what do you use to tie your horse up when travelliing?

sally87

sally87

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hi

what do you use to tie your horse to when they are travelling? I always thought you should tie to string (baler band) as it would snap in an emergency. (im sure at pony club many years ago they taught us hay net to ring, horse to string) however i just read the story of the motorway crash pony:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/pony-trailer-involved-motorway-crash/

and it says it was a good job the pony was tied to a quick release mechanism and not baler band as it could have hung itself.

so what do you/ should you use?

thanks!

Sally
 
Baler twine doesn't seem to break as easily as it used to anymore. I always without fail tie my mare to it though in the yard, as she is big enough and strong enough to snap it easily (either that or she just pulls whatever it is she is tied to out of the wall, as I have found out numerous times). I would be wary of a smaller pony being tied to it nowadays though, and would use one of the tying up bands you can buy instead. For the trailer she has a bungee tie and a quick release rope, though I have to admit haven't used that yet.
 
Baler twine should always be frayed - that was what I was taught. I take a piece and thin it to a quarter of the thickness.
 
There is no right answer IME. I have one who has in the past pulled back and gone down in the trailer or lorry. He travels fine if not tied at all, so that is what we do.

Another (muppet) tries to go under the breastbar, and has once jumped it. He is tied with two ropes to a high ring and to the breast bar, so that he can't get himself in trouble again. It wasn't funny trying to get him off the breast bar!

My default position with other horses is to tie to a thin piece of twine.
 
thanks. sorry a stupid question here... the bungie tie, seems to have one end as a normal clip and the other end a "panic clip", does the panic clip attach to the horse or the vehicle?
 
I, like Fides, use baler twine but only loop the lead rope through 1/4 - 1/3rd of the thickness frayed out a bit as full thickness is stupidly hard to break even with a strong horse sometimes. Haynet also on to baler twine.
 
The RDA carriage ponies are tied to either frayed baling twine (once one failed and actually broke when the pony just pulled it slightly) he looked funny walking out of his stable with his leadrope over his head. Luckily we keep the gates closed. He has a plastic tie now that's designed to snap under certain conditions for when he's tied up outside.
 
I leave a lead rope with a panic clip on baling twine left in the trailer so that when I load the horse I can clip the horse straight on without faffing about tying qr knots. Then I unclip the normal lead rope and leave in trailer. Reverse procedure to unload... Found this system much quicker, safer and also easier for 10 yr old daughter to use
 
Fides said:
Baler twine should always be frayed - that was what I was taught. I take a piece and thin it to a quarter of the thickness.
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Fides

please can you empty your PMs so I can send you one or please read the post for you.

My husband can collect the headcollar on Friday from you or please read the post i have been bumping.

Apologies for hijacking your post !
 
sally87 said:
thanks. sorry a stupid question here... the bungie tie, seems to have one end as a normal clip and the other end a "panic clip", does the panic clip attach to the horse or the vehicle?
Click to expand...

Ordinary clip to head collar, panic clip to tie ring. Then in an emergency you release the panic clip and you have a short length to lead by. Saves having to fiddle around trying to attach a rope to the head collar in an emergency
 
Tnavas said:
Ordinary clip to head collar, panic clip to tie ring. Then in an emergency you release the panic clip and you have a short length to lead by. Saves having to fiddle around trying to attach a rope to the head collar in an emergency
Click to expand...

Noooooo, not with a bungee.

If the horse goes down, and needs releasing in the box, the bungee will be under a huge Streeeeeeeetch, and when you release the panic clip on the trailer wall the elastic will propel said panic clip into horse's head, possibly taking his eye out.

I use a short rack tie up for in the box, but NOT Bungee. If the horse goes back on a bungee, even if you have the panic clip on the right end, if the ring in the wall were to fail under the strain the lot will be shot at your horse's head.

Similarly it is dangerous to tie a bungee to a piece of string or other quick to snap device which is on the wall. It will likely hold until the bungee is under strain, then give way propelling bungee and clip into horse's head. If a breakaway or string is used it should be with the breakaway to the horse, so when it gives the bungee and clip is wanged hopefully into the trailer wall (supposing the handler is nowhere in range).

Bungee ropes sound like a good idea, and are FAB if the horse is just a bit "testey" but if a REAL emergency happens the presence of fully stretched Bungee will make a bad situation much much worse. Like a loaded gun.
 
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Red-1 said:
Noooooo, not with a bungee.

If the horse goes down, and needs releasing in the box, the bungee will be under a huge Streeeeeeeetch, and when you release the panic clip on the trailer wall the elastic will propel said panic clip into horse's head, possibly taking his eye out.

I use a short rack tie up for in the box, but NOT Bungee. If the horse goes back on a bungee, even if you have the panic clip on the right end, if the ring in the wall were to fail under the strain the lot will be shot at your horse's head.

Similarly it is dangerous to tie a bungee to a piece of string or other quick to snap device which is on the wall. It will likely hold until the bungee is under strain, then give way propelling bungee and clip into horse's head. If a breakaway or string is used it should be with the breakaway to the horse, so when it gives the bungee and clip is wanged hopefully into the trailer wall (supposing the handler is nowhere in range).

