Latching stall gates

[moving_to_dc]

If your gate post is not installed properly so that the gate moves with the soil, then I can definitely see the 2 way latches being a problem.

I’ve not ever had that problem because we (my husband) is anal about the gate posts being rock solid - deep in the ground - braced out the wazoo so they don’t shift.

The 2 ways DO prevent gate sag on gates that stay closed most of the time, as they do support the end opposite the hinges. When I have a long gate that is open often, I support the end with either a wheel or one of these: http://www.speeco.com/products.aspx?id=8&prod=17 . The anchors prevent the gate from freely swinging when they are “set” but they can be raised and locked in an “up” position so the gate will freely swing.

Also, I never, ever, ever, ever let ANYONE, no matter their size, climb, stand, or lean on my gates. Doing those things is asking the gate to sag.

[HungarianHippo]

I have them on 16ft gates and like others say, they take stress off the opposite gate post. And if the gate’s going to stay open, I always rest it on a block so it’s not pulling on the post.

100% correct that the right clearance has to be maintained. If the existing gap’s too narrrow you’re SOL, but if too wide by just an inch or two, you can put a shim between the post and the receiver half of the latch, to narrow the gap. You can also adjust the gap by playing around with the placement of the clamps that hold the gate to the post. If you find it’s suddenly not latching, IME what’s changed is not the post, but usually those clamps got a little loose and the angle of the gate changed (either it’s not level or plumb, or a combination of both). Over the years I’ve had to readjust them a couple of times, but now it’s on my regular maintenance routine to walk around the farm with a deep socket wrench to give those clamps a few clicks.

And yes, sitting on my gates is a shooting offense. For some reason my city relatives all seem to want to climb on the gates.

[gumtree]

BIG fan of the Kiwi latches. Use them on all of our gates, simple to undo with an unruly horse in one hand. Never freeze up like snap links of any sort can and will do in winter, especially “double ends” if you have to deal with winter. Funny to watch some people, especially none farm types try and figure them out. So it is interesting people have said the same. Sorry but I really question the mentality of those that have a hard time figuring them out. Desk types fair enough but horse people? Vandenbrink makes a good point in a stall application where a horse can get its head in just the right position. So check to see if it can be positioned to avoid. I’ve never had it happened on gates and have been using them for years. But there can always be a “first” because I had a foal get its halter “clipped” to the double end snap ( a new quality one) holding the water bucket in a stall. Luckily it had the presence of mind not to flip out or it could have been ugly not to mention heart breaking.

I attach the Kiwi with one of these quick links and a screw eye;

http://media.tractorsupply.com/is/image/TractorSupplyCompany/3511505?$prod_det$

I also like using these bucket hangers, easy and don’t have to deal with frozen snap links

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/tough-1-bucket-hanger

The latches Hungarian Hippo suggested are great at first but have never stood the test of time for me in my neck of the woods and horses. The gate post can and will shift/change position over time due to freeze/thaw, wet and drying out periods, the gate getting bent a little from any number of things, etc. And then it has to be lifted into place and or just plan hassled with.

Happy Thanks Giving All!