Agility safety
Looking back at our agility beginnings in 1992... - sooo many things I would never ever do again! Not all that many training-wise as safety-wise... Not warming up and cooling down the dogs properly, running on slippery carpets laid directly on beton, unsafe obstacles, not well fixed tunnels, mud, frozen ground, snow... Oh my!!! No idea how our dogs survived it! And yes, the speed was much lower in early beginnings, but La was really fast (definitely faster as average agility dog today) and she ran on surfaces and obstacles back then in 2003 that I would never ever run her on today! She was definitely my magic dog, to look as good and run as well as she did at age of 13!
But after To's toe injury (I do not know if it happened in agility though!) and Le's terrible crash into a metal wing, I definitely notice any slip, any crash and any unsafe performance...
Looking back at it, all my scariest agility moments happened on metal wings... So I guess my New Year wish is metal wings get banned!!!
I already avoid trialing at places where they use heavy metal wings and I really hope more&more will decide for PVC jumps... I LOVE my Adams PVC jumps - so pretty and durable also when outside on sun and in snow all year around! And yes, they do fall in heavy wind, but that's o.k.! I certainly want them to fall if a dog jumps in too!!!
While tire and collapsed tunnel are most commonly discussed in relation to agility safety, I actually fear metal wings much more... With speed the dogs are moving nowadays, we really should try to use the safest equipment available...
Also, I used to think of tunnels as a safe and easy on their bodies obstacle... Until I got the kamikaze Le. I have just canceled all winter trials because she had an ugly fall in a tunnel in the only winter trial we did. I think cold tunnels with sand in them are extra risky, so I guess it's better to not do those anymore... I also hope more&more clubs decide for full anti-slip tunnels... - Just got mine, in the lightest possible colour, so they can see better too... I really like these from HCV group as they have less "wrinkles" too and seem safer for toes! So far I love them, but kamikaze Le will only get to test them in spring. And as you can see in To's eyes, she wants to try it NOW!!! 🙂
Oh yes, I totally agree!
Unluckily I noticed one of the sponsors of B.A.C.K. will be WT Metall again. The most heavy metall jumps I know 🙁 Just talked about that fact today to my mum. Luckily we don’t have any clubs here still using these jumps otherwise I wouldn’t compete at their places.
Edit: oh, just have seen they have new jumps for 2018. So I think/hope they will use these one for BACK (they look much lighter) 🙂
That’s great they have new jumps now! We still see old WT Metall jumps A LOT in trials here 🙁 -- and unfortunately, these are not even the heaviest wings clubs use… -- I’ve seen lots of even heavier ones! 🙁 I decided to skip BACK though, Le scared me too much with her tunnel fall and looking back, most of her falls happened in cold tunnels in riding halls, so I really don’t want to risk it… I think a winter break might be a better idea for her.
Glad I am not the only one worried about safety! Sometimes I feel alone as I watch so many running all winter on that horrible rubber, which I have found is even more slippery when the air is so dry in winter. We will take that break just like you and wait for better footing come spring. And save our money to buy more tunnel bags and HVC tunnels!!!! 😀
Yeah, we’re fortunate to not get that rubber at all. But people definitely think I’m crazy for not wanting to run trials with cold tunnels 🙂
My biggest fear with tunnels is when a judge will put the tunnel right up against the wall at an indoor trial. I do not want my fast dog banking off a wall which does not give! When I mention it to judges, some of them just ignore it as a hazard. What do you think, Silvia?
Huh, I certainly wouldn’t like that either! 🙁 OUr judges are really good about it though and will also do some adjustments if told about things like this. But if the judge won’t listen, maybe ask organiser if they have more sand bags to put them over the tunnel, so it doesn’t touch the wall?
That is exactly what we do to make things better. Thanks for the reply:-)
I’m so pleased that this forum pays attention to the question of safety. The fear of injuries is what has kept me away from agility.
Yes, it’s really very important, with the speed of the dogs getting higher&higher! Most injuries of agility dogs still happen outside agility though, on walks and when playing, but still, one should always do everything possible to keep it all as safe as possible…