Is it safe to tie-up a horse to trailer or lorry?

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Horses24-7

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I've seen loads doing it? But personally I tack up in the trailer and they go straight back after their class.

What do you do? I don't as. Myhorse can be quite excitable when he arrives so easier to prepare him in the trailer :)
 
Perfectly safe so long as you have a vehicle attached to the trailer and tie up to a piece of baling string.

Things to consider are the length of the rope - you don't want a horse to get it's leg over the rope or smack it's head on the underside of the truck.

I did sadly see a horse killed at a show when she got her head under the truck - lifted it up quickly and just happened to hit the end of a bolt on the underside of the truck - the bolt went straight through her skull and killed her instantly. A really frak accident.

Look for sharp edges on mud guards, a length of hose pipe cut down its length makes a good protector for sharp edges, just push split hose over the edge and cut to fit. If you use a hair dryer you can get it to really fit neatly by heating it to shape it. Check rope cannot get caught in the spring of a trailer. Best height is to have ties just above the horses head.
This is a good height - my yearling learning that shows are really dull and boring
MatamataWaikatoWorld008.jpg


One local school used to bring out a truck and trailer load of horses and they had loops of baling twine on the headcollars so if anyone pulled back the rope would be left behind - so no fleeing horse with rope trying to trip it up. They tied up to the solid ring and clipped the rope onto the weak link.
 
If I have to leave my ponies on their own like to go and do my entries or whatever they stay in the trailer, otherwise they are tied up to the trailer. I never leave them tied up and unattended though.
 
NO NO NO NO definitely not safe. Put in the trailer /lorry - it takes seconds and the horse is safe. I saw some idiot at a ODE tie their horse to a camping chair. The horse moved - chair went with it, Horse panicked and charged through the lorry park trailing the chair. Chaos everywhere. Horses/ponies tied to their lorries were breaking loose. an accident waiting to happen. Ok there will always be absolute idiots around. I mean who in their right mind ties to a sodding deck chair! but if your horse is safe on the trailer /lorry it is out of the way of that mindless stupidity.
I also get really hacked off when owners leave their horses attached to their lorries/trailers next to mine. It means i have to keep an eye on theirs. It means i have to get someone to stand with their horse while i put up my ramp - which is electric so makes a slight noise. It means I have to get someone to stand with their horse while I drive away if I want to go before hand. Totally selfish behaviour as well as stupid ignorant behaviour. if your horse will not load then stay with it, hold it. All the people on here worry about their horse being marked with plaits ready to be stolen and yet some will tie to a lorry and then walk away and leave them, how easy is that to steal, already got the headcollar on, and no one around. Yup, just untie and load up and go. Dead easy.
 
Yes I leave ours tied to the trailer (he's a sod to load) , but only for a short time ie toilet trip or to do entries. Always with a hay net so he's not going to be Interested in anyone else's. & I don't mind whenever people ask if I mind watching their horse while they nip away either. It's nice to help each other out!!
 
TelH said:
If I have to leave my ponies on their own like to go and do my entries or whatever they stay in the trailer, otherwise they are tied up to the trailer. I never leave them tied up and unattended though.
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I do this too. I'm lucky enough to have a horse that is quite happy to be tied up to the trailer, obviously never unattended. He is alot happier outside than inside!
 
I've never done it, (always expecting something bad to happen) and was told by some people that we had sold a filly to that they had her tied to the side of the lorry at an event (she was intermediate at this stage) and something happened to spook her she got free and ran blind into another lorry and broke her neck so wouldn't try it. I dont see a problem with tying them when you are tacking up or untacking but not to leave them.
 
I tie mine up 2 the trailer aswell. Always 2 a piece of bailing string and never unattended. She settles better tied outside the trailer where she can see whats going on around her, she tends to get agitated if I leave her on the trailer. :)
 
RE: Tacking up in the trailer.

I used to do this until mine had a cold backed moment, tried to have a humping\bucking fit in the trailer and ended up jumping over the breast bar and pissing off around the showground. I was really lucky not to be kicked\killed.

Now he stands in the trailer when I need to leave him (with hay) and comes out to be tacked up or if I am about etc. Can't leave him tied to the trailer anyway as if I disappear he unties himself and comes to look for me.

