Unfixed portables... again...

kerilli

kerilli

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There's a new photo on the Ban Unfixed Portable XC Fences facebook page if anyone wants a look, I don't have permission to use it elsewhere yet. It is only of the fence itself, tipped up, no horse or rider in sight, but according to the person who sent the photo in, it caused "the mother of all rotational falls". Horse and rider okay apparently.
The photo shows very clearly that the back corners of the fence were anchored but the front wasn't. This is SO SO SO dangerous, hard to believe that people just don't seem to understand the basic physics... horse hits front edge forward/upwards, front will lift (if it can) as back edge being fixed acts like a hinge. Whoever fixed this fence needed to fix the FRONT corners or FRONT edge, ideally as well as the back.
H&H just don't seem to be interested in running any more stories on this unfortunately so it is up to US to keep the message out there and prevent this hidden danger. :( :( :(
It IS worth piping up. At a recent outing when I walked the course, 2 xc fences weren't anchored... I said something, the Organiser went and fixed them correctly. It is possible to get it made safer for everyone just by asking nicely...
Thanks. Sorry to bang on about this repeatedly but it has caused rider fatalities and should never do so again...
 
The Equine world has become so H&S in recent years that is a wonder this is stil happening :(

Can't go XC without a BP to protect you if you fall, but they won't secure fences to make it less likely to fall.

All cure no prevention!
 
I *think* I recognise that place... Judging by the poster and dates it would make sense too. Rather worrying; thinking back I can't remember if anything was fixed properly there...
 
Was speaking to a very experienced 'PC Mum' last weekend who was moaning about having to fix down fences, and who was deliberately taking her children (young, primary age) to an instructor who doesn't fix fences :( "They're only jumping little fences, so it doesn't matter"

*sighs*
 
I was recently shot down in flames for asking the organisers of a competition if they were planning to fix the portable fences. Basically was told if I didn't like it don't bother to ride! Withdrew but couldn't have a refund. Are there any proper rules regarding fixing of xc fences?
 
Saw the photo on facebook which is rather scarey even with just the fence in, so glad that both horse and rider got away from it.

Kerilli I have a set of video stills of what you can get away with when a fence is fixed if you want to use them?

coolio said:
I was recently shot down in flames for asking the organisers of a competition if they were planning to fix the portable fences. Basically was told if I didn't like it don't bother to ride! Withdrew but couldn't have a refund. Are there any proper rules regarding fixing of xc fences?
Click to expand...

Sadly only if your competing under PC, RC or BE.
 
I was jumping a sknny portable fence the other day and having gone over it well once, my horse then left a front leg and as it was not fixed down the fence came right over and we nearly fell. It was a scary experience, and I won't be jumping it again until I have fixed it down.
 
It's not compulsory with PC, i called them & they just said that it's 'recommended'. They can't enforce it as don't have the funds/people.

It's up to each of us to check & then request it to be done. If it's not, i suggest voting with our feet & just not going to courses that don't.
 
^^^^ this. B.E. require it (although I've heard that sometimes things haven't been anchored enough... they are definitely supposed to be.) PC recommend it. RC recommend/require it afaik.
dafthoss, yes please to the video stills.
rhino, i'm afraid that PC mum just can't be very intelligent. It's basic physics. IF the fence can rotate around the back edge, the front edge will LIFT if the horse hits it, and no horse on earth, however big and/or scopey, can then clear it. The whole fence is effectively 'rapping' the horse and bringing it down. The poor girl who died in Glos was jumping a fence that was only about 2'6" but the instructor said it rose to 3'6"... The fences being small makes no difference really. Someone had a terrible rotational over a fence of oil barrels on their sides...

Things to say if fences are not fixed:
Unfixed portables have caused many rider fatalities. (This is not an exaggeration.) The PC girl in Gloucester, the Russian rider on the youtube video (awful awful awful viewing) and many others.
BE requires, RC requires, and PC recommends that they are all fixed down.
I WILL withdraw if the fences are not fixed.
I WILL tell everyone on HHO about it. ;) ;) ;)

I believe that IF someone has brought it to the Organisers' attention that a portable is unfixed, asked for it to be fixed, and they have refused, then their public liability insurance may be void from then on. This is a HUGE deal... Ask if they are literally willing to 'bet the farm' on it...
 
Can we not name and shame as I really wouldn't like to go somewhere where the portables aren't being fixed and I wouldn't know what places have been known not to. Apologies if this has already been done.
 
