Bit ring caught on gate - frightening moment

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Orangehorse

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A little tale so you can be aware. Local ride has tall, rider friendly gate fasteners. I was struggling to close one gate as it wanted to swing back open, plus there is a thick thorn hedge by the gate post. I had one hand on the gate and leaning towards the fastening when my horse managed to put the bit ring over the top of the handle. Talk about freezing blood.

Luckily I managed to un-hook him before he realised he was caught, but then my mind was full of "what ifs" - like broken bridle and traumatised horse, at least.

Just thought I would bring this to your attention. I am pretty careful and aware of not getting reins, etc. caught up, but I have never had a bit caught before.
 
Very scary situation! My mare caught herself on a gate in a similar situation (but it was the bridle cheeck strap not the bit) and she ended up on her bum and half on her back. Shes 32" so no rider but if she had been a big horse with a rider there would be no way they would have got off safely.

Did you pass this on to the local council or land owner just in case it happens again?
 
I was reaching for a gate latch once, and my horse had helpfully put his head over the gate so that I could reach it. Suddenly he panicked, he'd caught the bottom of the noseband on a protruding screw. Luckily it was a leather noseband so it broke before we got into serious trouble.
OP you were quicker to work out what was happening than I was! Glad you are OK.
 
Oh my goodness, defo one of those horrible moments.

Similar to hearing someone's horse scratching its head on its knees/front legs whilst stood tacked up, rider on board just waiting for a class and horse catching its fulmer cheeks somehow on its front tendon boots. Apparently boot came off, but not without a few moments of blind panic first. ...and prob a sore mouth.
 
I lost a bridle to a similar accident. Horse pulled back, of course, and bridle gave way. Luckily he didn't run, but stood there calmly whilst I dismounted and fixed it up. It would have been much worse if the bridle hadn't broken.

Always worth carrying some bailing twine in your pocket. You never know when you might need it.
 
This happened to my friend before, She was stood talking and horse got caught, before anyone could do anything horse realised and panicked until it's bridle snapped and threw my friend. It was in a double bridle too, did make quite a mess of her mouth.
 
Scarey moment. If a gate has a horse-rider friendly handle (i.e. a sticky-up bit) then it also has a bazard for horses to loop their reins or bit rings over. Something we all need to be aware of and educate each other whenever we teach fellow horse riders how to open gates. I've done it myself with the reins a couple of times and like you, realised and unhooked before anything bad happened.
 
I've had a couple of blood curdling incidents with my mare. The worst one was when I was leading her through a five bar gate, and her rug caught on the gate latch, pulling the gate closer to her side the further she moved forwards, eventually trapping her between the gate (and protruding pointed catch) and the thick wooden gate post. Panic ensued, her instinct was to keep going forward, mine to try and push her back to free her. But being a giant 16.3hh CBx type who is a wimp at the best of times, she continued forward in sheer terror, ripping her turnout from wither to dock completely in half, taking the entire wooden fence post down (still attached to rug, which was now hanging from her hind legs by legs straps), and she ended up falling sideways down a 3ft ditch. :( Second one where I threw her turnout on in the stable, and the leg strap clipped onto the metal window grill, attaching her to it. Horrible horrible moments..
 
This has happened to me too, luckily no harm done as horse managed to free himself by chance before any injuries/breakages occurred, but it was a horrifying few seconds when I realised what was happening. Shook me up a lot and has made me much more wary of these gates...
 
suestowford said:
I have ridden with my bridle held together by purple baler twine before now. Needs must...
Click to expand...

Indeed. I've used it several times to repair driving harness too. In idle moments I have wondered if it would be possible to construct a full set of harness from the stuff. :)
 
webble said:
Scary moment. I had a similar one last week where horse lifted a whole gate off its hinges scratching his head
Click to expand...

A horse out our yard has done this twice now, its no longer allowed out without parental supervision in the arena!
 
Same thing happened to me many years ago. Five bar gate with tall lever to open. As we manoeuvred to open the gate, bit ring slipped over the top of the lever.
I've never moved so fast in my life,leaned forward and unhooked it. Such a relief as horse could be a real panicker and hate to think what would have happened had she realised she was stuck.
Luck was definitely on our side that day, usually I have the reactions of a snail!!!
 
Our big lad was scratching his nose on the gate after a hack, rider leaned forwards to open the gate, but horse stuck his head up and lifted it clean off the hinges! Big five bar wooden one too!

I've had my reins caught on gates before, thankfully de tangled before little mare has realised and panicked.
 
Having got a stirrup iron hooked on a gate last year I am really paranoid about gates. We were lucky my stirrup leather snapped and horse and I walked away with only minor scrapes and bruises. I would never ride in a synthetic bridle or stirrup leathers (or leathers with a synthetic core) for this reason.
 
I tend to get off and do gates if I can now, thankfully we don't have many!

Ned got his rein caught on one of those gates and he pulled back, ripping his bridle off! Thankfully he pulled back, broke the bridle then stood still and let me get off and gather myself together and lead him home. There was a heart stopping moment when I realised I was sitting on a panicked horse, in a 30+ acre field with no bridle!!

I hate gates, I really do!
 
I hate those long handled gates, have seen martingales loop over them and someone I knew got some part of her bridle caught on one and it brought her and horse down but thankfully both alright. I have to say when I had to do them I always got off and lead through when out on a ride with others and held open for others - we had one which was like being in a cattle crush as one at either end through a hedge about a horse and a half length in between and not nice at all as if horse got stressed once in between the two gates.
 
Gosh how awful, I've never thought of that happening before.

I had a similar moment a few months back, just coming back from a ride with some friends and pony decided he had an itchy ear so scratched it with his hind leg, as they do. It didn't even cross my mind, but he somehow then got his hind foot caught in the rein. He was hopping around in circles on three legs with me on board for a few seconds but it was terrifying!! Never making that mistake again.

Horses hey!!
 
There is always an accident waiting to happen around horses!

Think of how the ramps do up on Ifor williams trailers, the 505/510 ones, a type of lever, and a pin to secure it. Now imagine the loop at the chin of a headcollar... Perfect size to loop over that lever, thereby attaching horse by its chin to the trailer. My old horse is a fool, but he stayed rock still while I sorted that problem out, amazing how quickly you can envisage broken neck etc eTc.
 
Wow, I hate to think of the potential outcome - happy all was ok. I've always been careful with reins and stirrups, but I must admit I've never given much thought to the bit I guess. Horrible.

I did, about 15 years ago, encounter a pony with the running martingale ring over its tooth where the rider didn't have rubber stops on the reins. The pony didn't panic, but it was a hairy moment for the rider.
 
I had a stupid haffy who got hung up by the headcollar on the whip-holder of a lightweight exercise cart. Pony panicked, pulled back violently and sent the carriage flying 10ft into the air and 30ft across the yard.

I didn't have time to react, but I think my heart stopped for a second.
Miracle nobody was killed.
 
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