Re: RC: RE: RE: Those new-fangled halters w/no hardware

[Teddy Lancaster <teddy@runningbear.com>]

The problem arises when people improperly tie the first time and the horse
gets away.  He has learned he can.

It is particularly hard with babies who will "panic".  I start babies by tying them when they are fed..in a familiar "safe" place, like their stall.  They get so used to it, they just don't THINK of pulling back.

Teddy

"Flemmer, Linda" wrote:

 

One of my geldings came to me at age 9 who was untrained to tie solid.  He simply sat back each time & broke the halter or the object he was tied to at his previous owner's farm.  Her solution was to never tie him - not an option for us!  (Tie to a trailer at rides, to the grooming area at the barn, etc.)  I used a bungie tie to a stout cotton rope, attached to a triple thick nylon halter with fleece tubes over it.  My favorite object for solid tying is a telephone post sunk 5' into the ground.

We held a driving whip as we stood just around the corner from him.  When he sat back, we lightly popped him on the croup.  He'd spring forward, look back there, & find that nothing was there!  We did this consistently until he was no longer pulling back when tied.  While I will <never> trust him to tie like some of the others, he no longer sits back to get "free".  (BTW, when he got free, he simply stood there by the post.)  It is far too dangerous to have a horse struggle to get free.  The training was painless & easy to do.

As for dragging things, you should have seen my old mare when the harness tug broke & she was pulling the drag for the ring by only one tug!  She looked like she could have been an extra for Ben Hur!  Horribly scary situation!  Probably worse if they are tied to it by their head.

Linda Flemmer

-----Original Message-----
From: CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com [mailto:CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

Yes, if they are taught to tie they will eventually "give" to the pressure
and quit--but if a fitting on a halter breaks as soon as they hit it and they
flip over and die, they don't exactly have that opportunity.  Furthermore, if
they set back and detach a rail or some other item and are now LOOSE and
frightened with a monster tied to their heads, they can also injure
themselves badly.

Heidi

--
Teddy Lancaster
AERC# 139422 - Member since 1974
6000+ career miles

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