A
cattle grid or
cattle guard – also known as a
vehicle pass,
Texas gate, or, in
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
, a
cattle stop – is a type of obstacle used to prevent
livestockLivestock are one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food or fiber, or labor...
, such as sheep or
cattleCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, from passing along a road which penetrates the fencing surrounding an enclosed piece of land. It consists of a depression in the road covered by a transverse grid of bars or tubes, normally made of metal and firmly fixed to the ground on either side of the depression, such that the gaps between them are wide enough for
animalAnimals are a major group of mostly multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously...
s' legs to fall through, but sufficiently narrow not to impede a wheeled
vehicleA vehicle is a mechanical means of conveyance, a carriage or transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks.Vehicles may be propelled or pulled by...
.
A
cattle grid or
cattle guard – also known as a
vehicle pass,
Texas gate, or, in
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
, a
cattle stop – is a type of obstacle used to prevent
livestockLivestock are one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food or fiber, or labor...
, such as sheep or
cattleCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, from passing along a road which penetrates the fencing surrounding an enclosed piece of land. It consists of a depression in the road covered by a transverse grid of bars or tubes, normally made of metal and firmly fixed to the ground on either side of the depression, such that the gaps between them are wide enough for
animalAnimals are a major group of mostly multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously...
s' legs to fall through, but sufficiently narrow not to impede a wheeled
vehicleA vehicle is a mechanical means of conveyance, a carriage or transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks.Vehicles may be propelled or pulled by...
. They rely for their effect (of barring passage to animals but not to wheeled vehicles) upon animals' reluctance to set foot upon them.
Cattle grids are usually installed over roads where they cross a
fenceA fence is a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary. It is generally distinguished from a wall by the lightness of its construction: a wall is usually restricted to such barriers made from solid brick or concrete, blocking vision as well as passage .Fences...
line, often at a boundary between public and private lands. They are an alternative to the erection of gates that would need to be opened and closed every time a vehicle passed, and are common where roads cross open
moorlandMoorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas, characterised by low growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland nowadays generally means uncultivated hill land , but the Old English mōr also refers to low-lying wetlands...
,
rangelandRangeland refers to expansive, mostly unimproved lands on which a significant proportion of the natural vegetation is native grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, and shrubs. Rangeland also consists of areas seeded to native or adapted introduced species that are managed like native vegetation...
or
common landCommon land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel. By extension, the term "commons" has come to be applied to other resources which a...
maintained by grazing, but where segregation of fields is impractical. Cattle grids are also used when otherwise unfenced railways cross a fenceline. Cattle grids are seen throughout the world and quite common in places such as
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, the
Scottish HighlandsThe Scottish Highlands include the rugged and mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault, although the exact boundaries are not clearly defined, particularly to the east...
, or the
National Parks of England and WalesThe national parks of England and Wales are areas of relatively undeveloped and scenic landscape that are designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949...
. They are also common throughout the Western
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where they are usually called a
cattle guard or, occasionally, a
Texas gate. In the USA, they are most often used on
BLMThe Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately 264 million acres or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. Most public lands are located in western states...
and
Forest ServiceThe United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass 193 million acres...
land, but are also used on paved roads and even exit ramps of the
Interstate Highway SystemThe Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System , is a network of limited-access highways in the United States that is named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who championed its formation...
in many rural areas.
While these barriers are usually effective, they can fail due to ingenious animals. Sheep have been known to jump or run along the side of grids as wide as , traversing them in order to find more and better food or water. Wider grids are used where deer are to be contained. Some animals, particularly wildlife, can jump across them, and animals with particularly large feet, such as
American bisonThe American Bison is a North American species of bison, also commonly known as the American Buffalo. "Buffalo" is somewhat of a misnomer for this animal, as it is only distantly related to either of the two "true buffaloes", the Asian Buffalo and the African Buffalo...
or even particularly large
bovine bullsCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, can walk across them without slipping between the bars. Sometimes they may be connected to an electric fence to prevent predatory animals, such as
dingoThe Dingo is a domestic dog which has reverted to a wild state for thousands of years and today lives largely independent from humans in the majority of its distribution....
es and
foxFox is a common name for many species of carnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail ....
es walking over them. In areas with heavy snowfall and long periods without a thaw, snow can fill up under a grid and allow animals to walk across it.
Portable "Texas gates" suspend the gate by springs so that it lowers to the ground when a vehicle passes over then returns to a position above the ground.
Painted lines on the road can serve as
skeuomorphSkeuomorph or Skeuomorphism is a term used in the history of architecture, design, and archaeology. It refers to a derivative object which retains ornamental design cues to structure that was necessary in the original...
s of cattle grids. The light-dark pattern of lines and pavement resembles a true cattle guard to animals. Many animals see a more intense contrast between light and dark because their night vision is much better than humans'. Animals see the sharp contrast of the cattle guard on the ground as a false visual cliff; they act as if the dark spots are deeper than the light spots. Using a virtual cattle guard is cheaper than a true cattle guard, and can be used on higher-speed roads due to its smooth surface.
There is a British Standard for cattle grids: BS4008:2006. The US standards are put forth by The American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO). AASHTO provides load rating guidelines for cattle guards that are used on public roads in America. All cattle guards used on American public roads must be certified by a qualified engineer that the guard meets AASHTO guidelines.