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	Company Profile: FLOWTECH

On average there are eight road traffic accidents involving horses every day, that's nearly 3,000 every year. Research by The British Horse Society shows that just as many RTA's involving horses happen in daylight as they do in dusk conditions and there is no difference between the number of accidents in summer or winter.

Natural Camouflage Horses were designed by nature to blend in with their surroundings whatever the time of year. Bay, chestnut and black are all earthy colours which blend into the greens and browns of the British countryside throughout the seasons. The camouflage is even better if we ride close to hedgerows and trees. This means the horse and rider can be almost invisible to drivers whatever time of year or day.

In fact, the summer brings its own visibility problems because bright sunlight causes areas of shade and drivers find it particularly difficult to see into these, especially if they're driving towards the sun. Be Seen We can make ourselves and our horses more visible by wearing fluorescent colours every time we ride out. Fluorescent colours are vivid and eye-catching, even from a distance, because of special pigment used in the dyes.

These are more able to absorb ultraviolet rays which help enhance their colour even more. In daylight, the human brain reacts more quickly to fluorescent colours than any other shade-even white. The quicker the driver sees you, the sooner he can react to you and your horse. BHS research shows that, on average, a car driver will see you three seconds earlier if you are wearing fluorescent gear.

This means a driver of a car travelling at 80km/h (50mph) will have an extra 66m breaking distance-and that could just be far enough to make sure he slows down in plenty of time and passes you safely. Safety Strategies Research has also revealed that more than 30% of all horse-related accidents involve the horse being hit by a car from behind. In light of this, there are steps we can take to make the roads a safer place for us, our horses and our drivers:

Wear a fluorescent hatband and either waistcoat or tabard. Even if a driver coming up behind you on a bend cannot see the horse, he will see your head and shoulders above a hedge line.

A fluorescent tailguard will help draw the driver's eye to the rear of the horse and gives a back boundary line.

Put fluorescent leg bands on your horse's legs -preferably on all four, but if you only have two, put them on the outside legs nearest the traffic. The constant movement of the horse's legs helps draw the driver's eye.

A fluorescent nose or browband sets a boundary line to the front of your horse for oncoming drivers. Other safety items are available that can be attached to reins, stirrups and martingales, as well as fluorescent saddlecloths and exercise rugs.

Nowadays, fluorescent doesn't just mean yellow. Manufacturers are making high-visibility garments and products in a variety of fluorescent colours including lime green, orange and even pink!

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