Tethering horses...

[Tinkerbee]

Just wondering what other peoples opinions were on horses being tethered.

Passed a tethered horse today, and I'm not overly fluffy about these things, but I don't like it.

Now admittedly it was attached to a well fitting head collar (is that worse/better than neck strap?

) had a rug on with water nearby and looked well generally. And the field didn't have a fence, just a ditch and then the main road... so I suppose tethering is better than it being loose...

But what if they get loose? Straight onto the road surely? And it can't be much fun going round in a circle all day, and surely some risk of entanglement?

Thoughts? or am I being daft?

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Hmmm. I have mixed views.

I did consider tethering my mare at one stage as she kept jumping out on to neighbouring farmland. The field was around 20 acres and it was a nightmare catching her

We tried electric fencing and various other things in an attempt to stop her and all of them failed. The only thing I refused to try was barbed wire and pig wire.

I didn't tether her in the end as thankfully, she stopped it as dramatically as she started but had she carried on, I would have tethered her.

I don't see a problem with tethering with a headcollar so long as it is a good quality leather one and not a cheapy nylon one.

 

[Bowen4Horses]

i wonder about this everytime i see one at the side of the road. how do they not get their legs entangled?

 

[Nudibranch]

We had to tether the fatty ponies for a while when the water pipes were being replaced so all the boundary fences were ripped out leading onto the road. But they were in sight of the house all the time. I'd never leave one tethered out of sight, I don't know how people can just leave them by the side of the road. I've even seen a mare tethered with her foal (untethered) at foot!

 

[somethingorother]

I hate it. There are some tethered near the OH, on scrub land right next to a very busy, very fast main road. They were all chaffed and rubbed from the heavy leather neck straps. I do doubt they would get free from really heavy duty chains and straps like that but i still think it's irresponsible. For one, they clearly don't own the land, although maybe the owners/council are glad the scrub is being eaten down. They have no shelter and rarely have water, and anyone could do anything to them (in a town, not a rural place) and they couldn't escape.

I rang WHW but they have still been there so i guess there was nothing they could do

Just rent a field somewhere, it's not that dear. If you can't afford that then don't have a horse.

I can see how if you had a field and the horse kept jumping out then it may be an option. But not instead of a field.

 

[lastchancer]

I'v tethered a couple - fattie shetlands that can hardly eat anything and escape from every field they go in, and a 15hh gelding that had only just been cut at the age of 11years, he would savage geldings and damaged himself trying to serve a mare. In both cases its better than been stuck in a dark dusty stable all the time. They do however need introducing to it VERY carefully. Best with a neck collar and chain fitted with swivel clips - NEVER rope. And of course they need water leaving close by or offered 3/4 times per day. Its amazing how well they take to it though, they learn how to use the chain to scratch thier backs, learn how to carefully shake their legs loose if the chain does get tangled. I would only tether within a fenced field mind, bit dangerous by the roadside.

 

[lastchancer]

[ QUOTE ]
I hate it. There are some tethered near the OH, on scrub land right next to a very busy, very fast main road. They were all chaffed and rubbed from the heavy leather neck straps. I do doubt they would get free from really heavy duty chains and straps like that but i still think it's irresponsible. For one, they clearly don't own the land, although maybe the owners/council are glad the scrub is being eaten down. They have no shelter and rarely have water, and anyone could do anything to them (in a town, not a rural place) and they couldn't escape.

I rang WHW but they have still been there so i guess there was nothing they could do

Just rent a field somewhere, it's not that dear. If you can't afford that then don't have a horse.

I can see how if you had a field and the horse kept jumping out then it may be an option. But not instead of a field.

[/ QUOTE ]

If they weren't given water they'd die, so someone must be watering them when your not looking

Agree that its pretty dumb near a fast road though.

 

[montmol]

Someone I know does it with her ponies, as she has a big garden, which the stables are kind of in, and there is an area where she tethers them. They always seem happy, and they are only there for an hour or so at a time. I think if I tried it with mine though, they would go ape!!! The thing I always think about (especially down here with the RAF base so nearby), what if a low flying aircraft or there was thunder or something? When there loose they can run around, and they feel safer. When they are tethered there is nowhere to go, so Id be so worried about the awful mess they could get into.

