Breakaway tie up rings?

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Confusedpony

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After a minor incident with a horse panicking whilst tied up and twine not breaking, I’m looking at things like equi-ping to tie up more safely.

Does anything exist that withstands normal attempts to pull, haynet eating etc but breaks when you need it.

Or do I just need to go back to bailing twine but thin it down a little?
 
I use the Idolo tie up system to mitigate the risk of a horse pulling back. If the horse pulls back the rope will start sliding (there are two settings giving a fast or a slow slide through) through the Idolo. I use them with a lunge line cut in half so it takes a long time for the end of the rope to be reached. This gives plenty of time to get to the horse and sort things out. It has worked really well so far to keep the animal secure and avoid panicky struggles. Once they find out they are not attached to an immovable point the horses' reactions usually become less and less over time.
 
I use a similar set up to the blocker tie rings. I made mine from cutting an eggbut snaffle in half! I use a 14ft lead rope (i use these for handling anyway). They are hands down the best way to teach a horse to tie. We teach all the youngsters using these. Of course, the ground work needsto be established so they are soft off the halter pressure and know to step forward. If they brace against the halter when leading/handling, they will do it when tied. With the blocker ring, You don't get horses pulling back and panicking. They will step back, realise that there is no stress, and you can bring them forward again. There are 2 settings, one where it's relatively easy to slide through, then a more solid setting. I use that setting when they are established at tying and I don't want them sneakily trying to eat grass or something. It will still slide through if the horse panics. I also clip the blocker ring to hayband still, as another way of releasing the horse in an emergency. With the research into poll damage caused by trauma (i.e pulling back) i think its something best to avoid!
 
I used the bungee type. If they break yiu can save the black bit and buy bungee cord and make your own.
 

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These actually taught mine to pull back and sod off. I don’t use any sort of breakaway tie like this anymore. Back to the old twine. They soon learned to pack it in.

Faran has taken it one step further though and can use the lead rope to take of any standard headcollar. He has to be tied up and travelled in the rope headcollar or he gets loose or turns round in the trailer. He’s too clever for his own good. 🙄
 
HighFive said:
I made mine from cutting an eggbut snaffle in half!
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I also did this, the plastic ones look ridiculously expensive.

I've tried a couple of different breakaway ties. My horse loves them, he just walks off and they break, the elasticated ones especially seem to encourage this. The ones with velcro which is supposed to come apart actually just break.
 
i have the bungee types in the horsebox, strong velcro that comes apart and leaves you with a bit to grab, but no buckle on the end to smack them in the face! they just stick back together too, i’ve only had it come apart once but she really pulled back on it, it doesn’t come apart from normal moving/eating.
 
Roasted Chestnuts said:
These actually taught mine to pull back and sod off. I don’t use any sort of breakaway tie like this anymore. Back to the old twine. They soon learned to pack it in.

Faran has taken it one step further though and can use the lead rope to take of any standard headcollar. He has to be tied up and travelled in the rope headcollar or he gets loose or turns round in the trailer. He’s too clever for his own good. 🙄
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Gosh none of mine have ever learnt to pull away using those. Bailing twine is the devil incarnate. I hate it, like I hate nylon headcollars.
 
Roasted Chestnuts said:
These actually taught mine to pull back and sod off. I don’t use any sort of breakaway tie like this anymore. Back to the old twine. They soon learned to pack it in.

Faran has taken it one step further though and can use the lead rope to take of any standard headcollar. He has to be tied up and travelled in the rope headcollar or he gets loose or turns round in the trailer. He’s too clever for his own good. 🙄
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yes diva is a pro at that method of taking her headcollar off, since being on box rest i was retrieving her every 2 minutes mucking out so i’ve given up now, and she roams the yard if everyone is in the field!🤣
 
Saus can figure these things out quickly, I mostly just put the lead rope through the twine without tying it. Worst comes to worst, and she’ll stand guiltily looking at the rope on the floor, or eating some nearby grass.

