new horse won't tie up without breaking away

F

Frozen Hoof Boots

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 October 2010
Messages
293
Location
UK
Visit site
I've just bought a new horse who is absolutely my dream horse in every way except tying him up he is a total nightmare. If you're grooming him or around him he's fine but as soon as you walk away... I.e I need to grab something from the tack box in the stable or even walk away 10 meters to get something out the car (I'm still in his sight) he paws the ground, turns his head and yanks the rope and ping off he goes. It's making me a nervous wreck... I now have to run everywhere... and now I can't even go for a pee!

The first day he arrived I tied him up and he pulled back and back and the headcollar broke which frankly really frightened me. I thought ok my fault I shouldn't assume that he's been tied up before. So I bought some EquiPings and used my extra long lead rein to double tie him firstly to the EquiPing and then to a few strands of twine.
Well the old style EquiPings he just has to look one way and turn and it pings open. Repeat cycle several times...

So I buy mk2 version and the collet on the New EquiPing pings off 30ft away within 3mins of using it!!! Major design floor that one. Once he has broken the EquiPing he then yanks the twine :( we can repeat this several times per grooming session.

I don't want to teach him bad habits but when he does pull back he just struggles hence using the EquiPings and a few strands of twine.

I could give him a haynet but he needs to learn some manners and stand without before he gives me a heartattack.

Any suggestions on where to go from here please?
 
I might be a pushover but for now I'd give him a haynet. I agree that he should stand without but standing safely is the important thing.

Either that or don't tie up outside. I used to have one horse that you couldn't tie up outside so we did everything in the stable.

The more controversial solution would be to tie up to a much thicker piece of twine for a few days so he learns it doesn't snap. Make sure that someone else is watching him in case they need to step in in an emergency but it will probably break the habit. I did this with one mare and once she understood it wasn't going to snap she stopped trying and we never had a problem again.
 
wellsat said:
The more controversial solution would be to tie up to a much thicker piece of twine for a few days so he learns it doesn't snap. Make sure that someone else is watching him in case they need to step in in an emergency but it will probably break the habit. I did this with one mare and once she understood it wasn't going to snap she stopped trying and we never had a problem again.
Click to expand...

This is what I would do, the fact it is breaking the twine etc is teaching it if it pulls back it can escape. Use a quick release knot or a quick release pin so that you can intervene if necessary, but they need to learn that pulling back is not effective.
 
I'll get shot down for this. But all ours get tied to either double thickness baler twine, or something solid from the start. They never learn to break away nor pullafter, they soon learn themselves.
 
My mare did this for about a month - she seemed to enjoy snapping the twine. I just kept tying her back on and not reacting...she got bored eventually and has never done it again.

The strong baler might work but it depends if your horse will panic too much, obviously as people said do not leave him tied on a thick strand.

My mare apparently took the side of the stable of in a panic (before I got her) and therefore I never tried any thick twine!
 
I had this with my youngster, I did this to fix it;

Peel several lots of bailing twine into thinner strands so it will break when yanked on. Tie three loops of different sizes to your tie ring in the wall and then tie your horse to all 3 rings of bailing twine. At this point you should have the horse tied to a small loop of twine, a slightly larger loop of twine and then another even larger loop of twine. When the horse pulls back it'll break the first loop but still not be free and so on. Mine gave up after the 2nd and I kept going with it until she'd stopped pulling back so she knew she couldn't escape that easily.

Might be worth a try. :) x
 
Please be careful if you tie him up without the string or equi ping.

I bought a horse and a month later it was pts because she broke her shoulder when she pulled back and took the wall of the stable with her.

A harsh lesson learnt! :( I will never forgive myself for that one. :mad:
 
Why do you particularly want to tie the horse up?
I'd just do what needs to be done in the stable or make sure that you've got everything to hand if you really want to tie up outside. I certainly wouldn't advocate leaving a horse tied up unattended while you leave it to go to the loo - that's just asking for trouble imo.
 
You have a few options. Use a pen rather than tying up. Teach him to ground tie - consult a Western trainer about this one. Or you can teach him to yield to pressure on his head. You need to do this in hand at first and reward every time he gives to the pressure. Then wrap a long (22' is best) lead rope several times around a rail so it draggs when he pulls back. Then when he stops pulling he rewards himself by removing the pressure/drag. You can hold the far end of the 22' line if you like with the rail between you and the horse. I can pretty well guarantee that he will stop pulling before he reaches the end of a 22' line. If he is one of the very few who won't then try with a 45' line!! Good luck.
 
My old horse was the same and i prepare to be shot for this and I know not all are taught to do it but I just popped the rope over his neck, told him to stand and he did, pulling back issue solved lol!!! But i do agree with Pearlasinger I have to say, I never leave horses tied up unattended or if i do they're still within eyesight. Maybe he feels insecure when you leave him?
 
He's not unattended for more than a few seconds and there are other people in the yard at the time. So I do ask people to keep an eye on him if they're there. This happens when I'm walking into the stable to get a rug and literally walk back out or walk 10ft away still in eyesight to put water on my sponge etc.
I do try to remember to get everything I need before I do him. But like today I forgot his fly rug.

I dont like doing him in the box, he's a big horse, he likes to pull stuff out my buckets, tack box and have his snout in places it shouldn't be. Even in the stable he fidgets.

I don't to break him and see him panic.

Triple tying to a few twine strands and a haynet it is then...
 
