Well, this has been bugging me & I need help..

See about two months ago I had the barn trainer tie Jolly in a stall.
He was passing around at the end of the rope for awhile...
So the trainer tied him closer to the wall (making the lead smaller in length)
& about fifteen mins into it he reared up & fell onto his back & snapped his halter off..
The trainers wife said he could have broken his neck-ever since then I'm afriad to have him tied.
I know he HAS to do it, but it makes me nervous & I know that doesnt help Jolly out at all.
So..how am I to tie him, without him hurting himself?

About a year ago I found a nifty little contraption called "the clip". It's made for horses that don't tie well. There are three different ways to tie the horse, depending on how bad they are. When a horse pulls and it doesn't give it freaks them out and they pull harder. The clip offers a little resistance, but gives them some slack when they really pull. You just knot the end of the rope and it will only give so much. It was hilarious to see Jacks face the first time he went to give a good tug and it gave! He just looked at it and walked back up to stand at the patience post. It teaches them that it's nothing to freak out about. There are several different versions of it, Clinton Anderson has one but it's MUCH more expensive.

Tell us more about this "clip." Where did you get it and about how much is it? I have several of the Blocker Tie Rings (I think Clinton Anderson calls it the Aussie Tie Ring) and they are wonderful. They solved a serious pulling-back problem we had with one of our horses. But you're right, they are expensive. It would be nice to know about a cheaper option.

A friend of mine ordered it out of a catalog for me(schneiders, valley vet,etc...), I'll ask her which one. It was less than $20, and very sturdy, no worry about it breaking or bending. I'll get a pic of it this weekend so you know what you're looking for!

Thank you so much!

I might to ask you some more questions Jen, if thats alright :P


http://www.smartpakequine.com/produc...eCategory=true


is that it?

You need to stop being afraid and just tie him. Just don't tie him as short. Even a good horse will have problems if they are snubbed up to something to tight. I had a mare years ago that for no reason what so ever would set back and probably flip over a dozen different times. Yes, there is a risk and it is not a good habit. Before all these fancy new clips, I used what was called a Be Nice halter, it was a rope halter on a pully type system and hooked to the piece that goes across the pole were little nubs, so that when she pulled back (leading or tied) it would put pressure and when she would come forward and relax it would release the pressure. She wore it for 6 months or so and have never had a problem since. You could also try using and inner tube. They used to do this with the TB's that I worked with. We would bring them in as long yearlings (never worked with) and in a round pen they would have inner tubes tied to ropes which were tied to the posts. We would then tie their lead ropes to the inner tubes.. The tube gives when they pull back, they would leave them tied for a couple of hours at a time.

You just need to make sure what ever equipment that you use it is in good condition and is strong, If they consistantly break things they will learn that the harder they pull it will break and thats when they can do serious damage. When they have that much force and energy and then it breaks loose.

Good luck in what ever you use, but just get back to tying him soon. The measure of a good horse is one that stands tied quietly for as long as you need them to .

^^ AGREED! Very good advice P8ntCrazy! Get the Be-Nice halter or other type of rope halter that is very sturdy with a built in lead rope, so neither will break. If the horse gets loose, from breaking anything or on purpose, the horse will continue to pull, if anything out of pure habit. The horse has to learn that pulling doesn't get them anywhere, except perhaps a sore nose .

I have to dis agree with just re-tying your horse, it can be dangerous depending on the horse and its past history, you don't necessarily need to get a tying device (although they do work well) it just takes a little time to make them realize there is nothing to freak out over, a horses normal instinct is to rely on them selves and make sure they have the opportunity to run should something scary arise, when they feel tied they tend to panic. they are many useful ways to re-train a horse to tie, and most of them work, however if you really think that your horse will freak out if you tie him again (and it wasn't just one time deal) i would not suggest tying him and letting what ever happens ... happen
karen

personally i agree with p8ntcrazy

i can bet you anything that the horse is just feeding off of your energy-- your afraid to tie him, so he's going to be afraid to be tied

i had a bit of an issue with this when i first got brogan

i tied him with a quick release knot that you can do with any lead rope-- if he pulled, i pulled the knot loose



i would do this with him for about an hour every single day and eventually he realized that it wasn't a big deal at all

A rope halter is definitely a necessity. It has a little more bite to it. They can pull all day with those nylon halters. Imagine carrying a very heavy bag on your shoulder all day. Those big wide shoulder straps make it possible, but imagine having to carry it with only a thin rope over your shoulder. It could get pretty sore.