Riders (esp in Scotland but also elsewhere)-beware lethal cross track drain

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lachlanandmarcus

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There have recently been a number of very serious injuries and fatalities to horses in our area due to a specific design of cross track drain that seems to be being installed. (note to non Scottish readers, some of these are on private tracks since horses have access rights to all tracks except those passing directly through a private house), but others are on new and publicly funded multi user tracks which are promoted as being horse accessible...

I learned today that a lovely horse I used to hack out with was PTS in the summer because his broke his leg in one. Others have had their entire hoof ripped off (sorry I know its gory but it is happening so we need to be aware)

Please be very careful when hacking on an unfamiliar route and where possible, engage with landowners and managers to see if it is possible for modifications to be made, a length of box iron down the middle is effective and can be done in situ.

For more info, statement from BHS Grampian about this issue
http://www.bhsgrampian.com/recent-events.html
 
Just had a look and they look horrible. Why can't they put some sort of grid over the top of them rather than leaving them open?
 
They even look like a death trap! makes me mad the fact that no thought goes into animal safety in regards to things like this :mad:
Thankfully there are none near me, else il be filling the damn things in! :D
 
annagain said:
Just had a look and they look horrible. Why can't they put some sort of grid over the top of them rather than leaving them open?
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cause its cheaper probably! I think they may be designed to make use of elements of road crash barriers, which is good to be strong and keep the cost down, but they are unsuitable on tracks with horse access (which is virtually any track in Scottish terms), tho they can be made safe either by a grid over the top or by the use of bolting a length of box steel along the length of the channel.

I dont think the risk to horses would be obvious or appreciated to those without a knowledge of horses, but once alerted to the issue I would expect certainly the managers of core route tracks at least to be taking swift remedial action.
 
OWLIE185 said:
Sorry to hear about these accidents.
May I suggest that the location of these drains are placed on the www.emagin.org.uk web site so that other riders know were they are. Also any acidents place on www.horseaccidents.org.uk
Many thanks.
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Have had a look at the accidents site but I am not able to upload the details as it was not me who had the accident and the form questions mean it needs to be the victim (and I think I would want it to be her uploading it rather than finding someone else had done it and finding the details online).

Also there isnt a suitable category for this type of accident. Nor is Aberdeenshire available as an option for 'county', only Aberdeen which is the city and a different local authority.

I will chat with the lady who lost her horse further when I see her next to try to establish exactly where the drains are on the route (the track is about 6 miles long!) and whether she wants to upload the details.
 
How awful- i no it says not to be complacent but i doubt my boy would even step over one- we would be going in opposite direction at first site of one! He doesn't like ditches or anything like that!
 
Have found someone who knows the managers/installers of the track in question (re the fatality tho there are other tracks around affected) so hopefully it will be addressed for this track - this contact also do some of the other National park tracks so hopefully we can avoid this design being used without safety modifications going forward in the Park.

However there will still be historic cases of it and also them being installed where landowners arent aware of the issue despite BHS Grampians efforts so please do check locally to your area regularly as they could suddenly appear even on existing tracks!

And if you see one, dismount straight away, or (where possible) go right around to the side of it.
 
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