Oh good grief, not another
opinion!I get asked a lot what I think
about particular products. Not that my opinion is worth much, but
here goes anyway {g}. Keep in mind that I actually do have some
experience with having my horses on a tie for extended periods of
time. Last year alone both of my horses spent over three (yes, 3!!)
months living on their trailer ties!
The best advice I can give is to do your
research on each product available, and then decide upon what suits
you and your horses for your particular situation. Each of the
trailer tie products has it's pluses and minuses -- as far as I am
concerned, there is no 100% safe way to confine a horse!
Some general thoughts about using ties.
Make sure your horse knows how to be tied for
extended periods of time. I would not put a horse on any type of tie
that does not tie well to objects like hitching posts, trailers,
etc.
Before you actually use a tie at a ride practice
ahead of time so your horse is familiar with it.
You are better off with your lead from the tie
arm to your horses halter being short rather than long (as much as
you might want them to be eating off of the ground). I have seen a
lot of people tie too long and their horses end up with rope burns.
Even if you do not tie too long, you need to know your horse -- my
horse Weaver put his hind leg over his tie rope simply by scratching
his ear. Some horses are really flexible and will find a way to get
into trouble no matter what you do! In my experience, the horses
tend to do something like get tangled up in their rope once. Then
they learn and won't do it again. If anybody needs any advice on how
to treat a rope burn, email me and I can tell
you what worked for me {ha}
It is a good idea to plan ahead. Know what to do
if your horse does get tangled up. Where is a knife if you need it?
Think about what will happen to the tie arm and/or rope attachment
when you release it. Be aware! Be safe! I personally don't use
bungee ties to tie connect the horse to the tie arm. I have seen
what happens when a horse goes down and gets tangled and then the
bungee breaks. It's like the strength of a thousand rubber bands
snapping, and it ain't pretty. Other people have had great success
with bungee ties -- from my experience I choose to tie my horses
(see photo of Rocky on the tie page) only with cotton ropes. I have
the horses attached with a breakaway knot, a quick release snap AND
velcro at the top of the tie arm to the first trailer tie attachment
(mine is made out of nylon strapping like a lot of ties that are
used on the inside of horse trailers).
Regardless of what the manufacturers say about
how far apart to put the ties -- make sure that you never put two
horses together on the same side of your trailer that might kick.
Also, be aware that if you are using a tie that bends or a bungee
tie that your horse might be able to stretch and reach the other
horses food. This can also result in accidents and injuries. BE
CAREFUL.
Happy Trails,
Karen
For more Endurance Riding News and Ride Stories
visit: Karen's Musings & Endurance Ride Stuff
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