Breakable xc fences?

[Skhosu]

I could see the benefit of these given the most recent amount of deaths, like lego pieces apparently?
And I also noticed there have been a fair few hunting deaths, anyone know how many in the past year?

 

[LEC]

I put a report about the FEI safety meeting under Southern Eventers meeting. Mike Eherington Smith discussed the safety implications and how unworkable both the Equador idea of lego and the dutch idea of Cardboard poles were. After all XC is about jumping fixed fences and FEI has agreed this is the main principle of the sport.

 

[kerilli]

hmm, i wouldn't want to ride to a non-lego type xc fence after a horse had learnt that some of them are lego-type, if you see what i mean.
the fact of the matter is, it's a dangerous sport, and if the horse or rider makes a mistake, it can have fatal consequences. we all know the risks, and try to minimise them by lots of patience, training, fitness, etc etc, but the fact is, this is an animal which isn't bright enough to have worked out not to poo in its feed, so riding it xc at speed is always going to have possible consequences.
it's a bit like the Isle Of Man TT - it's dangerous, and those who take part know the dangers, and choose to do it.
i don't think safety measures are possible which would totally take the risk away, unless we turned it into jumpcross and had every fence knock-downable, and even then there would be the odd bad fall... as there are in sj.

 

[LEC]

You would be surpised how many at the safety meeting wanted XC to go knockdown including riders rep Carl Bruckhaart which is not very inspiring.
I agree about the risks and its just one of those things. Fitness for me is key and I think the move towards techinical has created these problems but the sport needs insurance and I guess its this that is a major issue. Isle of Man is once a year for a select few - BE runs continually for 8 months and has an incredibly diverse range of riders abilities.

 

[Skhosu]

TBH I think that some of the xc fences, e.g rails into water quite pssibly should be knockdown as I feel that it's all very well taking risk but realistically how many people expect to die out on the course? Something needs to be done, I have not seen any of the lego/cardboard poles and would be interested to see them, whilst keeping say rollers and other fences that don't tend to cause rotational falls solid?