Re-training to tie up after an 'accident'??

itsonlyme

itsonlyme

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Basically, ponio spooked, pulled back, twine didn't snap, took whole plank of stable out & bolted with it all (including a huge himalayan salt lick). Wood shattering around field as she was galloping full-pelt. I was crying, thinking she was going to break a leg (or 4!) & all of the other horses were doing their nut too, as this demented ginger pony with half the tackroom attached to her was running at them!
Anyway, it took nearly 10 minutes, but i got her. She was dripping in sweat, shaking & breathing faster than a fast thing.
She's not been the same since (difficult to catch, won't go near the tackroom, scared of leadropes, etc). All understandable. I haven't tried tying her up yet. What should i do? Feed her? Just short sessions? Im terrified she'll pull back again & freak out. She has a bit of history (bought battered from auction), so she's a bit sensitive. I feel like she's taken a huge step back.
Also, what's an alternative to baler twine? Do those equi-tie things work? Or i heard someone recommend cable ties attached to the headcollar, then clip the leadrope to the tie??
Sorry, Im babbling!! Any tips? :)
Ps, she got away with only superficial cuts & ropeburn to all 4 legs. Very lucky escape considering the dementedness of it all!
 
I've got Equi tie, Equi ping and Velcro safety tie thing all of which are safer than bale twine if your horse pulls back. I have a mare who is very headshy and pulls back but then doesn't run off anymore. Any of the safety tie options are good whilst your horse gets used to it again. I'd start by just looping the rope through and not tying up until she will stand still where you want.
Good luck.
 
My mare did a simmilar thing except she did a flip, snapped her headcollar and lead rope and put a hole in her poll around 1.5' wide and 2' deep somehow and ended up with burns from her shoes sparking so I know how scary it is!
all I did to get her used to it again was lay the leadrope over the ring, if she steps back calm them and try again and praise if they stand.
when they are comfortable with this put the leadrope through the ring but dont tie it so if they shoot back it will just fall out, if they panick re present it and praise when they stand calmly.
then a loose quick release (not on the ring) and stand close by incase of a freak out. Also try a leather headcollar (unless you already have one) as it is more likely to break.... I would rather a cheap leather headcollar snapped than my horses neck!!
anyway I hope your mare recovers and that you get her chilled out again...... And you should have a stiff drink for the shock ;)
 
My mare did a very similar thing, she was very nervous and had been a untouched broodmare for years so still very sensitive! Had her tied up and she suddenly panicked, pulled back and took down the entire wall and galloped off with it :o she only got halfway across the yard before she managed to buck and knock it off (she broke her headcollar not the twine :mad:) and ive not been able to tie her up since!
 
I certainly know how you feel, just a month ago I put a 12.2hh on the fence, tied to a very frayed bit of bailing twine that had been on the post and rail for 2 winters at least.

Pony pulled back, no idea why, and the 12' rail came away complete with 2 x 6" nails on each end and in the middle, it had quite literally come away from 3 posts. The fence is not a flimsy post and rail and not old. My husband reckoned the lack of rain might have caused the wood to dry out a little and by doing so had allowed the nails to be loose in the posts.

Anyway, 4 yr old partially broken section A sets off with 12' rail tied to his head, small paddock thank god. That rail brought him down 3 times the final time he was so trapped he could not get up and I got to him with a knife, which I always have in my pocket, and with my husband kneeling on the pony's backend and me on his neck I cut the headcollar off.

The pony did not have a mark on him although was very stiff for a few days after. I have gradually worked on him, he will tie in his box and on the wall outside but he is nervous and I do wonder if the incident has left a lifelong issue for him.

I have been in horses all my life and should have known better, it was pure laziness in my part the accident happened in the first place. I should have taken him into the yard instead of tying him on the fence. An in season mare was being lead through the pony's paddock and the pony was recently gelded, so left loose he would have run up to her.

