LATCH TO SECURE PIPES FREE

We got lucky that day, but hopefully you can learn from our experience and understand how important little things like that are. The chain latch secured the gate on one side, giving me just enough time to get a hold of the other side so that he didn’t end up galloping off into the sunset with a gate on his head. Fortunately, I was right there when he stuck his head through and lifted the gate off the hinges. It was feeding time, and he could hardly wait to get hold of that hay. It is extremely important when mounting these gates that the hinge pins are not both facing up, as this will allow animals to lift the gate off the hinges, should they put their head between the bars and raise up. Pipe gates should be hung on a solid post using hinge pins. The pipe gate is one of the most common stock gates on the market today. Doc still has that scar on his hip, and it’s a reminder every time I see it. He ripped his hip open, which was not life-threatening, but did require stitches. But he was off halter and running for the joy of it when he stopped suddenly, turned on a dime, and hit his hip on the top wire. I had laid the gate back flush with the fence, sure it was out of harm’s way. It happened to my 4-day-old colt when I was leading him and his dam out to the turnout. It only takes one second for a young foal, or any horse, to rip themselves up on a single strand of barbed wire. If you will be moving horses through any area with wire gates, it’s essential to use smooth wire, never barbed wire, to avoid the possibility of serious injury to you or your horse. A spring-loaded, side-pull latch works well for shorter wooden gates without a lot of weight.

To keep horses in with a pipe-gate chain, wrap the chain through twice or hook the chain with a two-headed snap.Wire gates are the exception and almost always need to be opened with both hands.One-handed latches allow you to lead your horse through a gate easily.(Check it out at Fit the Latch to the Gate They also have a cable that adjusts to most post sizes. A company called SpeeCo has a nifty mechanical type upper gate closer on the market for posts up to 5 inches in diameter. The need for assistance in securing wire gates has spawned a variety of homegrown devises. Suffice to say, wire gates should be snug enough so an animal cannot nudge it open or push it over. The variations in tightness of these gates has challenged marriages and created a right of passage for many a youngster. The upper loop is the most important and should have just enough play in it so that you can get it over the gatepost. The lower loop is used to secure the post and give you leverage for closing. When closed, the gate should not sag and the wires (usually a minimum of four strands) should all be tight from post to post. The gate is hinged by wire to an H-brace and generally will have a top and bottom loop as the latching system on the other side. Wire gates generally require at least two hands to open and close. They are often used to divide pastures for grazing or to allow large vehicles access. One in particular stands out-the wire gate. It’s very convenient to be able to use one hand to get the job done.Īs usual, there are always a few exceptions. You’ll want to be able to operate most gates one-handed because 90% of the time, if you’re not leading a horse through one, you’ll be carrying something. Simple is nice, but function is everything. The gate types we will be focusing on are wire, pipe and wood. Let’s look at some common gate types and consider the fundamentals for securing them. The latches around your farm or ranch should be human-friendly and horse-secure. They’ve learned to open stall doors, gates and even grain boxes-a somewhat amusing but very dangerous ability not only to themselves but to their stablemates as well. I know because I have owned more than one who have been able to use their lips like fingers.

But keep in mind that your horse should not be able to perform the same tasks with their muzzles.

LATCH TO SECURE PIPES FREE

The ideal horse latches and horse gates should allow entry and exit free from impediments, so you can lead a horse with one hand and open and close doors and horse gates with the other.

We’ll look at wire gates, pipe gates and wooden gates to find the most secure horse gate for your ranch. Whether it’s your horse barn, horse paddock, horse pasture or horse stabling facilities, you need good horse latches to secure all areas where horses are kept.

Latch to secure pipes