Horses and flashing front lights.

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deptfordmarmoset

Full time tea drinker
Location
Armonmy Way
Possibly the rider doesn't know how the horse is going to react - they can be hard to predict - and she simply thanked you because you took care and it ended well.
 

Lonestar

Veteran
At times I cover my flashing front light when appropriate as not to distract motorist so I'd probably do the same if need be.
 

PeteXXX

Cake or ice cream? The choice is endless ...
Location
Hamtun
I don't use my front light on strobe, especially at dusk. I would imagine that it could quite easily freak a horse out!
Also, car drivers then know that I'm on a bike, and act accordingly i.e. target practise!
A steady light will give horses time to adapt to your approach, and drivers aren't sure if I'm on a bike, a motorbike or a car with one light out.
 

steveindenmark

Legendary Member
As an ex horse owner I can well imagine a horse would not like the strobe light. Why should horses be different to some motorists. ^_^
 

PaulSB

Legendary Member
These lights have the potential to distract and disturb me so I'm sure the same could apply to horses. I frequently find myself briefly thinking about what is coming towards me when I see either a steady or strobe high powered light approaching and directed in my general sight line. Yes there is benefit in this but I think the downsides are greater.

I shall probably get shouted at for this but I feel too many cyclists use these lights incorrectly. I own a relatively high powered light which I used to use to flood the road in front of me when riding on three miles of unlit country lanes during my commute. The light was focused downwards toward the road and in such a position would give me at least 40-50 feet illumination across the whole of my side of the road. The upward overspill and a second steady low level light were perfectly adequate to ensure I was visible to oncoming traffic.

I've lost count of the number of cyclists I've seen with these high powered lights pointing straight ahead in well lit areas, either flashing or solid at a height which is at best distracting to other road users. For me this has the potential to create danger rather than reduce it.

Bike lights have two purposes, to help the rider see the road and to tell other road users this is a cyclist in front of or approaching me. As such lights need to be positioned appropriately in the correct positions and sending the right message. If the light in question needed to be covered it was poorly positioned or overly powerful for the purpose. Lighting up like Blackpool illuminations is not the answer.

Rant over
 
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Globalti

Legendary Member
Never mind the flashing light - you should have asked: "Fancy swopping?" and when the rider replied: "Oh no, thank you!" you should have retorted with a leer: "I wasn't talking to you; I was talking to your horse!"
 
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