I bought a blaze orange saddle bag and halter (that’s what I ride in). I figure it’s always good to be able to spot your horse from a distance anyway.
The several thousand acre park that my barn is next to only allows hunting 2 days out of the year where they close it to anything but the hunters. I either ride there or trailer out to other places that are closed to hunting
I got my husband a hi-visibility quarter sheet from Sleezy Barb Horsewear last Christmas - in green as it’s for winter road riding, but also available in orange - and it’s a light mesh material. Maybe still not suitable when it’s HOT, but should work if it’s merely warm. It seems similar to that lightweight holey material you see in some athletic wear.
Also, I see the Protectavest quarter sheet is described as the same mesh as their vests, one of which we have for hunting season pasture wear (and come to think of it, need a 2nd before Nov. 13, and maybe 2 custom ones for the llamas) - those are vinyl covered woven mesh so lots of holes but a heavier stiffer material.
When I lived on the OH/PA border I rode on Sunday’s as there was no public hunting on Sunday.
Imagine my surprise when I moved south to the Bible Belt and Sunday Hunting is allowed for anything that’s in season.
I felt like even my hunter orange vest and the hat I Cut holes for the horse’s ears wasn’t even enough to road ride in my rural area, so I gave it up until Januar:(.
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I will look into these! If they are mesh then we could use them once it cools down below heat stroke territory. That amount of bright/neon anything should get the attention of others and give us some level of safety. Thanks!
son would tie a big cow bell to his horse, sounded like a herd of cattle were going to market
What a timely thread! I was about to ask this same question. So far, I have orange helmet covers, orange vests for human and orange ear bonnets. Thinking about adding an orange quarter sheet since I have chestnut mares
I put bells on my horse along with an orange halter under his bridle and orange in his tail
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Where did you get your helmet cover? I have thought about getting one as most hunters wear orange caps so they will be looking for this first.
Neon orange, as much as possible–saddle pad, beta orange bridle and reins, orange polo wraps, orange helmet cover, orange flagging tape in tail, orange safety vest…ORANGE!
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https://www.doversaddlery.com/shires-equi-flector-exrcs-sht/p/X1-240389/&rrec=true/
Saw this one on Dover’s site, has anyone tried it?
I personally would not share the woods with hunters. Every year several of them wind up shooting one another. And they are not sitting on a large herbivore at the time. Which one might suspect increases the likelihood of becoming a target.
Wildlife Management Areas are generally off limits to hunters on Sundays, so you can plan to ride that day. Or trailer to a state park that doesn’t allow hunters.
If you decide to ride outside managed areas, be cautious.
Are hunters allowed to use dogs in your area? If so be careful. The hounds won’t bother you, but they are running deer which may spook your horse if they cross your path. Also bear in mind they are running deer towards armed people who will be shooting at them as they emerge from cover. You don’t want to be in the way.
Or the hunters following hounds in their trucks can cause problems for you if you’re riding alongside the road. They aren’t paying attention to much except where their hounds are, and they fly.
I know what days the local hunt is out in my area. It never hurts to strike up a dialogue so you’re informed.
Me, I gave up riding alongside roadways at any time of year a while back. I can train my horse, but I can’t train the drivers and the latter have just gotten too idiotic about large animals for me to risk it. I figure that’s why God made horse trailers. I’ll just go where they’re not.
I know it’s a pain. Gun season is Sept 15 - mid-January (counting Youth Saturday) in my area. But it’s just not worth the risk IMO when there are (albeit inconvenient) alternatives.
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I have this for my horse,
https://www.horseloverz.com/horse-bl…wraparound-rug
And this for me
https://www.horseloverz.com/english-…pass-wide-slow
Horze has a bunch of reflective stuff as well
I don’t have one myself, but just saw this online: https://protectavest.com/product/blaze-orange-helmet-cover/
I was on that site today as I’m looking into getting vests made for our llamas in pasture - our brown llama, in particular, looks way more deer-like than the horses do - but out of curiosity I also googled and quickly found another hi-viz orange helmet cover at Amazon.
I bought one on Amazon.
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Thanks guys! I saw one on Amazon but sometimes they can be hot or miss. I’ll give it a try 
I found mine on Amazon from Helmet Covers Etc. It was $22 which seems to be the going rate for orange ones. I could find other colors of the lycra helmet covers for cheaper but nothing in blaze orange.
It is best not to ride in hunting areas in season. Not only do you stand a chance of getting shot, but you really piss off hunters by singing, ringing and generally crashing through the landscape and scattering any wildlife. They have invested time and money for a relatively short season, the least you can do is leave them to enjoy it and wait until their time is up. You do not have to be seen to get shot from a long way off.
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100% disagree. I have just as much right to use public land as they do. I wear my orange and be sensible, (I don’t go out the first week of buck) but other than that, NOPE, I am not giving up the best time of year to ride. I ride at mid-day and rarely even see a hunter, and PA is really big on hunting. I have been doing this for 25 years and never had a problem.
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Has anyone found a skull cap cover in the neon orange?
My google skills have failed to find anything.
I guess I look at it as - we have the rest of the year the only have this short time. Ya know, that whole sharing thing.
To the OP, it sounds like you already plan on doing this, but make sure the land owners there are OK with you riding on their land during hunting season. They might have allowed the horses to use their land but assume you will not be out there during hunting season. Do not risk being kicked off that land the rest of the year by scaring off the hunters that have permission to be there (or worse, scaring off the deer while the land owner tries to hunt their own land).
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