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Re: [RC] Horses that Pull back - Sharon Levasseur

Ditto on tying above the head causing fewer pull-backs, though I'll add that the same rule doesn't apply to crossties. I know because my crossties are anchored to the roof beam in my garage, and Zephyr sets back in them a couple times a year. Pulled an eye hook right out of the wood, once. Now I use fail-safe quick-release crossties I bought from these folks:
http://www.ultracite.com/products.htm


For my tie-pole, I have a telephone pole next to the driveway that I put an eye hook in way up high... I can barely reach it... and I have a Blocker Tie Ring attached to that. Works like a charm. He hasn't pulled back in months.

-Sharon L. in Maine




Quoting Quentin & Libby Llop <qhll@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>:


Excuse me if someone else has mentioned this. I haven't read everything
lately. Horses that pull back (and I've had quite a few over the years,
mostly TBs, some very intermittent like Stone) often won't if they are
tied from overhead. I have a few ropes attached to the rafters next to
the arena and one hanging down from the tree by the back door for these
horses. The poll pressure seems to cause a reaction that they can't
help and a very high tie never triggers it. I had one mare from birth
to about age 20 who wouldn't tie. Other wise she was a kids horse and
one of our driving horses in the wedding pair. When I had to tie her to
the trailer to hitch up I would tie the slip knot so that she was
attached to the part you pull to release it. For the most part she
would stay tied without testing it, but when she started to pull back
it would instantly release and she would be fine. For camping she was
fine on a high line with a ring that slid and for the kids to saddle
her we tied her lead rope to her front leg.
 BTW since horses don't pull on the overhead tie, the one by the back
door is very handy to clip to the bridle when you are about to ride off
and have forgotten something in the house.
                                                                   Libby
Coles wrote:
I have a story to tell you about horses that pull back. If you have one, make sure you get good help when you try to break them of it!!!
I bought a warmblood sport horse filly a few years ago. Her name was Stone. I got her as a 9 month old filly who had had little handling. She arrived at my place loose in the box of the trailer. Fella had had a hard time getting the halter on her and she looked a bit worse for wear.
We brought her in and settled her in to the barn and didn't tie her (we have standing stalls). I spent the next few days getting her used to handling and having the halter taken off and on. When it was time to tie her in the stall we rand the lead rope through a ring and when she got a bit panicky she pulled back and we released on the rope. This happened a few times and then she relaxed and accepted the restraining tie.
Over the next few months she would occasionally pull back and panic for a few seconds and then settle. Then she started to get worse!
She started breaking her tie ropes (not an easy feat!), so we replaced the tie rope with a heavy rope. Then a few months later she broke the buckle on her halter, we bought her a better halter. Then she broke a rough 2x6 board that the tie rope was secured to! Snapped it in half like a tooth pick! So we went to the local draft horseman and he gave us a leather strap and said confidently "she won't get outta this!" That lasted about 3.5 seconds! Tore it like old rotten leather.
Now this mare was 18 months old and getting to be a really good size! We took her to a local fair and she broke the tie stall at the fair, flipped over backwards with the effort and then just got up and stood there. When we loaded her to go home that day she flipped in the trailer! Took about 8 men to get the other horse off the trailer and the get the 2x10 plank that she broke and pinned her head to the floor with (don't ask me HOW did did that one!) off of her and get her upright. She was perfectly calm and loaded right back up again.
When she was 20 months old I finally decided enough was enough. She had torn, TORN, nylon halters, busted rough solid planks and flipped herself over after whatever she was tied to gave away. Very scary to watch!!! I had a young son at the time and was fearful that he was going to be behind her one time when she freaked out. She would stand in the tie stall for several months and then one day, freak out! No warning!
So... back we go to the local draft fella and he suggested a nylon towing line. "OK" we said and he came to show us how to do it.
There was quite a side show present. Myself, my husband, son, friend, draft fella. We walked her up to this HUGE pear tree in the front of my house and put the toe line through her halter and around the back of her pole and secured it to the tree. Long story made short... she felt the pole pressure, reared, set back and dropped flat on her side. I go to run over to her and old draft guy says "Just let her be! She'll figure it out in a minute and get up". "ok" says the dummy owner. So we watched.
And watched...
And watched...
After about 90 seconds, which felt like a life time, I said "She's not breathing!!!" Her eyes were WILD! Her nostrils were flaring! But her ribcage was not moving!!! I ran over and untied her and tried to get her up. She just looked at me with scared eyes and kept trying to breath. I held that mare while she died in my arms. She had broken her neck...
Stone is buried in the corner by the barn, and it is a lesson that I will never never never forget. Please, find someone who has experience with breaking a horse that pulls back, before you need to call in a backhoe to bury your mistake.....
Donna Lee
whoisstillcryingoverthisepisodeeventhoughitwasseveralyearsago
Jeff and Donna Lee Cole
Turning Point Stables
Browns Flat, NB

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Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

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Replies
[RC] Horses that Pull back, Coles
Re: [RC] Horses that Pull back, Quentin & Libby Llop