Last edited:
I think I read a post on here once where someone tied theirs to the inner tube of a tractor (I think?) which was tied to the wall - so it would give if the horse panicked and would stretch back but would never break, so it absorbed any damage instead of the horse but wouldn't let the horse break free.
 
i have a friend that had the same issue with her horse. she got some bungee line thing, it would stretch but not that easily, it won't snap but it'll just keep stretching, just get harder to stretch the further away the horse got, the horse soon worked out that if he pulls back the line pulls him back and the pressure would only go away if he walked forwards. it worked for her but i don't know where she got the line from, sorry :(
 
GiddyUpGirl said:
I dont like doing him in the box, he's a big horse, he likes to pull stuff out my buckets, tack box and have his snout in places it shouldn't be. Even in the stable he fidgets.
Click to expand...

He really is into everything and fidgets. Mucking out with him in the stable is a nightmare and he grabs the fork. He thinks its funny.

Thankyou everyone for the suggestions. I need to get him to understand to relax to pressure as things he's not sure of he just backs off from, panics and causes the same effect as being tied up. Some in-hand training req me thinks.
thx to the person that gave the links re lunge line that was useful and the one re triple tie-up of different lengths.

He is a big baby as he's only 5 but i cant have him pulling away in the livery yard, in the stable or being unable to stand in a horsebox or for the farrier etc etc. He does need to learn that its ok to be tied up and not to worry or be bolshy as part of his education.
 
I would start by working with him in the stable with a long lead-rope threaded through a tie-ring, you holding the end of the rope. This way you will be aware immediately if he starts to pull back and can react, telling him to 'stand'. Please do not let him get into a trial of strength with a rope, he may well injure himself severely. I agree that he should have been taught to stand still long before you got him.
 
I've got an old bungie cord that I use for tying up those who do not wish to be tied. I hook either end to the tie up ring so that it is quick to remove in an emergency but i've never had to do this as it has worked everytime. Horse pulls back, bungie happily stretches a good few feet and horse realises that it's not going to break so they give up (and then usualy find something else anoying to do like pawing the ground!)

Tying up is a basic skill, I expect all my horses and those I work with to tie up and remain there for as long as neccessary.

You can get a bungie cord from halfords ect. very cheap. Don't touch those rubbish elasticated tie up cords, they are overpriced and break just as easily as baleling twine!
 
ChristmasSparkles said:
I'll get shot down for this. But all ours get tied to either double thickness baler twine, or something solid from the start. They never learn to break away nor pullafter, they soon learn themselves.
Click to expand...

I won't shoot you down as I have always done exactly the same. I've had umpteen youngsters and they are always tied to something that won't break and never, ever had any problems.
 
A seriel twine breaker! Pulling back can cause a lot of damage to the poll, which may need attention from a chiropractor.

Have a look at the pic below - I teach all mine to tie up using a bum rope. Buy the rope from a boating store as it will be soft and strong.

The knot at the withers is a bowline - this will not tighten so will come undone easily.

Place around his bum and then thread the other end through the throat and out of the ring the rope is clipped on, then tie with a quick release knot directly to the ring. Make sure that the ring is securly fixed or tie to a strong fence post.

When he pulls back he will then tighten the rope around his butt which will send him forward again.


MatamataWaikatoWorld008.jpg
 
How frustrating for you! Im lucky because inky was taught at an early age but i know that hasnt happened for you! I agree on that he should be able to be tied up and left whilst you at least put water on your sponge or go to the loo! Like you say there are always people around to keep an eye on him which is what i do. I dont agree with those who say just leave him in stable because this just makes life so much more difficult. I hate mucking out with inky or Ty in the stable as one quick movement from them whilst you have a fork in your hand can lead to disaster.
Why not try having a friend stay with him whilst you nip away? They pay no attention to him. Ie dont fuss him but just be there as comfort so to speak. Then each time the friend moves slightly further away till he gets used to it. Other than that id try the haynet and three loops of bailing twine idea and see how that goes. Good luck!
 
I rarely tie my boy up as he just undones the knots, doesn't matter what sort.

He usually stands still, though he would only go as far as the nearest piece of grass anyway.

I don't like leaving a horse tied up on it's own in any case, so doesn't bother me.

And yes, he does have me wrapped round his little finger.
 
My girl always does this, not out of panic but because she knows she can, sometimes she will stand tied for ages but soon as she is sick she yanks her head up snaps her headcollar or baling twine which ever goes first and she is away. Ive just accepted thats her way as she is pretty faultless in every other way :)
 
i have one who will still occasionally pull back, panic, break whatever he is tied to and then stand shaking in the corner as he has scared himself witless:rolleyes: i've done the pressure training with him and he's fine, put a lunge line through the ring and every time he moved back put the pressure on and reeled him back in, he never panics at that! But actually tie him up and just when you think you've cracked it and he's behaved for months he'll pull, panic and we're back at square 1:rolleyes:
my remedy is simple, i've stopped tying him up!! I make sure i have everything i need to hand so that i don't have to walk more than 5 yards from him, i loop his rope through the ring and just work as normal and he's happy and so am i. last time i rode him i'd left my boots in the car so took him with me to get them lol, he stood like an angel while i faffed about getting boots on and off but i know if i'd have tried to leave him tied up it would have ended in disaster;)
 
One of ours would put his head up and pull so we tied him with a lead rope tied to another lead rope. He couldn't understand when he put his head up and pull why nothing happened. After a while he ever bothered pulling back. So make the rope longer. No tension to pull back on
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top