Fluorescent or reflective?

Ideally high-visibility gear should contain both fluorescent and reflective material. Reflective material, as the name suggests, reflects any light shining on it. It is most effective in low light conditions where car headlights reflect off it. Fluorescent (or day glow) material doesn't have reflective properties so is little use in the dark, but is more readily seen in daylight.

So what do you wear?

With such a large range of high-visibility gear now available how do you decide what to wear? Tabards and exercise sheets both cover a large area and are easily seen.

Bands on a horse's legs are very effective, as the horses legs move, the bands move catching a drivers eye.

There are various types of leg wear for horses, ranging from leg wraps to full luminous brushing boots.

Tabards are a good way of making you more visible to other road users, whilst informing drivers of your situation, with specially printed captions.

You can obtain many different types of tabards ranging from plain yellow at around £6, reflective and flashing for around £15 and luminous body warmers or over jackets up to £30. All vest or luminous tabards should have 2 reflective strips on them, one on the front, the other on the back.

A high-visibility silk on your hat can enable drivers to see you over the top of hedges, on some roads this is the first bit of a rider that a driver can see.

Children under the age of 14 MUST wear a riding hat that complies with the Regulations.

It MUST be fastened securely.

Other riders should also follow this advice.

Boots or shoes with hard soles and heels should also be worn when riding.