I always keep half an eye on the horses in\on the surrounding vehicles when I am around, thats just good manners. As I often go to shows etc on my own its nice when others reciprecate, you can't always toake the horse to the loos\secretary\on the course walk.
 
We never tie up outside, we put bridles on in the trailer and saddle outside, it only takes a stupid spook to have a loose horse which can cause chaos and often road gates are unattended.
If they're in the trailer I know where they are and can leave them safely.
 
Tied to trailer to boot up, stud up, put saddle on and wash off afterwards, never unsupervised--seen too many accidents, loose horses and broken trailer tail lights
 
Cuffey said:
Tied to trailer to boot up, stud up, put saddle on and wash off afterwards, never unsupervised--seen too many accidents, loose horses and broken trailer tail lights
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^^^^^this and they are put back on the lorry between classes
 
Always do it, always on leather headcollar or bailing twine so they snap if pull back. Not long enough to graze though otherwise risk getting leg caught, but with haynet so they can have a munch. Always 2 of us so they're never unattended.

However new horse despises being tied up so has to be held or on trailer. I bridle him on trailer (can't reach to saddle, how do people do it?!) and then saddle and boot outside with mum holding onto him :)
 
I always do. Just make sure vehicle is secure and the twine will snap.
A friend recently when to an ec centre, horse pulled back when tied to a lorry. Twine didn't snap so horse pulled until head collar snapped, horse fell back onto trailer next to it, had a nasty cut to the leg luckily nothing more serious.
 
Evelyn said:
Perfectly safe so long as you have a vehicle attached to the trailer and tie up to a piece of baling string.

Things to consider are the length of the rope - you don't want a horse to get it's leg over the rope or smack it's head on the underside of the truck.

I did sadly see a horse killed at a show when she got her head under the truck - lifted it up quickly and just happened to hit the end of a bolt on the underside of the truck - the bolt went straight through her skull and killed her instantly. A really frak accident.

Look for sharp edges on mud guards, a length of hose pipe cut down its length makes a good protector for sharp edges, just push split hose over the edge and cut to fit. If you use a hair dryer you can get it to really fit neatly by heating it to shape it. Check rope cannot get caught in the spring of a trailer. Best height is to have ties just above the horses head.
This is a good height - my yearling learning that shows are really dull and boring
MatamataWaikatoWorld008.jpg


One local school used to bring out a truck and trailer load of horses and they had loops of baling twine on the headcollars so if anyone pulled back the rope would be left behind - so no fleeing horse with rope trying to trip it up. They tied up to the solid ring and clipped the rope onto the weak link.
Click to expand...

Out of interest what is that contraption on your yearling Evelyn? Is it tied to the lorry from that? Only asking as I have never seen anything like it :)
 
about as safe as anything else we do with our horses :rolleyes: Basically if done properly its fine, leather headcollar on, tied with stripped baler twine (full strength doesn't break easily) and never left unattended.
With ours we always do everything when tied outside unless it is peeing it down and they get tacked up on the box. However they always have someone with them at all times and are never ever left alone. Have seen too many accidents when horses left alone tied outside. Plus do get peeved if people ask us to keep an eye on their horse for 5mins and disappear for ages! Not really on IMO.
However on the flip side of the coin have seen numerous horses flip when left tied inside the box so not sure that is really any safer? thoughts?
 
I would feel happier tieing to a lorry than a trailer because there's less things that stick out that they can get caught on.

With my lad I can't tie up at shows because once he's out the trailer you need to get on asap because he's too jolly to stand around. We travel in saddle and I put bridle on before I get him out and then as soon as he's off I jump on and we get going. :p
 
I wouldn't tie to a trailer as it is more moveable than a lorry. I would prefer not to tie up to a lorry. Ours wait on the trailer until needed, bridle on in trailer then led off for saddle. After they have the saddle off outside and washed down, then back on the trailer. Much less oportunity for damaging themselves/others!!

I hate to see horses tied up outside and left unattended, just an accident waiting to happen. I know horses self harm like there is no tomorrow, but there is no need to make it so easy for them!
 
