Br careful going through gates (gory pic only open if you have a strong stomach!)

[turkana]

Just a warning from me to be careful going through gates (particulary the sort that close on you) a gate closed on me whilst out on a hack in June & did this. Fortunately I'm OK now but will be scarred & it's taken 2 operations & a lot of treatment to get this far, sorry for the huge picture

 

[MotherOfChickens]

cripes turkana, that looks awful-I hope you are healing well now.

 

[milliepops]

Ouch! Glad to hear that you are on the way to recovery. Those self closing gates can be really awkward.

 

[Fransurrey]

Did you report it? There have been a few incidents of riders getting caught on this type of gate (both on metal parts and getting caught up on the hook-style opening levers). Never seen an injury as bad as that, though! Hope you have no lasting effects. Must have stung a bit!

 

[Rowreach]

Omw that is brutal!

 

[timbobs]

Ouch, that looks so painful! How did it happen?

 

[turkana]

Who would I report it to?

 

[splashgirl45]

ouch!!!!!! you should report this as those gates are not suitable for horseriders IMO, we had one on our route and i used to go out in the car and put a brick on the ground to stop the gate closing completely, it was a gate to an arable field,not livestock.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Oh god! That’s nasty.
My horse has a massive scar running down his side which at the time must have almost ripped him open. Apparently that was from one of those gates

 

[turkana]

Ouch, that looks so painful! How did it happen?

I was painful!
I opened the gate half way & my horse started walking through it, the gate closed on us so we were trapped in the gate, the more she tried to move forward the more the catch on the gate dug in my leg. Fortunately I was able to get her the rein back & free us.
2 operations, a lot of time spent at the John Radcliffe hospital & I'm back on my feet & riding again (it happened on 12th June)
I have been told that it will take 18 months to fully heal.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Ow ow ow .

Where was the gate, and how come you had to go through it? Thinking yard or bridleway, or something else?

 

[cobgoblin]

Who would I report it to?

BHS.

 

[timbobs]

I was painful!
I opened the gate half way & my horse started walking through it, the gate closed on us so we were trapped in the gate, the more she tried to move forward the more the catch on the gate dug in my leg. Fortunately I was able to get her the rein back & free us.
2 operations, a lot of time spent at the John Radcliffe hospital & I'm back on my feet & riding again (it happened on 12th June)
I have been told that it will take 18 months to fully heal.

That must have been so scary! Well done for keeping a clear head and getting yourself untangled!

 

[Ruftysdad]

Just a warning from me to be careful going through gates (particulary the sort that close on you) a gate closed on me whilst out on a hack in June & did this. Fortunately I'm OK now but will be scarred & it's taken 2 operations & a lot of treatment to get this far, sorry for the huge picture
View attachment 26009

My horse was brilliant going through gates,and even opened and shut them with his nose. However since a couple of episodes with self closing gates he is really frightened of them and shoots through as fast as he can. On one occasion he shot one way and I went the other and the result a broken rib in my back.Hate the things!

 

[RubysGold]

Omg!!! That is nasty!!
We've got gates to go through on our rides and I've had a few near misses over the years.
Glad to hear you are now back to riding but I would definitely report that and see if the gates can be changed

 

[turkana]

It's on a bridleway, no livestock anywhere near it, I'm glad it was me who was injured & not the horse - I hate to think what the vet bill would have been & I would have felt terrible for causing her to be injured.
I will report it to the BHS.

 

[Tiddlypom]

' I'm glad it was me that was injured & not the horse'!!! We horsey types are barking, but I agree with you.

The fact that it was on a bridleway proves that it should be a horse friendly design. Do report it, it sounds like this design of gate is not fit for purpose.

 

[Red-1]

Thank goodness your mare reined back, I can't imagine the damage she would have done if she had tried to smash her way through.

 

[Quadro]

Bloody hell that is nasty! hope it heals well for you

 

[MyBoyChe]

Report it to the local council, Rights of Way dept. If it is on a bridleway it should be fit for purpose, and that should not have happened. Ive never suffered an injury like that but we had a self closing gate attach itself to my stirrup leather, so the horse couldnt move away through the gate. ~As he felt himself get stuck he turned around the gate post so he was facing back the way he came and somehow I got pulled off backwards. Nasty, but thank goodness for a sensiblle boy who just stood quietly. I reported it to our local council, saying that both the latch and the angle of the gate were dangerous, they realigned the gateway and put a different closure on it. With those pictures and your medical record you would have a very good case for an injury claim I would think as well!!

 

[Pinkvboots]

Omg you poor thing that looks bloody nasty I hate those gates with the metal spike that sticks out I am so paranoid about them catching the horses never thought of it harming myself.

I wish you a speedy recovery x

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Definitely report it to the ROW dept of your local council. You may need legal advice to persuade them to make changes.

 

[Reacher]

That looks nasty - glad you are on the mend and that the horse is ok. You need 3 hands with some gates and some don’t hang properly and only open part way - I worry in case the reins get caught on the gate or horse gets caught on the spike

 

[joosie]

Gosh that looks horrendous! You poor thing. Glad you are on the mend but it sounds like you've had quite a time of it.
Can someone post a pic of the type of gate that did this? I've never heard of a self closing gate apart from the ones they have in playgrounds.

 

[MyBoyChe]

I cant post a pic but the ones we have on some of our routes have a hinge on them which springs up quite fast as you go through, not at all suitable for horses. I think the hinge can be adjusted to regulate the speed of the closure but even so, not ideal.

 

[turkana]

Pinkyboots
That was the problem, it was the piece of metal that sticks out on the actual gate that did it, it only took a couple of seconds for the metal spike to gauge a hole into my leg.If you push the gate all the way open it stays open but I'd only opened it half way when my horse started walking through, so it shut on us!
Oddly my black leather chaps were not even stratched so I thought I'd just bruised myself & rode home for an hour, I checked the horse for injuries but didn't think to check myself, I stopped for a few seconds to catch my breath & calm down, then I told myself to get a grip & headed for home. As the chaps were black I didn't see the blood on my leg until I got home & got off, when I got a shock to see blood on the horse and even more of a shock when I took my jodphurs off (which also were not damaged)
I rang OH saying "I'm injured can you take me to A&E?"
I went to The Horton first who couldn't do the repair so I ended up at the John Radcliffe, where the staff took really good care of me, with 2 operations, time spent in the West Wing in the specialist surgury ward & many dressing changes.
For some reason I can't post a picture of the scar, despite being the same size as the picture of the wound I keep being told it's too big!

 

[SpringArising]

Christ Alive that is graphic!

 

[Double_choc_lab]

What an awful injury. I've also been "caught" by a self closing gate. Only a small cut but it turned into cellulitus which was really painful. That was also on a bridlepath. I reported to the BHS. Hope you mend quickly.

 

[cindars]

Wish you a speedy recovery have you a local bridleways group?

 

[Quigleyandme]

That is a horrible injury and I'm pleased to hear you are on the mend. Dartmoor National Park don't do a good job of maintaining gates. It took them years to replace a broken gate I frequently used. Remember how incredulous I felt when somebody wrote to H&H complaining that the automatic open/close gates in their neck of the woods closed too quickly!