 

[wysiwyg]

Tethering, if done correctly, is really no different than Stalling IMO.

Horses will adapt to any given situation when its implemented in a satisfactory way.

 

[E_Lister]

In a hamlet close to us there is about 3 acres of common gound where there are about 5 horses teathered by the residents.
I think it is fine as all of them are carefully looked after and checked on at least twice daily.
The nearest busy road from them is about 5 miles and the road they are next to probably gets 4 cars a day down it.
They all seem happy enough and I have watched them detangle themselves several times.
I think it would take some getting used to, but they don't seem to me as though they are compromised as much as we may first imagine.

 

[Tinkerbee]

[ QUOTE ]
Tethering, if done correctly, is really no different than Stalling IMO.

Horses will adapt to any given situation when its implemented in a satisfactory way.

[/ QUOTE ]

We had stalls and didn't have a problem with them, but they were inside a barn away from numpties/dogs etc. I know a tethered horse could still kick and what not, but the flight element is removed.

 

[somethingorother]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I hate it. There are some tethered near the OH, on scrub land right next to a very busy, very fast main road. They were all chaffed and rubbed from the heavy leather neck straps. I do doubt they would get free from really heavy duty chains and straps like that but i still think it's irresponsible. For one, they clearly don't own the land, although maybe the owners/council are glad the scrub is being eaten down. They have no shelter and rarely have water, and anyone could do anything to them (in a town, not a rural place) and they couldn't escape.

I rang WHW but they have still been there so i guess there was nothing they could do

Just rent a field somewhere, it's not that dear. If you can't afford that then don't have a horse.

I can see how if you had a field and the horse kept jumping out then it may be an option. But not instead of a field.

[/ QUOTE ]

If they weren't given water they'd die, so someone must be watering them when your not looking

Agree that its pretty dumb near a fast road though.

[/ QUOTE ]

I said rarely. I know, i checked. Obviously there is nothing between death from lack of water and an adequate amount? Like enough to be a bit dehydrated but not die? Is that ok?

 

[Chico Mio]

Way of life here. Very feudal system of small plots of land next to each other so fencing is not an option or no tractors would get round. Horses are tethered by the neck or foot and moved around every couple of days. Neighbour's pony is watered in the morning and then again when he is brought in at night. We have a 2000m paddock with electric fencing, but there is no grazing and we feed hay. No one around here is going to waste hay when they can tether their pony anywhere on common ground to graze.

 

[lastchancer]

Tethered by the foot? never seen that done. Do they have more or less problems?

 

[LindyLulu]

I have lived in my little bungalow since march 2009 and from the day we came to view the property we have driven past 2 horses tethered by neck straps in the same field. they have not left the field since i first saw them. they are often moved to different part of the field but they have no shelter, no rugs on but the owner does put hay and new water out every day (i've seen him)
It seems such a waste cos one is a lovely looking 14.2 (ish) coloured cob and the other is a stunning looking 16hh(ish) bay. not sure on it's breeding but it's a stunning looking beast.
When the field next to it was being ploughed the poor horses were so scared and were going crazy on their tethers cos of the noise from the tractor.
i don't know what the point of having a horse is if your going to keep it like that.

 

[Aoibhin]

for many people tethering is the only way to safely contain their horse/pony, we take horses/ponys to specialist displays that are often in very odd places (flamingo park!!) & you are expcted to provide your own fencing, thats fine untill you have a git that doesnt respect electric/panel rails (at home he has 7ft, 6 rail fencing) he used to be hobbled but learned to canter off in them so rather than pin him down by teathering from the hobbles we opted for collar & headcollar (a well fitted teather should be from headcollar with the weight taken up on the collar & have a 360 swivel on the ancor point at minimum) they are never far from us in our case but sadly needs must.

 

[stencilface]

I would rather see a well looked after tethered horse than an immaculately kept horse who never leaves its stable.

Some tethered horses are left close by each other so they can groom etc.

 

[MontyandZoom]

I have to agree with the above. It is certainly not how I would chose to keep my horse but there are worse things.

There are some tethered on some land that we ride on, they are not rugged but have water buckets and are moved regularly. They are not close enough to touch but talk to each other and don't seem lonely.

It does make me nervous though since the foals are not tethered and when they get bigger they tend to wander quite far which is scary since we are right next to the M4!