I am working on getting my horse to stand tied nice and quiet and relaxed. He tends to paw, dance around a little, and stand at the end of the rope sometimes. I have found that he is a little more relaxed if he is tied a bit longer. Not long enough to get his head all the way to the ground though. I tie him with a slip release knot in case he should really get into trouble.

Yesterday, I left him tied with a hay bag. That seemed to help. It kept him from standing at the end of the rope. He did spook at something & took a few steps sideways once. I did not leave him unattended, but was doing other things outside.

My questions are:
How long should I leave him tied at a time while teaching him this?
Should I be visible to him?
Should I be putting hay in front of him?
Is the length I tie him okay...should I shorten it up gradually?

Can ANY horse, even a curious, cautious, a little bit on the spooky side horse learn to tie relaxed and quiet? I wouldn't say he's a ball of nerves, he just seems anxious when tied, especially when tied shorter like with a trailer tie.