To Tell or Not to Tell?

Should Sue wear her ‘Deaf Rider’ vest when horseriding?

Anyone out there got experience of wearing an informative reflective vest? For a few years now Sue and I have discussed the merits of her wearing a ‘Deaf Rider’ vest. I’ve got a thick marker pen and plain hi-viz waistcoats are available for a couple of pounds (or free at the roadside along with just one item of footwear), so it’s no loss if the experiment doesn’t work out.

Our – well, mine mostly – concern is whether drivers would be more considerate towards a known deaf rider or would idiots find it amusing to be unpleasant. That’s not paranoia on my part, not long ago three ?@”*@+!*%’s  in a large van were driving up behind riders and steadily accelerating to make the horse run faster, lanes are very narrow where we keep the horse and one of our friends was badly hurt.

I don’t know about everyone else but I worry about how drawing attention could be negative – but then, all the people we’ve met have been friendly and considerate when finding out Sue can’t hear, so I’m still confused. Any thoughts?

I was told of a woman equestrian in the New Forest who probably knows, she was advertising for a dressage instructor to help her achieve the next level of competition, the instructor should have experience of teaching a Deaf rider.

Now that’s not as easy as it would seem – the rider needs to concentrate on her/his position on, and control of, the horse while looking where they are going and keeping an eye on the instructor. But how does someone lipread at a distance from a horse which is moving up and down as well as forward? I know one thing though, if that rider wants to receive instruction she will make it work, somehow.

Good luck all.