[lachlanandmarcus]

Most types of metal cross track drain channels are perfectly safe for horses, having either a shallow curved hollow or a grid cover or some other means of ensuring they are safe.
In the last couple of years however there has been a proliferation of a certain design of drain which has caused horrible injuries to a number of horses in Aberdeenshire/NE Scotland, and one fatality, which  in Aug/Sept, to a horse I used to hack out with, a lovely lovely horse who should not have died. Out of reach of vehicles on this path, he broke his leg in the drain and had to wait while the vet got to him on foot 
The fatality happened on the new Tarland way from Aboyne to Tarland (which is a new publicly funded and specifically multiuser route), so it isnt just a case of farmers tracks/places where horses wouldnt be expected to go. In addition a number of large estates in the area have some of these drains dotted on tracks which have otherwise safe drains, so it is possible to encounter them at any time without warning. The horse slips into them and the hoof is caught - any attempt by the horse to pull the hoof out (esp if panicing) causes the disaster.
Following the highlighting of this issue, BHS Grampian have issued a press release
http://www.bhsgrampian.com/uploads/6/8/1/5/6815485/bhs_cross-drains_statement.pdf
and there was an article in Horse and Hound Magazine last week.
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/315347.html
If you horseride (or own a track!) in NE Scotland, even if you havent noticed horseriders on it, please look at the photos of the problem drain channel on the BHS press release above so you can recognise them and also if you ride please report any that you find to BHS Scotland.
Horseriders accept that the wide and precious access rights we hold in Scotland mean that we also accept quite a lot of unexpected hazards /obstacles in our intrepid hacking! However since this drain design can easily be amended to make it safe (in situ) and the injuries (as well as the fatality) have involved multiple horrific cases such as hooves being completely 'de-gloved', they do need to be made safer.
Happily the Tarland Way drains are being modified as a priority and the work will be planned to be completed before Christmas - making 2013 a happier year for horseriders locally.

[Fleecewife]

Nasty  .  They look dangerous to children too.

[SallyintNorth]

Sounds terrible and thanks for raising awareness, llm.

There are no pics in that press release though, and I'm keen to see one just in case these drains might appear over the border...  Oh, I found that there is a pic in the Horse and Hound article.

[lachlanandmarcus]

OOp sorry Sally yes the piccy is in the Horse and Hound link not the BHS one. I got confused as when I was sent the BHS doc it was accompanied by a pic, so I didnt notice that was separate from the document, duh!
Probably wont work but have tried to paste in the pic below...

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Nasty  .  They look dangerous to children too.

I hadnt thought of that but yes, an elderly person with little feet and certainly a child could twist an ankle badly.
 

[sabrina]

At least something is being done even if it is a bit late 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Its partly late because the riders of the horses were all either too upset (understandably) to raise the issue, or were so busy nursing their horses. The instant the land managers (of this track at least) were made aware, they have leapt into action, so I cant fault their response - in fact they have been really good.