Important to know about the Carabiner
The standard carabiner was used extensively in our testing and the large and small carabiner was only bent, not broken, at around the 600 kg mark when our counterweight was close to being lifted in the air. So, we know they are extremely unlikely to break in a panic situation and are most likely the strongest part of a tie-up. This adds to the dangers of what can happen when a horse is panicking but can’t get loose. The outcome can be fatal.
That said the main danger of these carabiner is the sharp edges once the gate is open and the fishhook like design which the gate closes into. Horses like to investigate things with their mouths and chew on things when they are bored, and it is well known that horses can open the gate of a standard carabiner and can cut themselves or stab the carabiner through their skin. This can then get stuck and can tear causing more damage and injury.
Aside from the above reasons not to use the standard carabiner with horses, they are also heavy, can become very rusty and tricky to open and close as well as extremely noisy and unsightly for potential clients to see around the table. We have heard so many horror stories from equestrians about injuries from this carabiner that we are surprised they can still be used in the horse world.
As horse people are saying – This type of carabiner should not come close to a horse!
Other commonly used names for these tie-ups, are stainless steel carabiner, spring snap carabiners, carabiner hook clip and snap hook.
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