• French: haie (3)
• Hungarian: gát, akadály
• Japanese: ハードル

• Hungarian: gát, akadály
• Japanese: ハードル, 障害物

Verb

1. To jump over something while running.

   He hurdled the bench in his rush to get away.

2. To compete in the track and field events of hurdles (e.g. high hurdles).
3. To overcome an obstacle.

A hurdle is a moveable section of light fencing. Traditionally they were made from wattle (woven split branches), but modern hurdles are often made of metal. Hurdles are used for handling livestock, as decorative fencing, for horse racing and in the track and field event of hurdling.

Types of hurdle

• Traditional hurdles are made from wattle, usually of hazel or willow. Hurdle-making is a traditional woodland craft, done by placing upright sticks in holes in a log and weaving split branches between them. Historically they were used to pen livestock or to separate land in open field systems, but they are now popular as decorative fencing for gardens.

• Modern livestock hurdles are used for sorting, handling or loading animals where permanent fencing is impractical or uneconomic. They are made of steel or aluminium, and vary in size. For sheep, they are usually long and high, while for cattle they are commonly or more long and high. They are usually joined by pins or hooks, both to each other and to handling facilities such as a cattle crush. While individual hurdles are easily knocked over by animals, when joined in a ring or to solid objects they make a secure fence. Single hurdles are often used a temporary gate or to block a gap in a hedge. Hurdles are often supplied in a set together with a mobile cattle crush and a trailer for easy transport.

• Hurdles used as jumps in horse racing are similar to traditional hurdles.

• The barriers used in track and field hurdling vary. For long-distances they consist of a single bar firmly attached to two posts, while for sprint hurdling they are a light metal frame on a stand.

See also

• Wattle and daub
• Fencing

External links

• Britannica 1911 entry
• English Hurdle
• Willow Fences

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