Bungee ropes sound like a good idea, and are FAB if the horse is just a bit "testey" but if a REAL emergency happens the presence of fully stretched Bungee will make a bad situation much much worse. Like a loaded gun.
Click to expand...

No problem, when you release the panic clip you are holding said bungee - never had a problem with it like this despite one doing acrobatics over the breast bar
 
We use short leadropes that if you pull them the clip releases. The other is is clipped to the ring. We have the proper leadropes clipped up at the end of the lorry so we can get them easily.

The leads are actually heavy duty dog leads, the quick release end looks like this:
Quick%20release%20clip.jpg
 
Mine are permanently in the trailer with the ordinary clip to the head collar and the panic clip to the trailer for the reasons TNVAS says it is also easier to get to the trailer ring if the horse is struggling so it is easier to undo it with the panic clip there but the ties are not bungee but quite stout webbing
 
windand rain said:
Mine are permanently in the trailer with the ordinary clip to the head collar and the panic clip to the trailer for the reasons TNVAS says it is also easier to get to the trailer ring if the horse is struggling so it is easier to undo it with the panic clip there but the ties are not bungee but quite stout webbing
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Totally agree windand rain - also far safer than trying to get under the chin of a struggling horse to unclip the rope.
 
windand rain said:
Mine are permanently in the trailer with the ordinary clip to the head collar and the panic clip to the trailer for the reasons TNVAS says it is also easier to get to the trailer ring if the horse is struggling so it is easier to undo it with the panic clip there but the ties are not bungee but quite stout webbing
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This is what I do too.

I have seen a nasty near miss with bungee, and replaced them with the same but webbing.

It is better to have safety designed in, and in the heat of the moment it would be all to easy to lose the grip on a stretched bungee, with disastrous consequences. Also if it releases when you are not there due to ring failure it will shot into the horse's head. IMO it is just one added risk that I can remove, and replace with stout webbing for very little difference in performance or cost.
 
Thanks OP, I read this too and had similar thoughts. The old binder twine was made of sisal (?) put now is made of plastic and is harder to break, although not impossible. Good hints about which clips and leads to use and something to add to my shopping list next time I go out. I like the idea of the dog leads, and thanks for the warnings about the bungee leads. Washn't there a case years ago when a horse pulled and pulled back and then was seriously injured when he gave up pulling and the bungee threw the horse into the wall at great speed?
 
Orangehorse said:
Thanks OP, I read this too and had similar thoughts. The old binder twine was made of sisal (?) put now is made of plastic and is harder to break, although not impossible. Good hints about which clips and leads to use and something to add to my shopping list next time I go out. I like the idea of the dog leads, and thanks for the warnings about the bungee leads. Washn't there a case years ago when a horse pulled and pulled back and then was seriously injured when he gave up pulling and the bungee threw the horse into the wall at great speed?
Click to expand...

Heck, the bungee I have would have to be super super miraculously strong to move my girl - she's nearly 700kg!
 
would the webbed leads not prevent the risk of the horse hanging itself if it went down though? it would not release itself would it? think i will avoid the bungees though as im bound to end up getting smacked in the face, its the sort of thing that would happen to me!
 
Mine have a tough key ring affair in the middle that would come loose with a heavy fall so if they fell over the ring would break but is they simply pull back it doesn't after all there isn't much room to pull back in most transport and most horses don't as a rule drop suddenly to their knees unless they overbalance or fall
 
Fides said:
Baler twine should always be frayed - that was what I was taught. I take a piece and thin it to a quarter of the thickness.
Click to expand...

I split twine in half so it will snap if pulled on with not too much force. I read somewhere that modern baler twine is not made to break that easily anymore, so best to half it at least?
 
Tnavas said:
Ordinary clip to head collar, panic clip to tie ring. Then in an emergency you release the panic clip and you have a short length to lead by. Saves having to fiddle around trying to attach a rope to the head collar in an emergency
Click to expand...


This also depends on you being able to get close enough to the horse/the tie ring- panicked horses in lorries and trailers are very dangerous. Even just naughty ponies are dangerous to get into the partition with. Having been in the back of the lorry with panicked horses it's not something I wish to ever have to do again and I certainly wouldn't have risked myself getting close enough to unclip even at the tie ring (we do travel 6 though, so getting to the problem horse is harder than a trailer of 2)
I use bailer twine to a cheap (thin) leather headcollar. Pony managed to flip himself and this set up released. It also releases when he's being silly when he's loaded before the ramp shuts ;)
 
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Something that no one has mentioned - I always travel in leather headcollar, much safer than nylon, provides a breaking point. I tie to bailer twine, although all my horses are more than capable of breaking buckles, ropes and clips they don't really need another breaking point! Haynet tied to string also, as more than one horse has had it's foot stuck in a haynet before now.
 
Having travelled many horses & ponies over short & long distance for a number of yrs, I always have a good short sharp knife in the kit.
One in the spares kit in the front (cork sheath) and one gaffa taped inside rear door of current box.

Having had to cut someone elses horse out on the autobahn a number of yrs ago when their box went over in front of mine, I always keep one on whatever truck am driving. Its more important to me than the torch and hi-viz that also lives in the spares bag.

Edited to add: I do not advocate leaving knives lying about! They are IMHO a tool, as also a very good sharp pair of heavy duty scissors.
 
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