British Horse Society poster advises 'Be Seen - Be Safe'

The British Horse Society (BHS) is re-launching its 'Be Seen - Be Safe' campaign with a poster that can be downloaded from its website, encouraging horse riders and carriage drivers to wear Hi-Viz gear when out on the roads. Wearing Hi-Viz gear, luminous and fluorescent, can give vehicle drivers a valuable extra three seconds 'reaction time' that could save the lives of riders, carriage drivers, and their horses*.

The A4 sized poster, available on the BHS website (www.bhs.org.uk <http://www.bhs.org.uk>), can be downloaded and displayed in local shops, tack rooms, feed merchants, riding schools and livery yards and will provide tips on safer riding including the wearing of Hi-Viz gear.

The majority of horse owners work full-time to be able to afford their animals and so have to exercise them either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. With autumn bringing shorter days this means riding out in the half-light and riding a dark coloured horse in dark coloured clothing is courting disaster.

There are numerous H-Viz products on the market, for horse riders, carriages and the horses themselves, and they can save lives! At the very least, a Hi-Viz tabard should be worn but other products include leg wraps, exercise sheets, martingale and bridle covers for horses, hat covers, mitts and flashing stirrup lights for riders and banners across the back of a carriage will all contribute to ensuring horses can be seen in plenty of time.

BHS head of safety, Sheila Hardy, said, "We are often asked for posters to illustrate advice issued by the BHS and we hope that this idea will prove popular. There are a large number of visitors to the BHS website and by downloading two or three posters each we feel they can be distributed across a wide area very quickly at little cost."

The BHS 'Be Seen - Be Safe' campaign targets riders year round as bright sunny days can be just as dangerous as dark winter mornings but with the clocks about to change (26 October), now is a good time to check out Hi-Viz gear and make sure that when riders are on the roads they do all they can to 'Be Seen - Be Safe'.

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