a good length and depth. Attaching it to your saddle is quick and easy.
Performance: The use of two colours works really well. I have the pink and yellow version and wear it all year round. Other road users have commented on how visible I am.
Value for money: I’ve had this set for a couple of years and it still looks great. Good value.
Our ratings
Fit: 5/5
Performance: 5/5
Value for money: 4/5
Rating: 14/15 – Your Horse Magazine winner
Rider Eye Tabard – RRP £22
Colours: Yellow, pink and orange
Buy at ridereye.co.uk
Fit: A well-fitting tabard. It passes over your hat easily. A bit more adjustment would be good so that you can wear it all year round. Mine is just a little loose when I wear it with a t-shirt in warmer weather.
Performance: The combination of the hi-vis fabric, the reflective strip on the front and back, and the speed camera logo appears to work well. Since I’ve been wearing this tabard vehicles do seem to slow down and give me more room as they pass.
Value for money: Very good value. It’s a simple design but it works.
Our ratings
Fit: 4/5
Performance: 4/5
Value for money: 4.5/5
Rating: 12.5/15
Equisafety – RRP £29.99 (Reflective Air Waistcoat), £55 (Wraparound Exercise Sheet)
Colours: Orange, pink, yellow
Sizes: M — XL (Waistcoat), XXS, S, pony, cob, horse, x-full
Buy at equisafety.com
Fit: The smart waistcoat is easily adjusted at the sides so you can wear it over a coat or a t-shirt. The generously sized exercise sheet doesn’t slip. It fastens neatly around the saddle.
Performance: I just love the orange colourway — it’s clearly visible at all times of the year. The rug is waterproof and lightweight so that my horse doesn’t get too hot. The tail flap and front strap are good additions.
Value for money: Well worth the money. Effective hi-vis.
Our ratings
Fit: 4/5
Performance: 4.5/5
Value for money: 4.5/5
Rating: 13/15
Point Two Proair – RRP £455
Colour: Hi-vis yellow
Sizes: S-L
Buy at pointtwoairvests.com
Fit: The fit is excellent. It was fitted by the shop I bought it from, and it’s important that it fits correctly so it can offer you protection should you come off. I bought it following a nasty fallout hacking — it’s an air jacket that will inflate if you and your horse part company. The hi-vis colour makes it ideal for hacking and it’s comfy to wear too.
Performance: I’ve not fallen off since buying it, so I haven’t tested the air jacket side of it, but the hi-vis yellow gives other road users a chance to see me. Cars slow down in plenty of time so I must be visible.
Value for money: This isn’t a cheap piece of kit, but it gives me peace of mind so it’s worth it.
Our ratings
Fit: 5/5
Performance: 4.5/5
Value for money: 4/5
Rating: 13.5/15
Parsons Rump – RRP from £17.50
Colours: Yellow, orange and pink.
Sizes: Pony, horse.
Buy at parsonsrump.co.uk
Fit: Once you’ve fitted this for the first time it’s really quick and easy. It attaches to your girth straps and to the back of your saddle via a leather ‘T’ that fits into the gullet of your saddle. Sometimes it did slip over to the right a little, but not very far.
Performance: This is such a simple idea but it’s really effective. The use of Reflexitetape is clever as it’s fluorescent during the day and reflective in darker conditions. It seems to do the job well and it’s easy to keep clean. It’s very light, so it’s something you can even use on hot days to ensure your horse is clearly visible to traffic.
Value for money: Excellent value. It does the job well.
Our ratings
Fit: 4/5
Performance: 4.5/5
Value for money: 5/5
Rating: 13.5/15
