Horses on road....safety triangles?

[newimage]

An incident last night has got me thinking about things we could carry in our cars, just in case.
On a trip back from the vets with my westie (yep...westie...vets...skin...suprise suprise!!) last night, I caught sight of a dark horse with a white blaze popping out of the hedge. After hitting the breaks and the hazard warning lights and grabbing my phone, I got out my car to be faced with 3 horses. This stretch of road is completely dark and a fast road, even though there is a junction and railway crossing not far from where the horses had broke out.
Panic
I tried to approach the horses but they were milling all over the place from one side to the other looking for food. Cue car coming from the faster direction of the road.....PANIC!! After trying to watch the horses, flag the car down and shoo the horses away, realising the car hadn't really seen me or the horses as I had no reflective gear with me, just ran in between the car and the horses and waved my arms at the horses like a mad man screaming GET OFF THE ROAD....RUN or something like that!
Luckily horses ran off into the farmers field (sorry farmer, you did have lovely flat turf!) and the car stopped inches off me and the horses as they turned and fled, thankfully the opposite way to the car.
I rang my other half to fetch my pooch and he handed me his reflective vest.
It all ended safely with the horses being caught and taken back to the yard. But, I know have my reflective vest in the car boo, just in case as this is the third time I've been confronted with loose horses on roads. It also got me thinking about having a warning triangle with 'Horses on Road SLOW' or something. Does anyone know if these are available or something similar?

[LuckyRed]

I don't know about the warning triangle - but I always now travel with a lunge line and head collar in the car - and a reflective jacket! my friends tease me about my travelling tack room but I've meet too many incidents where something I've had in the car has been useful to take any notice of them! I stopped to help at a motorbike crash once and the horse first aid kit I happened to have in the car (I don't usually travel with one!) was very handy!

[ruthp]

I do keep a hi viz vest and a warning triangle in my car (OK, it's a company car and they came with it, can't really take the credit!) but I have to admit that I'm not sure I'd have the presence of mind to start getting them out in the heat of this sort of situation. Sounds like you did really well, Newimage, just getting them off the road. I'd be hugely grateful to anyone who acted as you did if my lot got out.

[newimage]

Thanks Ruth. It's suprising how useful IH training comes in at those panic moments! I have suffered the tragedy of seeing a beloved 4-legged friend killed in a RTA and the memory is still raw 20 years on, so I think I went in to overdrive to save these 3. They were all cobs so weren't the easiest to send away bless them. Once they were in the field I was still sh*****g it in case they bolted back towards home, that's when I thought warning signs in the road would be useful.

[ladynowak]

I always have a hi-viz jacket or vest and lunge line in my car. They have come in handy a few times.

I don't think a warning triangle would have helped tbh, would you have had time to run up and down the road to place them out (as you would need two)?

I have to admit that you were very lucky not to have been killed by the car or caused a serious accident. I can understand that you wanted to 'save' these horses, but nothing is worth risking your life/other roads users lives for.

[Amanda Seater]

My car kit includes. A halter, long line/ sailing rope ( also good for towing),
reflective jacket ,
shovel in winter (habit left over from living in north Wales etc)
large First aid kit which includes a thermal foil blanket,
Flashing amber lamp
wool blanket ( very old fashioned and warm circa the war!- before my time).
fire extinguisher and crow bar( for folks traped in burning cars- once seen never forgotten)or
General tool kit of spanners, knife, tin snips( good for barbed wire) etc.
Secateurs.
i did have a landscape company.
Lucky I have a large car- OH thought I was nuts until he had to flag me down for a RTA - I think be prepared( was in the scouts ) and it is amazing how much I use this stuff!!!!!

Of course if I add a lump hammer, generator and grinder I could rob a bank I suppose!!!!( but they were stolen with the van.........

[cbc]

If the least you have is a reflective vest in the car you could pile that up on the road which would alert an oncoming driver that something was amiss. I have a long leadrope that travels with me and some baler twine (farmers wife).

[bridge]

When I had horses I used to carry a couple of headcollars in my car, just incase. Came in usefull twice. Have also encountered cattle in the road, but didn't attempt to catch them. lol

Even though I don't have horses now, perhaps I should still carry a headcollar in my boot!!! Think I will!

[greyhorses]

I carry a leadrope in my boot in case I see stray dogs or horses but hadn't thought about a relective - I'll pop my spare one in the boot.

[Mrs Craig]

I've got the whole equestrian world in my car, so definitely some reflectives. However, if I read again that you have stepped in front of a car like that and put your life in danger, I'm going to come and find you and wallop you!

Well done for stopping and helping, though. Gold star for that!

[kt]

In France I believe you must carry a reflective bib or something to that effect in your car?

[colin]

I have some of this but leave my horse first aid kit at the yard-something im going to changes after tonight-came along the road jsut after horse had been hit by a car (near the heavy Horse Centre-Verwood) The horse had a large wound but was sound and the rider walked him home. Think he will be OK

I managed to really anoy a number of the car drivers behind by not letting them pass the horse has he was being lead home-it was a country lane and he had spin round at a car comming towards him. Got some shouts of abuse but reality is they had to wait until the horse was off the road-as getting past a jeep is not that easy when its in the middle of the road. Im sure the horse will be OK and the driver did go into their house-no idea whos fault it was

When I returned along the same road in the dark-someboyd was riding one dark horse and leading another-nothing to make them stand out

[newimage]

Haha thanks Frances, can't help myself where animals are concerned!

[wally]

.....and to think I thought the French were OTT making it a legal requirement to carry hi-viz in your car at all times! AND a red triangle!

See had you been in France you'd have been well equipped for any eventuality.

[(\^/) Lotuspoint Joe (\^/)]

I am in the process of getting signs made for each 3 roads into my village to warn drivers of horses in the village. Our village is a 30mph speed limit and drivers think it's a motorway. I have informed the council and allerdale of this also the police. Still no signs put up from them but have had speed cameras in the village. So i'm putting signs up for my own safety to warn drivers, if it don't work ill get bigger signs..