I don’t tie her properly anymore after one memorable and now-funny* incident where she pulled the entire rail off the fence. She used it to scare off her friend and then stood and waited to be released. 🤣

*was NOT funny at the time
 
94lunagem said:
Which is exactly why I said I pull it apart into three strands… so it ISN’T much stronger than it used to be.
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I did. I actually halved mine that someone had tied up the night before bringing him home. 10 days later Lari nearly broke his neck and did untold damage to his S.I in the process of pulling back when it didn't break. Its so very dangerous now, they use a different polymer which us much stronger. The blue stuff is particuarly dangerous.
 
I found the Equi Ping was awful. It pinged if mine so mine as twitched as an ear 🤣 He soon learnt that was a great game.

I use an Idaho when pony was going through his pulling back phase when a YM insisted we all use Equi-Pings.

I now just use a thin strip of baler twine. It definitely breaks under pressure for us.
 
Cable ties work well. The teeth give way reasonably easily. I use these when training the babies to tie in combination with quick release snaps on the ropes.
 
94lunagem said:
You obviously hadn’t thinned it out enough 🤷‍♀️ I have no issues with what I tie up to breaking when it needs to.

And you don’t always have to be right, I’m not debating further. Have a lovely evening.
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As you are aware I wasn't debating. I was simply replying and explaining what happened to my horse whilst informing others of the danger of twine, in particular blue twine.
 
Birker2020 said:
I used the bungee type. If they break yiu can save the black bit and buy bungee cord and make your own.
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Mine just undid this one. Lasted less than 5 minutes.

The equiping didn’t look as though it would work, and indeed it didn’t. The bit of plastic holding it together just isn’t very secure and slides off.

So far two strips of velcro stuck together to make a full loop have worked, and baler twine, for this horse who does like to fiddle with things and undo knots, bolts, etc.

ETA just to clarify, he does not pull back. He just niggles away at loose ends or knots, etc., and knows he may get lucky. The loose end of the bungee is just a gift - I should have known! Looked very pleased with himself 🤣
 
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teacups said:
Mine just undid this one. Lasted less than 5 minutes.

The equiping didn’t look as though it would work, and indeed it didn’t. The bit of plastic holding it together just isn’t very secure and slides off.

So far two strips of velcro stuck together to make a full loop have worked, and baler twine, for this horse who does like to fiddle with things and undo knots, bolts, etc.
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Wow. I must admit i use two at a time for added security. I've ordered some bungee cord as Lari broke two in one go pulling back. To be fair its the first time since Oct 2021 he's pulled back. Not used the equiping but seen it advertised.

And because he had started dragging his hay cube around the stable we secured it with a lead rope attached to a bungee which also broke when he manage to drag it away from the wall despite bring attached and having three bricks in the bottom of it. 🙄

Three is the space of a few days gets expensive. So I thought sod it I'll buy some cord. £3.59 for 5m.

I always tie my nets up much higher than he can lift his foot.
 

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Equiping is the devil's work as far as I'm concerned. Unless you are looking for an easy way to teach a horse to pull back. The same goes for anything that snaps easily. I use Idolo ties and a long rope, and pretty much never tie to anything else.
 
Birker2020 said:
Wow. I must admit i use two at a time for added security. I've ordered some bungee cord as Lari broke two in one go pulling back. To be fair its the first time since Oct 2021 he's pulled back. Not used the equiping but seen it advertised.
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I’ve edited my original post, just to clarify that the bungee amd equiping did not fail due to horse pulling back.
 
Idolo - had them for years. Mine have always been sharp horses and they are super reactive about pressure when shizzle hits the fan so it's saved many a tricky situation and poll/neck pressure going too far. I have 7ft lead ropes. I use them on my trailer as well to save anything being broken
 
My partner used to have a baler for baling small bales, we've still got a roll of the twine. So I use that for tying up with as it's very different (as in thinner) compared to the twine used for the large bales.
 
Thanks all. Will have a look at the Idolo.

To clarify, horse ties up absolutely fine and does not pull back, but was kicked out at by another horse in passing, tried to move away but couldn’t.
 
I have an Idolo tie that I used with a 12ft lead rope, on high resistance setting. However my horse knew if he kept pulling (he puts his head down, turns his bum to the rail to do this) he will eventually be free to do whatever, usually to a nearby patch of grass.
Any ideas to teach him and me to use it properly?
I've tried something like an equiping also but he's learnt he could break it if he pulls hard enough 🙄
 
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