A make of horse-walker has been removed from the market as it presents “risk of serious or fatal injury”.
The Claydon Horse Exercisers Derby and Stoneleigh models have been withdrawn and users contacted by the manufacturer to inform them of the risks.
The Government Office for Product Safety and Standards published the product safety report, explaining that: “The product presents a serious risk of injuries.”
The Derby and Stoneleigh models, supplied from the early 1980s, have machinery comprising four powered rotating “pushers” turning in a circle between inner and outer fences, with an access gate to load and unload the horses.
The Government report states: “The gate in the outer fence can be opened while the machine is in motion and the size of the mesh openings in the outer fence allow persons to reach the pushers. Users can be exposed to crushing, shearing and impact hazards from the moving pushers and their proximity to fixed structures such as the gate frame and outer fences.
“A risk of serious or fatal injury can arise if a user tries to enter or exit through the gate or remains inside the horse exerciser while the pushers are moving, or if they reach through gaps in the outer fence.”
The report added that there was “also insufficient information and instruction available to users who may foreseeably enter the machine during cleaning and maintenance. There was no lockable electrical isolation switch provided”.
The machines did not satisfy the requirements of the Supply of Machinery (Safety) regulations 2008.
Users have also been contacted to notify them of availability of replacement parts and to provide updated user instructions.
A Claydon spokesman directed H&H to the “corrective measures” taken.
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