The first frangible devices used in eventing were frangible pins, which were first introduced in 2002, when they were trialled at nine British Eventing horse trials, including Badminton Horse Trials. Following this successful trial, they were introduced on suitable new cross-country fences at every level of British Eventing competitions ahead of 2006.
The breakable metal pins are inserted between the top rail and the uprights supporting it. The pin is designed to lower the jump’s top element by at least 20cm if the fence is hit from above, which research confirmed happens when a horse somersaults over a fixed fence. This drop is designed to allow the horse to get a leg forward to save itself from rotating over the fence, although it may not prevent the horse from falling. The pins were originally fitted in front of the upright supporting the top rail of the fence, but in 2010 this was changed so the pins were fitted behind the upright instead.
The frangible pin was designed to be used on post-and-rail fences, but Swedish company New Era then developed the MIM safety clip, which can be used on on other obstacles, including tables. The clip’s inventor, Mats Bjornetun, explains: “The clip is different [from the pin] in that it responds to the horizontal impact of a load hitting a fence and the fence can be rebuilt in a matter of seconds.”
A study by Anders Flogård, the designer of the MIM safety clip, found that the forces involved in a rotational fall are initially horizontal, followed by vertical, so reverse frangible technology allows the fence to be driven forwards in the same direction as the horse. This reduces the rotational speed, giving the horse a better chance of recovering and staying on its feet.
The penalties for breaking frangible devices have been a subject of heated debate and have changed over time from elimination through to a number of penalties. Currently riders receive 11 penalties for activating a frangible device during an FEI competition, but riders competing in British Eventing classes do not receive any penalties regardless of how many frangible devices are activated during a cross-country round.
‘It shouldn’t be a given that riders will go clear when stepping up to four-star’, says Andrew Nicholson
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