IT’S only a fortnight until the clocks go back and British Summer Time officially comes to an end.

Although it would be pretty hard to know in 2008 when it actually started.

What it does mean, however, is that the nights begin to draw in rapidly and the ride out that seemed a good idea at four in the afternoon, suddenly becomes more awkward as the gloom descends an hour later.

So now is definitely the time to get out your high visibility gear or buy some if you don’t have any already. Some riders wear a luminous tabard even when riding out in the summer and although that’s not vital, like the headlights on a car during the day, it does mean they present a more noticeable image.

After all someone on a bay horse wearing a black riding hat and olive green wax jacket won’t stand out much against a country lane hedgerow to an approaching motorist.

About this time each year, the British Horse Society relaunches 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. It claims that 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 poster 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,” explained BHS head of safety, Sheila Hardy.

“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 Hi-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.

“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.”

Hi-Viz need not mean high expense. A luminous exercise horse sheet costs about £14.50, a set of long reflective leg bandages £13.50, a reflective riding hat band £5 and a reflective riders tabard £8.50.