String - is it really safe?

[Capriole]

I never use full strength string even when Im dealing with other peoples ponies at their yards and they have full thickness string everywhere, I split it before tying up. I remember using full strength string years ago and my pony pulled back and the stable wall broke and the string didnt , I learnt a lesson then.

the others that look kind of like a bangle had no resistance whatsoever, typically I found this out the day the yard gate was open for the farrier.

Do you mean the equi-ping?

I had one of those when they first came out and it was rubbish, like you say, no resistance whatsoever. The company have altered the design and I trialled one of the new ones (theres a thread on here somewhere) and Ive had no problems with the markII (nothing has pulled back though, so havent experienced the 'ping', the horses all tie so well which is why I thought the first model was pants)

 

[MochaDun]

I use an Equitie outside my stable and even though he tests its stretching capabilities he's yet to actually break one! If I have to tie up elsewhere on the yard where it is twine I will split the cord as others have said so my lead rope is tied through a few strands so if something happens it will break. I've seen enough horses on our yard going down on the concrete or having a horrible scrabble, serious yank to their heads/necks and odd cut etc when the twine doesn't break after they've spooked or tried to break away. I saw someone once tie a horse in a bridle with the lead rope clip through the bit ring and the other end of the rope through the metal ring outside the stable and they wandered off for a while. Made me feel physically sick with worry about what could happen.

 

[forestfantasy]

A farmer once told me you could tow a car with the new nylon twine - it's that strong
I just use a few strands now and that always snaps thankfully

 

[mturnbull]

It made me cringe so much when someone abobe mentioned clipping the bit to a leadrope but maybe thats cos i have a loony!
I bought one of the ties thats elasticated and you put it through hard plastic, they are handy for me as i take it with me wherever i want to tie foalie and touch wood we have never had to test to see how easily/uneasily it breaksa because shes such a good girlie!

 

[caramel]

I use one of the plastic ties, purely as mine's got caught up in baler twine before and it never broke! I know these break.

 

[Cedars]

Equi-tie = useless
Equi-ping = useless
Baler twine = dangerous.

I thread through one ping and one tie now, only way of actually holding them.

 

[Mike007]

conventional baler twine is rated for 250kg and as we use a loop,that is 500kgHALF A TONNE! Big bale twine and you would be looking at 1.5 tonnes!The pressure on the poll of pulling back is enough to cause serious damage to the poll.Never use more than a few strands or cut a weak link into the string.

 

[stencilface]

I tie mine up to the string, although its very old, and will snap if needed (I know this because it has done and I've lazily re-knotted the same piece )

I also tie up to equi-pings, which on a horse that is pretty good are fine to tie up with. My sisters horse needs to be tied to strong string/metal ring as he deliberately, if bored, tries to get his front leg over the rope/string so we have to come back and give him some attention

My friend tied her horse to a horizontal fixed paving slab on top of a wall with a ring and string on, horse pulled back, yanked off paving slab which then slammed into poor horses legs - she didn't tie up there again!

 

[milesjess]

Some bad experiences. Very educational though as I never realised how dangerous twine actually is!

I'll never ever use it again. I think just threading through sounds safe - my boys never left alone but you never know what could happen.

 

[Pachamama]

More of my headcollars have been broken than bailer twine. I don't use it any more to tie up, but I always use a quick-release knot in case anything should go wrong.

 

[emma.is]

I use half thickness baler twine attached to his headcoller, clip the leadrope to that and then tie the rope directly to the tie ring. (When leading I don't use the twine...)

I figure that it's much safer to not have the lead rope around his legs when he's galloping from whatever spooked him:/

 

[MagicMelon]

I tie the end of string by putting a knot using both bits at the same time (I have no idea what type of knot this is!) but it seems to undo quite easily when the horse pulls so the string doesnt even have to break. Ive tried some of those ties but they're useless, they give way way too quickly and the cheeky horses learn very quickly just how easily.

 

[Maesfen]

Totally agree with Auslander and I tie straight to the ring.

If horses were taught to tie up properly in the first place you'd never hear of so many pulling back, escaping and causing damage to themselves or property. Teach them some manners properly then they wouldn't do it.

 

[Capriole]

accidents happen to the most mannerly of horses.

 

[Maesfen]

I agree but if you've taught it to tie up properly then as soon as it feels the restriction it should remember those manners and stand still.

 

[Capriole]

I still say in some circumstances, whether those manners are there to be remembered or not, accidents can happen and I personally would prefer an emergency break point between horse and object.

 

[Potato!]

My cob routinely snaps baler twine... But then she is an equine bulldozer.

