Hello,
I am looking for help to settle a debate about 2 ft courses at non-rated shows. If the course has a 2 ft gate, do you prefer to slant it just enough to put a rail on top or just use the gate and ground line? Thank you for sharing your opinion.
I have seen it done both ways at schooling shows. My trainer usually has a rail on top at home. Either way was OK by me.
I see no need for a rail over a wee gate. In fact, I see no need for a rail over a huge gate. Why would a rail be necessary*?
*I do understand that at rated shows they have rails over everything and really the gate isn’t even a necessary piece of the jump because it is stacked behind a box and flowers, etc…but there are plenty of gates used without rails. It isn’t unsafe…just not seen as much in the hunters.
If the prize list states 2’, I expect 2’. If it says 2’-2’3", then by all means add the pole. If I am in a 2’ division it is generally for a very green horse to get some friendly o/f mileage off the property, or it is for kids who are doing glorified X rail rounds on trusty packers. So to answer your question, i would rather see it slanted with a pole on top.
I wouldn’t care either way. Probably slanted with a pole, as long as it’s not slanted so much as to then become unsafe.
However, one of the main reasons that you usually see poles over gates is that poles are cheaper to replace. I’d rather have a horse crack a pole in half than ruin an expensive gate.
I’ve seen it done both ways as well. Honestly for a greenie I don’t want to see it slanted but so much since I think that makes the ground line a bit more deceiving, and depending on the gate design, might increase your risk of injury if you have a nasty sliding stop where the horse slides into it.
Given the choice I prefer the bare gate.
My only concern with slanting is are you making the fence too wide for the beginner riders?
I don’t think it matter one way or the other if you have a pole on top or just the gate.
I always put a pole over a gate or any thing that has holes or slats in it. I’d rather have the horse rap the pole and have that come down, than rap the gate that would be hanging at that same height, on cups. If the gate comes down off the cups, and the horse trips or takes a bad step, the horse could put a foot between slats and get all tangled up in the gate. Just a safety thing; I’m hyper-sensitive about safety and probably imagine things that are never going to happen but better safe than sorry!
[QUOTE=222orchids;7127473]
I always put a pole over a gate or any thing that has holes or slats in it. I’d rather have the horse rap the pole and have that come down, than rap the gate that would be hanging at that same height, on cups. If the gate comes down off the cups, and the horse trips or takes a bad step, the horse could put a foot between slats and get all tangled up in the gate. Just a safety thing; I’m hyper-sensitive about safety and probably imagine things that are never going to happen but better safe than sorry![/QUOTE]
I don’t think the rail makes it any safer. It may make you think it’s safer, but in reality I don’t think it is. A foot between slats can happen whether there is a rail or not as it usually happens when the horse stops but can’t stop all momentum and pulls down a side of the jump. Do your horses never jump brush boxes? IME, gates don’t come down as easily as rails, so it’s not like the gate is getting pulled down…
[QUOTE=RugBug;7127499]
I don’t think the rail makes it any safer. It may make you think it’s safer, but in reality I don’t think it is. A foot between slats can happen whether there is a rail or not as it usually happens when the horse stops but can’t stop all momentum and pulls down a side of the jump. Do your horses never jump brush boxes? IME, gates don’t come down as easily as rails, so it’s not like the gate is getting pulled down…[/QUOTE]
From the USEF Hunter Rules about gates: “Gates with a separate plank style top element that can be knocked down are permitted.” There must be a reason for not hanging that gate alone. I’m sure it came out of someone’s misfortune.
I would say just leave it without the pole on top. If there is any doubt though I would recommend just taking the gate out for the 2’ classes and use a flower box or two poles. That would probably be a pain, but if it makes you rest easy then it’s worth it :yes:.
I always add a rail on top. Most gates are constructed so that the part sitting in the cups is the end of a 2 x 4". Those do not roll out of the cups like rails do when a horse hits them. Also, not all schooling shows can afford professionally made jumps, and I have hoisted more than a few gates and panels that were “overbuilt” by a well-meaning husband. Those suckers were solid, and when I saw/heard a horse hit one hard behind, I had it taken out after the class was done.
At 2’, you are likely to have green horses and/or green riders. I think the show should set them up for success at that level, as you’re frequently dealing with nerves or loss of focus. If the gate is so tall that you have to slant it excessively to get it to the right height with a pole on top, just pull the gate altogether and make it a vertical with rails.
[QUOTE=222orchids;7127588]
From the USEF Hunter Rules about gates: “Gates with a separate plank style top element that can be knocked down are permitted.” There must be a reason for not hanging that gate alone. I’m sure it came out of someone’s misfortune.[/QUOTE]
Yes…so your horse doesn’t get impaled on pickets sticking up over the top. I had someone bring me pieces of a picket fence to make a gate out of. I declined.
Most gates I’ve encountered at schooling shows are less than 2’ tall. They are usually put in the cups, which are set low enough so that the gate is touching the ground, with a pole on top. If you do have a gate that is big enough that it needs to be slanted, I would not use it and put a box or have two poles on that fence. Then you can put the gate back for the higher divisions. I agree that a gate without a pole is a safety hazard and I have never seen that at shows, even little schooling ones.
Orchid222 is in line with my experience. First, a rapped pole might sting but it doesn’t damage. A hoof through a gate hurts the horse and the gate. Using a pole over a gate protects both horse and gate.
Thank for the input everyone! I appreciate it.
We bought some cute 12’’ gates last year. They are super handy-you can put a rail on top to make a little 15’’ jump for the short stirrup, put up for the 2 foot stuff, and then we “stack” them for bigger jumps, and it end ups looking like just a larger gate.
This convo about 2 foot gates reminds me if a lesson Hony who lazily tried to jump a wall on an outside course, made it over…with his front end and just kind of stood there…kiddo kicking and thrashing about, pony waiting for us to separate the wall section so he could walk out. Sorry for the detail.
The gate is too big for 2’. Please remove it and use a pole. If that is not practical for your situation, please do not run the division/class.