I thought thats why there are tie rings on trailer and horsebox:confused:

i leave diamond tied up even when i go get pictures my entry etc her son no depends on the horse really if you have one that is prone to pulling or stressing i would say no . if its raining i put her back on box I travel alone so she does get left tho most sponsored rides always have someone on the gate for emergency,

as for theft never known this to happen at a show
my lorry nothing she can get caught on the ties rings are up high horse head high
 
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It depends what event I am at, what the weather's like and various other things. I will tie up outside to tack up, do studs, boots etc and may tie up in the interim if we are say, sat by the wagon or in the wagon eating lunch/waiting for a class or generally if there is one of us at the wagon. I would not leave my horse tied up without anyone being there unless he was still in my view (ie at some SJing events you can be watching others compete and still see your horse if parked near the arena).

I have before left my pony tied to our wagon when i went off to sort out entries or something similar. God knows why I did it knowing how he can be spooked and overreact but i guess I was young and assumed he was like my previous pony who would never have moved a musle. I returned to my wagon and pony was not there. Cue mild panic setting in until i noticed he was across the other side of the box park tied to someone else's trailer! Lol. I sheepishly went and retrieved him!
 
I tie up to the outside of the lorry for saddling up - nothing else. Horse goes back in the lorry between classes. I just think there's too much risk for tying up outside, and all too often lorry parks are open to the road.
 
I tie up outside to do last minute cleanings and tack up. There are two of us so someone is always there beside the ponies. I also groom and tack up out of my stable tied to bailing twine on the yard, so it's something they're very used to.

Would never leave unattended tied up.
 
TelH said:
If I have to leave my ponies on their own like to go and do my entries or whatever they stay in the trailer, otherwise they are tied up to the trailer. I never leave them tied up and unattended though.
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Agree with this post, its not whether yours are ok and settled, a loose horse or incident can cause even the best horse to break away in a panic
 
diamond_light said:
I thought thats why there are tie rings on trailer and horsebox:confused:

i leave diamond tied up even when i go get pictures my entry etc her son no depends on the horse really if you have one that is prone to pulling or stressing i would say no . if its raining i put her back on box I travel alone so she does get left tho most sponsored rides always have someone on the gate for emergency,

as for theft never known this to happen at a show
my lorry nothing she can get caught on the ties rings are up high horse head high
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ahh ... your post is really REALLY hard to understand!!
 
To put a cat amongst the pigeons (or a pig amongst the horses) if you leave on trailer rather than tie up outside you need to be sure they have good ventilation especially if there are 2 or more sweaty horses in there !

I have an equitrek which can get hot so leave th ramp down but partition closed so cooler. Like most other people we tie up to outside of box but only when supervised ! although I did turn back once (was at car getting something out) to look round and see Dex whipping past me out of car park doing beautiful big expressive trot to join a group of very bright cyclist up the lane (was a lane not a road thank god) he had been spooked by them as they went past on other side of hedge to trailer.

I had to run after him - yelling for someone to grab him - they werent too keen as had got a run up to go up the hill - luckly a few yards up the road he stopped to eat grass !!!

Needless to say I now watch him even more like a hawk when tied up and make sure the twine will break but only with due amount of force (was old bit of twine on there which broke v easily).
 
Luci07 said:
ahh ... your post is really REALLY hard to understand!!
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dont know why
i leave tied when i go to get entries photos

diamonds son no i wouldn't leave unattended as he new to shows and gets exited

if heavy rain i put them in out rain.
if u have a stressy horse then no to tied up
my tie rings are high thus she cant get caught on anything

all the shows i go to and loads sponsored rides i always see horses left tied to box with haynet owners no where to be seen
 
If I have frank their on his own, he comes out and ties to the trailer, if let in his an impatient bugger and will start rearing (unless it's raining then he can be persuaded!). He is therefore much safer tied outside with a net. If I am on my own and have to go to enter etc I will ask someone nearby if they mind keeping half an eye on him and that I will be back asap.

If Cally is somewhere on her own she stays in the trailer, she can pull back if tied outside and is happy in the trailer.

If we have both of them, there are 2 of us there so they come out and one stays with them. Bloomin hard to tack up and boot up in the trailer when there's two of them!


Horses for courses, make a risk assesment based on your horse and the situation and do what you think is best :)
 
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