Gate Latches

[Charlotte]

I need something new in the way of gate latches. I have round pipe gates that right now have a chain welded onto them which is ment to wrap around a post to hold the gates closed. Well, since my wood posts are 8" the chain is too short so I have a type of latch on the post that the chain drops over. But these have too much 'play' in them. It would be possible for a horse to get it's head between the gate and the post and then when they pull back the head is stuck.....This can be instand death! I don't like this set up. any ideas? Something that would not allow the gate to swing back and forth so much and leave a gap?

Any help appreciated

Merry Christmas

Charlotte

 

[kaykay]

hi charlotte

we had that problem too and i hated those stupid chains. with the new farm we switched to the self closing latches. man are they a life saver! i noticed when i was at getitias she has the same thing. cost more then the other ones but well worth it! also it holds the gate CLOSED so theres no pulling etc

 

[Jill]

I also have these kinds of gates, but mine do not have the chain welded to.

the chains we use, we tack one end down on the horse side of the post, then it wraps around the gate. We put either a staple (U shaped, hammered in) on the post positioned so it doesn't give much play, or we clip the other end of the chain to the cattle panel.

At the one free end of our chains (the one we hook on the non-horse side of the post) there is a clip. If yours just has a chain, you could use those double ended snaps.

This works really good for us and you just need to position the staple you will hook and unhook the chain from (to open and close the gate) so that it's far enough not to give much play to the gate. You can move it further to the right or left, but also up and down, to get it just right -- not too tight or it's a pain in the you know what to open, but tight enough so they can't get their heads or feet caught.

If you do not have any extra chains and don't want to use the ones attached to the gate (I only have one with a pre-attached chain), you can get lengths of chain at TSC or probably the local co-op if you have one (that's where I got mine).

 

[Al B]

Go to Tractor Supply and get their gate latches. I have them on all my gates. They support the gate and can be opened from either side.

 

[Charlotte]

Jill, I was hoping not to have to use snaps because of them freezing up in the winter. Do you not have a problem with that?

KayKay, I'm not understanding what kind of latches you are talking about. that sounds interesting. Can they be used in a situation like this where the gate is round metal pipe and the posts are wood?

Charlotte

 

[Becky]

Al, what kind of latches are those?

Is this the latch?

 

[Marty]

All my latches would freeze and I used to keep a can of de-icer in my pocket but got sick of doing that. I'd end up busting all of them with my hammer. So I gave up and now use lead ropes. Not pretty but works for me.

 

[Jill]

Jill, I was hoping not to have to use snaps because of them freezing up in the winter.  Do you not have a problem with that?
KayKay, I'm not understanding what kind of latches you are talking about.  that sounds interesting.  Can they be used in a situation like this where the gate is round metal pipe and the posts are wood?

Charlotte

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We haven't had much of a problem w/ freezing over. The double end snaps more so than the kind that are made attached to the chains... What I do if the double end snaps freeze is knock them with a hammer. With the ones that are part of the chain, well, you can probably already guess I am full of hot air... I just cup my hand around them and breath on them. It's rare though that we get actual ice opposed to snow.

This is how our gates have been since we've had horses here (since 1999). We're in Northern VA and do get snow, but rarely much ice.

We have the kind in our yard that Al is speaking of and I've thought of changing ours in the horse areas. But, on the sides our gates open, we have half rounds (vs. full rounds at the hinge side). I am not for sure it would work. Plus, I'd still put snaps on those where you could put a padlock because I think my horses could open them (my biggies have).

 

[kaykay]

thats exactly what we have! we love them. its freezing cold here but they have never frozen shut.

 

[Becky]

One other option is to just extend the chain that wraps around the post. I did that with one of my gates with one of the link extenders. The rest fit tightly and there's no room for a horse to get it's head through.

 

[Jill]

thats exactly what we have! we love them.  its freezing cold here but they have never frozen shut.

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Have your horses ever gotten those open? That's what I have in my yard and we padlock those (to keep people out). My big horses have opened those where they used to board. I love them in the yard and have thought on them, but keep thinking they'd open them and I'd have to put snaps on them in the place for locks?

 

[Al B]

Becky,

Yep, that's it. The newer models have a small tab that sticks out from each piece and overlaps in the middle so you can put a lock on the gate.

Easy to install and work very well.

 

[Becky]

Thanks, Al! I know Charlotte is going to be looking and I may look into those as well. It takes two hands to open the ones with chains so it sure would be nice to have something that could open with one hand!

 

[kaykay]

mine have never gotten them opened and patches is pretty good at opening anythign LOL. and that is what i love about them is you can have one hand free as im always carrying something. also they are great as sometimes people forget to lock the gate

kay

 

[maranatha minis]

i am collecting antique bits with the round ends on them where the reins go. I want to put one end over the gate post and the other over the gate. I think this would be an easy way to get in and out of the gates.

 

[Charlotte]

That idea with the big horse bits sounds like a good one!

Wish I hadn't sold all my big horse tack now.

Al, Kay, I think I'm going to look at those y'all are talking about. I'm going to show Frank the picture.

Thanks a bunch....and it will be interesting to see if more ideas come up here.

Charlotte

 

[SILVER]

Another great thing I seen and thought some day I will do it here, is seat belts. A local wrecker would likely let you have all you want from old vehicles in the yard that are going to be squashed. Attach one end to one side of post and the other end with the adjusting part to other side of post. They worked great at his place.

I am adding this portion, have any of you had any trouble with the particular latches that have to line up, here we can't use tem as the frost goes in and heaves either the post holding the gates or the one with the latch then they never line up. With the frost problems we need alternatives to "normal" gates and latches.