First Things First
Before we get into the details, there are a few essentials that you need to learn about first. Let’s start with the topic of tying horses “solid,” which is something that many horse owners have been debating about. Tying solid involves tying the horse in such a way that it’s impossible to break free. It would be best to avoid this for your own safety and that of the horse. Let’s say there is a sudden sight or sound that startled the horse while it is tied solid. It will panic and struggle, injuring its neck and back in the process. So unless there’s a risk of the panicked horse breaking free and putting people in harm as it bolts, it’s best to avoid tying solid. Ideally, you should train your horse to stand instead of training it to be tied. This will ensure that it doesn’t challenge the ropes you use to tie it with.
Source: PixaBay
Choose the Right Lead Rope
The lead rope you’re using to tie your horse plays an important role in determining safety and security. You should ideally use one that’s 9-12 feet or shorter in length so that it doesn’t get tangled with other objects. But make sure it’s not too short either so that it doesn’t cramp the horse.
Source: Kathy Gannon
Tie the lead rope at the level of the horse’s chest or higher. If you tie it too low, the horse could easily get the rope tangled around its legs, putting it at risk of injury. At the same time, if you tie the rope too high, the horse’s neck could get strained and it might feel compelled to try to break free.
Here are some other tips to help you choose the right rope:
- When Choosing a Lead Rope – For lead ropes, cotton works best. It should ideally be around an inch in diameter. Avoid using flat lead shanks made of webbing or leather. For tying at fences, you can look for loops of string, garment elastic, or bailer twine to ensure a higher level of safety.
- When Choosing Trailer Ties – For tying at trailers, you need to ensure that the rope is long enough so as to avoid restricting the horse’s head from moving around freely. You need to opt for longer ropes that are adjustable as necessary, preferably around 9-12 feet long. Try to find one that has a quick release snap that you can use in case of emergencies. In addition to this, make sure to thoroughly check the snaps for rust or thickness so they can function as needed.
Ensure Rope Security
It’s not enough that you use the right lead rope to tie your horse. You need to make sure that you’re tying it to something secure to ensure that the horse doesn’t easily break free. For instance, when tying at fences, always tie the rope to the post instead of to the rail, which is more likely to give way in case the horse pulls back. In other words, you should tie the rope to something that is firmly anchored and won’t come loose no matter how hard the horse pulls. This could be anything from fence posts to partitions and walls. If you’re tying the horse to a trailer, make sure you do it while the trailer is securely attached to a vehicle or secured with blocks behind the trailer wheels. Avoid tying it to anything that can move, isn’t anchored securely, or is below the eye level of the horse. This includes tree trunks, logs on the ground, fence rails, or loose/thin boards.
Source: PixaBay
In addition to this, tying the rope to a smooth object could also be dangerous as it can slip down and pull down the horse’s head along. If you have no other option, however, add an extra wrap at the height you desire and pull it tightly. You can then tie a quick-release knot after this.
You should also be cautious when you have to tie the rope to fences at a trail ride or at a horse show. That’s because the posts may be old, which means they may be weak towards the bottom. And the horse can easily rip them up and break free.
Additional Safety Tips to Consider
Besides the points mentioned above, there are several other tips that can ensure better safety and security when tying your horse. Check them out: If your horse has a habit of pulling back, there are products built to allow horses to pull slack in their rope when they panic or pull back. Products like the Chrome Blocker Tie Ring are very helpful for preventing damage when a horse does pull back, they are designed to support the horse rather than restrain the horse. Although you can tie a piece of bailing twine or rope to whatever you are trying to tie to and achieve the same effect.
Source: NrsWorld
- Avoid tying your horse by the reins with a bridle in because the horse could experience severe mouth injury if it struggles. If your horse is bridled and you want to tie it, use a halter slipped over the bridle. You can then attach a lead rope to this halter in order to tie the horse.
- Attach cross ties at the eye level and ensure that they are long enough so that the snaps are right at the center.