Train Your Horse to Tie Safely

By learning from experienced horse trainers, you can be confident that your horse knows how to tie safely.
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We all take tying our horses for granted. But if you’ve ever owned one which you can’t tie, then you know how inconvenient and even dangerous he can be. You don’t have the luxury of tying your horse and leaving him, even for a moment. You have to schedule time or pay someone to hold your horse for the farrier or veterinarian instead of cross tying him. And you can’t tether him to a trailer at competitions, as an escaped horse is the last thing any show organizer wants.

Many people feel, and rightly so, that a horse which doesn’t tie is useless. But whose fault is it? Standing tied to a stationary object is not natural for a horse. Running away from danger is a horse’s first defense, and standing tied takes this choice away. Staying to fight is his next defense, and fighting while tied isn’t safe for the horse or anyone near him. This well-adapted flight or fight response is what has kept the equine species (as prey animals) around for so long.

Tying Safety Tips

  • If your horse does sit back, don’t try to stop him. Stay calm and wait for him to calm down. "If a horse has panicked and you run up to try to jerk him loose, chances are you are going to get seriously hurt," Hilton cautions. "A horse that panics throws his body everywhere. Wait it out."
  • Don’t tie your horse to a horse trailer that is not hitched to the tow vehicle.
  • It’s not a good idea to tie your horse to a movable object like a jump standard. If he panics, he’ll drag it behind him and severe injury can occur.
  • Don’t tie your horse to a flimsy fence or anything that your horse can uproot and take along with him.

Sharon Biggs Waller

Your horse is not stupid if he doesn’t understand what tying is all about; it just means no one has ever taught him properly. The good news is that it’s not too late. All horses can be trained to tie

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Written by:

Sharon Biggs Waller is a freelance writer for equine ­science and human interest publications. Her work has appeared in several publications and on several websites, and she is a classical dressage instructor.

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