kerilli
Well-Known Member
I don't want to be alarmist, but I think this is something we all need to be aware of. Recently there have been a few rather horrible-looking incidents and falls at unfixed portables. No injuries, very fortunately. Pictures at: http://www.eventsphotos.co.uk/
Photo Sales, Carousel XC Burnham Market 6 March 2011 camera 2
class 5 Intermediate page 1 bay at bottom of page.
class 5 intermediate page 3 row 3
class 6 open page 3 row 4
This recent article, written before these latest falls, goes some way to describing the very real danger of unfixed portables:
http://eventingnation.com/home/2011/02/eventings-honor-roll-the-one-list-you-dont-want-to-be-on.html
There seems to be some confusion, apparently the fence judge at the corner which flipped up (and which apparently had done the same thing the week before when another rider's horse left a leg at it) said that it's safer if it moves if the horse hits it.... Eeeeeek. Nooooo!
There is a HUGE difference between an unfixed (or incorrectly fixed) portable, and a fence which is supposed to collapse such as a deformable fence (e.g. ProLog), or a fence with frangible pins - these always move safely, controllably, downwards. An unfixed portable, hit at the front, pivots UPWARDS. (this can be seen clearly in the photos).
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that a horse who is making a mess of jumping, say, a 2'9" high fence is not going to make a better job of it if that fence suddenly becomes 3'9" high as it rotates. No horse on earth could manage to clear it if that happens, it's like 'rapping' the horse with a solid fence moving with him... and most of us think that 'rapping' with just a sj pole is unfair, and dangerous.
Fences which drop can and do prevent rotationals, they literally lower the pivot point of the horse, and in many cases the horse just collapses, upright, on top of the jump rather than rotating over the top of it. Far safer. Fences which RISE as the horse hits them can be lethal, literally, as described in that article. Perhaps it wasn't the sole cause of the accident in every case but it was a factor in every one of those fatal falls.
The competition where these rotations of unfixed portables happened was at a BE venue, but a non-BE competition. I cannot work out one good reason why an experienced Organiser (and this one is VERY experienced) would not fix portables down whenever they are positioned to be jumped. To only do so when specifically required to do so by the governing body of the competition s/he is running - both PC and BE stipulate that portables MUST be securely fixed - seems... erm, I'll say lackadaisical, for want of a better word. A serious oversight. I sincerely hope the lesson has been learnt and that they'll always be properly fixed down from now on, for schooling, unaff, and aff.
This article is enlightening too: http://useventing.com/resources/files/docs/Staking_Article_Builders_Forum_Issue3_09.pdf
A very experienced Course Designer told me that the majority of the fatalities over the years in our sport have been at let-up fences, at fences which they believed the riders did not respect.
A small portable fence would fit into that category - it's not big and imposing and impressive, to either horse or rider.
So, PLEASE everyone, CHECK portables when you go XC Schooling, and to Unaff competitions. Just because they are small does NOT mean they are safe... quite the opposite. Don't assume that they're safe to jump - if they aren't fixed down absolutely securely, question it, quote that article if necessary, explain about the 'rapping with a xc fence' analogy, and do whatever you can to get it done before you risk yours and your horse's necks...
Photo Sales, Carousel XC Burnham Market 6 March 2011 camera 2
class 5 Intermediate page 1 bay at bottom of page.
class 5 intermediate page 3 row 3
class 6 open page 3 row 4
This recent article, written before these latest falls, goes some way to describing the very real danger of unfixed portables:
http://eventingnation.com/home/2011/02/eventings-honor-roll-the-one-list-you-dont-want-to-be-on.html
There seems to be some confusion, apparently the fence judge at the corner which flipped up (and which apparently had done the same thing the week before when another rider's horse left a leg at it) said that it's safer if it moves if the horse hits it.... Eeeeeek. Nooooo!
There is a HUGE difference between an unfixed (or incorrectly fixed) portable, and a fence which is supposed to collapse such as a deformable fence (e.g. ProLog), or a fence with frangible pins - these always move safely, controllably, downwards. An unfixed portable, hit at the front, pivots UPWARDS. (this can be seen clearly in the photos).
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that a horse who is making a mess of jumping, say, a 2'9" high fence is not going to make a better job of it if that fence suddenly becomes 3'9" high as it rotates. No horse on earth could manage to clear it if that happens, it's like 'rapping' the horse with a solid fence moving with him... and most of us think that 'rapping' with just a sj pole is unfair, and dangerous.
Fences which drop can and do prevent rotationals, they literally lower the pivot point of the horse, and in many cases the horse just collapses, upright, on top of the jump rather than rotating over the top of it. Far safer. Fences which RISE as the horse hits them can be lethal, literally, as described in that article. Perhaps it wasn't the sole cause of the accident in every case but it was a factor in every one of those fatal falls.
The competition where these rotations of unfixed portables happened was at a BE venue, but a non-BE competition. I cannot work out one good reason why an experienced Organiser (and this one is VERY experienced) would not fix portables down whenever they are positioned to be jumped. To only do so when specifically required to do so by the governing body of the competition s/he is running - both PC and BE stipulate that portables MUST be securely fixed - seems... erm, I'll say lackadaisical, for want of a better word. A serious oversight. I sincerely hope the lesson has been learnt and that they'll always be properly fixed down from now on, for schooling, unaff, and aff.
This article is enlightening too: http://useventing.com/resources/files/docs/Staking_Article_Builders_Forum_Issue3_09.pdf
A very experienced Course Designer told me that the majority of the fatalities over the years in our sport have been at let-up fences, at fences which they believed the riders did not respect.
A small portable fence would fit into that category - it's not big and imposing and impressive, to either horse or rider.
So, PLEASE everyone, CHECK portables when you go XC Schooling, and to Unaff competitions. Just because they are small does NOT mean they are safe... quite the opposite. Don't assume that they're safe to jump - if they aren't fixed down absolutely securely, question it, quote that article if necessary, explain about the 'rapping with a xc fence' analogy, and do whatever you can to get it done before you risk yours and your horse's necks...
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I think the first intermediate one I'm sure is a HHO'er... to not have secured the fence at all but even after 1 fall is ridiculous and seriously unsafe 
