I agree with Myrna about training to the sight and odd whipping sound of the bicycle flag. Those things make the weirdest noises in a high wind!
shorthorsemom said:
Hey Leia, can you tell me where on your cart you put the blinking LED lights, back, front, side, combination of all three?
A few Amish around here have started putting all sorts of lights and reflectors ALL OVER their buggies. I saw one that we saw coming down the road and we said "what the heck is that?????" It was flashing, it was reflecting and it looked like a square jukebox coming down the road. I was stunned when it turned out to be an amish buggy in the dark. Made me think of what I can do to make them say "what the heck is that", if I ever venture out on the road.
You've nailed it- I put them anywhere I can in order to make those drivers go "What the..." and slow down! There's nothing quite like being unidentifiable to get someone's attention.
If I had enough of the flashers I'd put some light ones down on Kody's ankles as I think the movement would look freaky just like those bicycle pedal flashers do. We could start a new trend...being an "UBO." Unpredictable Blinking Object!
I've been meaning for years to get a picture of Kody and I in every scrap of reflective gear we own so maybe I'll try to do that soon. It would be fun to share as I've got quite a lot at this point.
One thing I do try to do is keep those LED's out of my horse's eyes at night time. Red isn't too bad in general but LED's are bright and can damage your eyesight as well as simply messing with the horse's night vision and my goal isn't to handicap the horse, just to have the cars see us. I'd like to have a steady light on each side of his neckstrap, a flashing one on each rear corner of the cart, and maybe one facing forward up on my helmet. Then reflective gear everywhere else!
shorthorsemom said:
Where do people put all this stuff? I don't want sticky goo all over my cart using adhesive, do the LED lights come with straps? I wonder if you could find some reflective tape to velcro wrap to around the pipe across the back of the cart seat, brain storming here,
No goo necessary. I get my flashers at bike shops so they all come on stretchy straps or clamps meant for metal tubing. Zip ties would also work fine and I LOVE Marsha's idea of magnets! (Thanks, Marsha.
) When I first went to the National Drive in 2007, Iowa Valley Carriage had a set of reflective stuff meant for big horses that she was selling as carriage reflectors. Most vet catalogues for instance carry those reflective neoprene tail wraps for riding? Those work GREAT on shafts! I bought a set of big horse bridle reflectors the next year which for minis fit nicely around harness straps and on the browband.
My best find has been a set of those snap bracelets for wrists made in a reflective material for runners. I got my first two way cheap at Walmart and haven't been able to find them since but just recently I saw them at Fred Meyer and snapped up enough to do all four legs on both horses. They were pricier there ($5.99 for a set of two) but I learned my lesson and wasn't about to miss out because they cost more! Those are AWESOME as they go on really quick and easy, the underside is lined with soft velveteen cloth, and they contract down to fit tiny mini legs far better than anything else I've found. Turbo proved that horses can kick them off if they really try but Kody's have stayed on well for years and they're really visible as they're on a moving part of the horse.
Leia