There will be a lot of stories like the ones on here already and we all need to learn from them, baler twine, nylon headcollars with no break point and lack of thought on our behalf results in accidents.

A friend witnessed an accident in a lorry park years ago that still wakes her at night. A horse pulled back off the side of a lorry, the metal sheeting came away, the horse panicked and the injuries cost him his life.

OP I hope you can re-train your horse, good luck and lots of patience, for the rest of us we can only learn by our mistakes !
 
My mare used to pull back when she was scared, doesnt any more, so i halves the twine. Split it down the middle so it isn't as thick helps it to break easier.

X
 
I'd suggest a blocker tie ring and do as Dolce said.

Make sure you are in a safe enclosed space just in case she does pull away and wants to flee - i dont mean a stable btw i mean a small coral, ud probably get squished in a stable.

http://www.blockertiering.co.uk/
 
As others have said, work slowly & start by threading the rope through ring ties or putting it over a door etc. It's actually quite a handy skill to teach them, saves having to tie them up when you're hurrying. Just look at it as teaching to stand rather than tie up. I personally split baling twine as it doesn't snap as easily as the old stuff used to.
 
Lunge line and hold the end. Start with very short periods only, give treats, move her away, bring back - long job I'm afraid and not your fault. Someone on here lost a pony which did this. In spite of the problem you face, you still have her, Try to think of that while you despair x
 
Thank u everybody. It was so scary. She bolted into 5 acres, so i got a lot of exercise that day. I only ever put leather headcollars on her due to her history. Mega cheap ones on ebay, thinking they'd break easier, but it didn't. Will definitely try all of the recommendations. And thank u for the link to the block tie ring :)
I am grateful brighteyes - it could have been so much worse.
 
My friends horse pulled a wooden overhang onto himself 10ish years ago and has never been able to be tied since, he won’t even walk under anything so has an adapted doorway. No practical advice but I’m sure you will go steadily and sympathetically. If you don’t get there it’s not the end of the world there are worse things than not being able to tie up.
 
My previous horse was tied up to bailing twine with his lead rope in a webbing headcollar (would never use one again - think they are extremely dangerous particuarly for young horses). A pony was walking loose behind him and his owner shouted at him. Billy thought she was shouted at him, and being the sensitive soul he was pulled back in panic. The twine didn't give - eventually the rope broke sending him somersaulting over backwards. He landed on his withers and slid down the slope eventually ending up shoving his head through a panelled fence. He stood up and was clearly concussed - head down, legs splayed swaying slightly. I hadn't seen the accident as I was across the yard filling up his water buckets but someone shouted me and told me what had happened. We put him in his stable, shut the top door, switched off the lights so he was calmer in the dark and called the emergency vet. She came out and assessed him and said he would be okay. He was very lucky. I bought a leather headcollar after that.

I moved to another yard with another horse some months later and the YO insisted the horses were turned out with headcollars on. This horse got his leg stuck in his headcollar twice. It broke on both occasions as leather does thank God. Dad repaired it both times. I would never use a webbing headcollar. They do not break. And twine can be incredibly strong too, maybe best to split the twine and use half of it so its weaker. Can't do that with my present horse as he'd break it in seconds but at least he always has the leather head collar on so it would give as it did with the previous horse.
 
I use one of these - http://horsehalt.co.uk/shop/index.php/iv-horse-trailer-tie.html - or -http://www.millbryhill.co.uk/equestrian-530/horse-stable-yard-586/horse-stable-equipment-603/stretch-stable-trailer-48551.htm - i have the quick release end attached directly to the tie ring on the wall and they clip the horse to the other end when i lead them in. That was i dont have to faff with tying the lead rope up either.

If spooked the connector attached to tie ring releases but you would still have it attached to the headcollar if you need to catch the horse. They arent very long so wouldnt get wrapped around legs etc if loose.

I feel they are better than the quick break type things as with those you still have a full lead rope trailing after your horse.

Best of luck with your girl, what a scary experience for her but i am sure she will come right :)
 
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