Have a look on the Facebook page, EmmaR.
It is always worth looking closely at fences and you should be able to see their anchor points on front edge and/or corners (where they HAVE to be, anchored back edge is NOT safe!!!)
Also... ask! If fences look very new, check them carefully. Most old fences are anchored, I suspect.
Don't forget you need a lot of strength to check them properly, other than visually. The last course I walked had 2 unfixed fences. I suspected, as I couldn't see fixings on the front corners, but I couldn't lift them (my back would have gone before they shifted, so I stopped). My OH lifted them easily. If he can, a 1/2 tonne horse doing 20+mph also can, easily...
Just because somewhere is a B.E. venue, do NOT assume that all portables are always anchored. A friend was xc schooling at a big venue that holds a lot of B.E. events and they were moving fences around while she was schooling, and not anchoring them, and people were jumping them immediately... :( :( :(
 
Thank you for that what is the Facebook page called and I will have a look :) I will make sure I thoroughly check the course from now on as I will admit to assuming as its a large event centre that the fences are all anchored properly so thank you, could never live with myself if something happened and I hadn't bothered checking.
 
It's really worrying...
I recently received some course photos for my Unaffiliated XC Course Photos page and (I may be wrong) couldnt see any obvious fixings on any of the portable fences... I dont want to name a venue in case I'm mistaken, but if anyone takes a look at 2 courses I've uploaded in the past week I'd be interested to know if you think the same :(
 
EmmaR - I *think* it is a place in north nottinghamshire, so a long way from you. Not naming and shaming as I am not 100% certain, but the poster on FB is from my neck of the woods (recognise her horse!) and it does look very familiar...
 
Learn some thing all the time, I thought pc had to be fixed as well, I must have been lucky that all the ones localy do fix fences.

Kerilli will send you pics tomorrow as on other computer, he hit it with his back legs but fairly hard and would have tipped it if it wasnt well fixed. Thankfully we both escaped unharmed and he went on to complete confidently and the only 'injury' was a cannon guard in his boots.
 
kerilli said:
dafthoss, yes, just seen the pics, well sat! that won't worry him imho, but if it had tipped it would have...
Click to expand...

Thanks, as I said he finished fine and didnt hold it against me at all which for a horse that hates touching things as much as he does I was very impressed with.

Heres the full series if you want to use them.

fence.jpg

fence2.jpg

fence3.jpg

Image1-2.jpg

Image2-1.jpg

Image3-1.jpg

Image4-1.jpg
 
Mine did something similar to a chair type fence a few years ago DH - he misjudged it completely and tried to 'bank' it :rolleyes: Was well fixed (Moreton) and didn't cause a problem.

Well sat!
 
The yard where I am stabled runs small local X/C events over a course of portables that aren't fixed :( ......... They are aware as I raised concerns with our RC when they were going to run an event there which was subsequently cancelled.

There is a X/C this weekend but it "may" be cancelled due to lack of entries. Not sure if this is because word is getting around but I really hope so as then they may well fix the ruddy fences.......
 
BronsonNutter said:
EmmaR - I *think* it is a place in north nottinghamshire, so a long way from you. Not naming and shaming as I am not 100% certain, but the poster on FB is from my neck of the woods (recognise her horse!) and it does look very familiar...
Click to expand...

I think you're right, deffo that neck of the woods..
She is a member on here too, but not a regular poster unfortunately.
 
rhino said:
Mine did something similar to a chair type fence a few years ago DH - he misjudged it completely and tried to 'bank' it :rolleyes: Was well fixed (Moreton) and didn't cause a problem.

Well sat!
Click to expand...

It was the result of a counting disagreement, he wanted four I knew there was only room for 3 despite most only putting 2 in and rode for the 3, he put in the fourth and left him self sitting at the base of the fence with no other option but to jump up rather than bascule over it. He tried his hardest to get his back legs up and over but didnt have the forwards momentum to do so and just missed. Oh well hopefully lesson learned that some times I do have a clue whats going on :cool: but we have been doing some work at home and he is much happier going on a longer option now so fingers crossed.
 
alliersv1 said:
I think you're right, deffo that neck of the woods..
She is a member on here too, but not a regular poster unfortunately.
Click to expand...

I miss her posts!
Worryingly, I used to compete at that place a lot and can't remember anything ever being fixed back then, but that was before I know anything about XC safety... They really should know better, maybe now they will fix them properly.
 
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