One of the hi-vis conundrums I've had over time has been how to help make horses and ponies more visible from the front. Naturally I love my quarter sheets and how much they help us stand out on roads and bridleways to car drivers, dog walkers, helicopters, cyclists and so on, BUT they don't help hugely when people are heading towards us, rather than behind or alongside.
After a moment of clarity (and thinking of the bandanas dogs wear and the snoods I make for humans), I realised that horses could and should have snoods too! And - even better - that I can probably make them from mesh quarter sheet and riding skirt lining off-cuts. Wahoo!
I also spend a LOT of time watching sewing videos on YouTube and other social media and one of these was for stretch fabric human headbands. I really liked the kind of twist detail they have at the front and thought I could apply that to a horsey product or two - the snood being the ideal first candidate.
So I set to work measuring my long-suffering horse, Levi, around his neck and then sampling a mesh neon yellow hi-vis for him. Suffice to say, I was pretty darned pleased with the result. The picture in this blog post weirdly makes the fabric look slightly celestial and glow-y. Alas that isn't quite the case, but I like what the phone camera did there.
The mesh snood has become a firm fixture in my hacking outfit repertoire, and actually, the first thing I reach for now as it's soooo easy to throw on. Really - as horse riders - we have no excuse these days for not making our horses stand out and reduce the chances of them being hit by selfish and impatient road users and attacked by out of control dogs.
Possibly the best thing about the mesh snood (which I have yet to benefit from - but I'm sure the time will come), is being able to grab on to it in one of those "oh sh*t!" moments. It's a nice little safety net knowing that it's there. Plus they're really lightweight so absolutely spot on for using all year round, even on the hottest of riding days.