Horse wont stayed tyed... - Western Training & Behavior - Western Training & Behavior - Horse Community, Horse Pictures, Horse Forum and Information

Posted : 1/28/2010 6:57:08 PM

I have troubles keeping my big Paint horse tyed... When I tye my mare up to be groomed, saddled, ect. She always gets "spooked" at something and pulls with all her weight until something breaks, either a halter, leadrope, or the thing she's tyed too. It gets really frusterating and I have no idea how to fix it... any suggestions please?

samsara

Posted : 1/28/2010 8:43:24 PM

This is a really bad and very dangerous habit.
What kind of halter do you use? A rope halter could help deter this a little, especially the kind with the knots over the poll.
You could try a blocker tie-ring they allow you to tie the horse but if he should pull back it releases a bit of slack in the lead rope http://horseloversoutlet.com/blocker_tie_rings.html When you tie a horse to a solid object and he pulls back there is a lot of tension put on the halter and the rope, the horse feels trapped and then&nbsp ';p'

anics, pulls harder and something breaks. With the tie ring the horse pulls back, some slack is released in the line, horse doesn't feel trapped anymore, problem solved.
They're not a cure all and if this has developed into a legitimate habit and not a fear response to being tied then you'd better get yourself to a trainer who can help you.
Good luck!

ApachePlume

Posted : 1/29/2010 8:04:01 PM

well the sad thing is she broke most my rope halters... and the really sad part is she managed to break the tie ring too. I never really tie her any more unless I have her pasture buddy or another horse by her anymore, because she never really seems to startle when she's ground tied and knows she can't break lose.

trainer101

Posted : 1/29/2010 8:27:24 PM

Hi there welcome to the forum if I havn't already greeted you. As a trainer I often try using what I already know about the horse, what spooks them, where, and with who to decide how best to help them. What I would start out with is work with her on the ground at being soft in the rope halter. After years of using this or that, I highly recomend Clinton Andersons knotted rope halters. For one thing they are strong and for another they are not the soft rope most people use, meaning that they hold their shape very well to get a good response from your horse.

lateral flextion in the halter and only release the pressure when she yields and softens her face plus her feet stop. You might have to bend her in steps as well. At first try holding the halter by the muzzle piece and asking her to just give a small bit. release and each time work till she softens to you.
teach her to drop her head when she feels pressure on the poll. Use steady pressure and pull down on the halter. Most horses with a pulling problem will imidiatly raise their head and walk backward or start shaking their head as they can't get away from the pressure that they are use to breaking free of. Stay with her till her feet stop and she gives. It will be almost unnoticable at first so you will have to feel it not see it. Each time she should give quicker and stay more relaxed.
After teaching the horse the first two steps I will usually take them outside to a safe area where there are some trees. Here I lounge them around the trees so that if I am sending them to the right the tree comes between me and the horse. When they feel the pressure on the halter to change directions, the horses that pull back often try to do so here but quickly realize that they are not tied and that I am only asking them to change directions. The purpose of the tree is that the tree doesn't give if the horse is really ignoring the halter. I can slide rope out as needed and step out in front of them to gain their attention but it really helps them to learn how to follow the feel. Each horse I have worked with using this has gotten so soft in a halter that the owners actually choose to ride them in a rope halter rather than a bit or move to a bosal.
Purchase Clinton Anderson's tying DVD and a blocker tie ring. I have tried so many things for horses that pull and this really works. The combonation of softneing the horses head neck and poll, desensitizing and the continued contact with the horse increases the horses trust and results in a more responsive and trustworthy horse. The ring is not for tying a horse hard and fast and is great when used with a really long lead that can just slide out as needed.

Hope this helps some and gave you some new ideas. Be safe and keep us posted!

linaew

Posted : 2/26/2010 12:04:30 AM

"Be Nice" Halters work great... I used one on my mare when she was in her rebellious days...

Summer

Posted : 2/26/2010 4:59:50 AM

Some folks say they don't like them but I swear by "CALF COLLARS" - they are thick canvas collars that go on the horses neck. They are actually sold for 4H calves at the local farm store. The way they work is if the horse pulls back, they lose their balance and have to take a step foreward. My 2 horses have maybe pulled back once or twice in the 4 years that I have owned them and these collars work. Plus they are wonderful for tack changes at the trailer - much safer than sliding a halter onto the neck.