Kissing Gates and horses

[sport horse]

I have a 17 acre field that runs down to the bottom of the valley. It has a two way slope both down and across (Lovely on a tractor!) and there is a footpath running diagonally across the field. Several years ago the council removed the stiles and put in sprung gates much against my wishes, but I agreed to try. The reason is to provide access for the disabled. To reach said path there is a rough track for 1/2 mile and at the other end of my field it is a further climb back up the steep side of the valley and two further fields, all arable and a distance of over 1 mile so not exactly an accessable route for anyone disabled. I stuggle as an able bodied person.

The springs on the gate have packed up over time and it is now quite possible to leave the gate open and that is exactly what, in particular the D of E students do. I have had the horses escape at least three times and last summer my herd of unbroken youngsters were out and untraced for 8 hours - I even had to involve the police. The field is at the far side of my farm and totally unsighted from my house and yard so even checking twice daily it is quite possible that the horses could be out for hours before being discovered. To compound my problems the arable fields go for miles unfenced and adjoin several roads.

I have an aversion to kissing gates as I fear one horse getting into the V and being trapped by the others and kicked - does anyone know of a kissing gate that does not have this problem?

I am planning to get my fencing contractor to replace the gate with a stile built to whatever standard with a dog gap at the side but I am sure this may well provoke an outcry. I am not sure I care about this but I would be glad to receive any ideas before I go ahead.

 

[The Trooper]

Would it not be easier to fit some new springs? I have done just this to my gate at home and it does the job.

 

[Mule]

Can you just put in a stile and say nothing to the council. If it's isolated they mightn't even come to hear about it.

 

[HeyMich]

How about you close the gate 'permanently' with rope and complicated knot and install a stile next to it that all the D of Eers would prefer over a faffy bit of rope? Would that keep the Council happy do you think?

 

[sport horse]

Would it not be easier to fit some new springs? I have done just this to my gate at home and it does the job.

Yes except the D of E youngsters, who besiege us with up to ten groups/day at times, seem to think it amusing to prop the gate open with sticks. Sadly I am not alone with this problem.

 

[sport horse]

Can you just put in a stile and say nothing to the council. If it's isolated they mightn't even come to hear about it.

That is my plan I am just exploring any other options!

 

[hobo]

A proper self closing gate are not on springs and work well and or double gate it with a small pen area is how we always did it.

 

[Gloi]

Maybe have a word with whoever is organising the DofE if you can find them. See if you can get them to drum in the importance of closing gates with the threat of failing.

 

[sport horse]

A proper self closing gate are not on springs and work well and or double gate it with a small pen area is how we always did it.

The self closing gates always stop closing after a while when the gate posts move slightly with land drying out and shrinking etc. With the pen idea, if someone does leave one gate open how do you stop the stock getting trapped in the pen in the same way as they would in the V of the kissing gate? As a result of being pretty old I have seen too many tragic accidents with horses trapped in a corner so I am very wary of small areas.

 

[sport horse]

Maybe have a word with whoever is organising the DofE if you can find them. See if you can get them to drum in the importance of closing gates with the threat of failing.

I have done my very best and this includes visitng schools, giving talks etc etc. but due to the location of their various camp sites we do get many, many groups passing through, many of them not even local. It is wonderful that these children are being introduced to the countryside but they really do seem to forget absolutely every single thing they have been taught once they are let loose. I have even offered one headteacher the opportunity to sit by one of the footpaths for a day, with on tap coffee, to monitor just how feral the kids are! Needless to say he did not take me up on this. Neighbouring farmers have had cattle out, fences destroyed, litter and as for the amount of peas picked and eaten from the fields - well at least they will have had their 5 a day!!!

 

[dogatemysalad]

I wish more landowners were as considerate as you regarding making stiles accessible for dogs. Walking in the peak district, only some of the wooden stiles are accessible with sliding dog posts. We had to lift our dogs over heights up to 4'6". I don't know how people with dodgy hips and knees manage the really high steep ones.
I wouldn't complain about climbing over a thoughtfully designed style though. Livestock being safe is the priority.

 

[Suechoccy]

How about a gate into a short fenced corridor and another gate at other end of corridor. That is what a cattle farmer has done near us. Both gates are self-closing. Idea being if one packs up, there's still the other one. Means the farmer has lost a length of about 3 m x 1m of the field to become the corridor.

 

[Batgirl]

Don't underestimate people with disabilities, I volunteer with a charity that supports people with disabilities to access the countryside. I have taken people up Penyghent. Accessibility isn't all about wheelchairs, stiles are a nightmare for people with visual issues, dyspraxia, balance issues.

I'd box the gate off with a clasped self closer so you have 2 lots of springs in case one goes, then the horses can't get to the kissing gate.

 

[sport horse]

None of the ideas invovling a 'box' appeal for the very real danger of a horse getting into the box and being trapped and kicked by another horse behind it. I have seen it happen and held the damaged horse while it was shot so that is not an option. The stud farms in Newmarket even round the corners of fields for this very reason.