My horse will lean on the string until it breaks usually seconds. Ive been spending alot of time teaching him manners but he is a bit of a thug and knows when he can break it and will do regardless, when he cant break it i.e me holding the rope through the metal ring he will lean right back putting all of his weight on it and wait till it breaks (however to dont allow him to do that).

Sorry to hijack the thread but how would you teach a horse to stand quietly and not push his luck as ive tried most things and dont seem to have a response.

 

[PapaFrita]

I don't use baler twine. At the moment I've got either branches or a cowboy-style rail to tie to so I loop the lead rein round a few times and leave it at that.

 

[Turitea]

I used panic (snap) hooks and had a pocket knife (to cut the rope if everything else failed) in my jacket (in the summer I kept it with my grooming kit). Though I am aware panic (snap) hooks are not very popular in the UK.

 

[MochaDun]

I still say in some circumstances, whether those manners are there to be remembered or not, accidents can happen and I personally would prefer an emergency break point between horse and object.

Me too, we had one example where a horse being shod jumped back as lost her footing and put a back foot in the stacking tray of bits that farriers use - she panicked and started thrashing it about with nails, farriers tools, etc flying everywhere until her foot came free...I was leading my horse past at the time and he broke away from me and bolted off in fright with the horrendous noise, metal flying everywhere as did the other horse when she finally got her foot free so reallly unexpected things can happen on yards - perfect manners are to be applauded but horses are horses.

 

[LaurenBay]

I agree but if you've taught it to tie up properly then as soon as it feels the restriction it should remember those manners and stand still.

I agree and dissagree with this statement.

I agree, if you mean a Horse which is just bored and wanting to cause some havoc. Or wanting attention etc.

However accidents do happen and if a Horse were to spook, I would not blame them. Even the best mannered of Horses will spook.

 

[jinglejoys]

So...you tie a horse up to prevent it escaping then tie it to twine so it can escape?

 

[Capriole]

So...you tie a horse up to prevent it escaping then tie it to twine so it can escape?

Yes. Which bit dont you get?

 

[LaurenBay]

So...you tie a horse up to prevent it escaping then tie it to twine so it can escape?

Yes. Although Horses shouldn't really be pulling back just for the sake of it.

In the 11 months I have owned my Horse, she has pulled away and broken the string twice. Neither which I blame her for.

The first instance, another Horse which was tied up, spooked and broke away, he came galloping up behind her and she pulled away pretty violently and the string snapped.

The second time, it was a very windy day and a plastic bag flew in her face, she shot backwards, the string snapped. Then she just stood there staring at me.

However, she has never pulled away for no reason. I would be pretty peeved with her if she started this.

 

[kinnygirl1]

A farmer once told me you could tow a car with the new nylon twine - it's that strong
I just use a few strands now and that always snaps thankfully

I was also told by a farmer that a tractor could tow its trailer with modern baler twine! He said that the type of twine you could tie to was more like parcel string so it would break easy. I try to avoid tying up if at all poss after seeing a pony end up under the wagon it was tied to at a show when I was a kid but if I have to tie for any reason just use a few strands of the twine.

 

[Ibblebibble]

i never tie to string, always straight to the metal ring with a quick release knot , thick nylon rope so that it can be undone easily even under strain, cotton ones tighten and can be a pain to undo. i have one who won't tie up safely, he can go for months with no pulling back and then all of a sudden will do so violently and scare himself witless completely out of the blue with him i just loop the rope through a couple of times so it will unravel if he pulls back far enough, or put the rope though the ring and hold the loose end.

 

[mightymammoth]

I've seen a car pulled off the drive at our yard in the snow using bale twine, I always thin mine down to a couple of strands before using it to tie up

 

[JavaJaneW]

I still say in some circumstances, whether those manners are there to be remembered or not, accidents can happen and I personally would prefer an emergency break point between horse and object.

agree, something can spook a horse and manners are forgotten.
Will never tie up with twine again, my horse Herbie freaked out at something, reared and pulled back, didn't have a chance to grab him or the quick release rope. Twine didn't break, the bit of stable did (to which was attached a ring and twine).
Galloping horse, scared, bit of wood behind him. He tripped and broke his neck and all we could do was watch
Never tie my others up, usually one holds or they are in a stable to groom etc.

 

[Gusbear]

I had this exact same problem yesterday. Tied up very quiet boy whilst mucking out. Something spooked him (first time he has ever pulled back). Baler twine didn't break, but he managed to pull out three large concrete bricks from stablr the wall. Horse ok, owner shaken, wall a complete mess!
Have learnt my lesson and will look at alternate methods from now on.

 

[Tnavas]

For those of you with a seriel puller back try this - a bum rope - knots are a bowline that comes undone easily.

And some pics from a standerdbred stud where I worked - teaching the foals to tie up