We landowners were foisted with gates some years ago to enable disabled access - the local authorities were given substantial governenment funding to pay for it all. I am extremely sympathetic to those with disabilities however I do question whether walking through large livestock fields if you have physical limitations, visual issues etc etc is actually very safe. Can you make animals 100% safe? The answer to that has to be 'No'.

I am only about 1 hour from central London and my wheelchair bound relative cannot even use many of the train stations as there is no disabled access. Really and we are spending public money on making footpaths accessable way out in the countryside? To my knowledge not one person in a wheelchair has ever used this path. Actually as there is a 200 year old beech tree with massive uneven roots by the council erected gates no wheelchair could ever get into the field anyway so it was a total waste of public funds.

I think it will be a stile and it will have room for dogs - not because I am a considerate person but because I own Great Danes and I might want to walk them that way!! Sorry!

 

[PeterNatt]

I have a similar issue as you. I have installed Kissing Gates that can also if required be used for disabled access. Everyone is therefore happy!

 

[fredflop]

Worth potentially pointing out that the DofE walkers aren’t likely to be local, as your not supposed to do it near home!

 

[cauda equina]

No, not for the real thing, but they might be doing practice runs

 

[MissTyc]

Our local farmer with the same problem has added a fence post so that if the gate is left open, it at least can't swing too far. It doesn't stop it being left open, but it's much less wide open and less easy for the animals to get out.

 

[Fransurrey]

Don't underestimate people with disabilities, I volunteer with a charity that supports people with disabilities to access the countryside. I have taken people up Penyghent. Accessibility isn't all about wheelchairs, stiles are a nightmare for people with visual issues, dyspraxia, balance issues.

I'm dyspraxic and make a right meal out of styles, so can confirm that! I'd go for kissing gate, but have an extra 4 ft (from ground) post as MissTyc suggests, about a person's width away from the kissing gate and in the middle of the opening if that makes sense. I used to do similar.

 

[Tarragon]

What about the solution of replacing springs with a weighted chain. I have seen lots of these in the Lake District and they just hang anything large and heavy, such as a lump of metal, on a chain that goes from the gate to a fixed point so the weight has to be pulled up to open the gate and will automatically shut the gate when the gate is no longer held open.
This is likely to survive and work long after a spring.

 

[hollyandivy123]

how about a style and also a self closing gate that is locked with a radar key. you would need to mention at either end of the route that the disabled accessible gates require a radar key.

 

[ester]

^^ good point, there are radar padlocks. You just need to make sure it is accessible from both sides of the gate (the padlocks can be opened from both sides)

 

[sport horse]

What is a 'radar' key? Do disabled people have to own their own? Perhaps I have seen a similar type of 'key' thing to get into disabled toilets? Do the council provide these gates?

 

[hollyandivy123]

What is a 'radar' key? Do disabled people have to own their own? Perhaps I have seen a similar type of 'key' thing to get into disabled toilets? Do the council provide these gates?

it is a key that can be purchased from the council or other suppliers and allows access to loo's etc. you just need a lock which can be used on a chain or another type of mechanism.

https://centrewire.com/products/

they might be able to help, all you need is the lock

https://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/product/sc_284550bm/radar-padlock-complete-with-3-keys

 

[ester]

Yup the key that gets you into disabled loos, anyone *can* purchase them but obviously most don't unless they need them.
I was thinking you could set it up to lock the current gates and then put a stile to one side?

I like this one because they state it being red makes it obvious that it is radar friendly

 

[Red-1]

I think you are very tolerant. If mine had been let out a time or two I would fence off the footpath to whatever width is allowed for a footpath. So people can walk through a channel through the countryside and not interfere with my animals.

How is your insurance with having a public right of way through the field? I know a friend had awful problems getting theirs insured, both for third party reasons but also for straying.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I am extremely sympathetic to those with disabilities however I do question whether walking through large livestock fields if you have physical limitations, visual issues etc etc is actually very safe. Can you make animals 100% safe? The answer to that has to be 'No'.

Flipping heck, that kind of thinking would have me banned from entering the paddock with my own horses in! So only able bodied people can accept the risk of being around animals? We'd better tell the RDA to cease and desist!

On a serious note I absolutely understand your frustrations with D of E children. We had loads of trouble with them walking the lanes and footpaths where I used to live (litter was a massive issue). Poor chestnut mare even made a girl scream in terror just by walking calmly past her on the other side of the road (single track). I suspect that she'd never seen a horse in real life before as she was shocked by her size. I did hold my tongue as I thought it probably wouldn't help if I had mentioned that CM is actually not a very big horse.

 

[ester]

My sis now runs DofE n the rainforest, at least no gates/livestock I suspect .

We had a complete non starter on training when we were dropped off in a field and couldn’t find a way out just barbed wire 😂

 

[HeyMich]

We had a complete non starter on training when we were dropped off in a field and couldn’t find a way out just barbed wire 😂

Errr... how did you get in?

 

[ester]

The way we came out again and walked down the road 🤣. You won’t find me traipsing through fields if I think I shouldn’t be!