Standing in the cross ties

Dusty's girl · 11-19-2007, 03:41 PM

Ok, I am trying to nip this in the butt before it becomes a fulll blown problem. Rooney is completely prancing around in the cross ties. He use to stand still, perfectly, never had a problem. About a week and a half ago he started prancing around in them, then he learned he could break them. Great.

He's never tied well outside of the cross ties either. The one time I did it, he pulled as hard as he could and laid down with a thump, almost broke his neck. It was one of those things I planned on working with over the winter when riding wasn't possible. Well between the cross tie issue and this, I think it can't really wait any longer.

I read a lot of older posts that said something about Clinton Anderson's tie ring which I am looking into, some posts said to tie them and just leave them there (while keeping an eye on them) until they stand still. Do I use a breakaway halter, rope halter? Anything special? Any other ideas. I round pen him once a week and do the parelli's games, he's fine there. Lots of friendly game. He has a great whoa when he has his tack on, its like a button clicks or something and he's fine.

tricia3kids · 11-19-2007, 04:07 PM

sounds like he just needs to learn that you will call the shots. I know easier said then done. really with your time you can get him to learn to stand still and wait for you to let him go. a break away halter will only reinforce the pull and go behavior. have you tried to nose tie him? with minimal slack?

trinabug · 11-20-2007, 03:27 PM

I have had your exact problem and let me tell you I thought I had tried everything...he would go weeks without a problem then we would start all over again....I bought one of those clinton anderson rings and now I brake all my colts to tie with it.....they really work...and just like it says the horse will brake himself from pulling...I was the biggest skeptic til I tried one....now I use the tie rings in my cross ties and on the side of my horse trailer at shows...they are completely safe....all I have is rope halters

EquineAlberta · 11-20-2007, 04:18 PM

I would try to think about WHY he started the prancing in the first place. He sounds like he has an issue with anxiety, and anxiety usually has a cause; too much grain, poor saddle fit, pain somewhere, herdmate picking on him, unsure about his current training, something changed in his routine...It could also be that he only just realized that the cross ties were holding him so now it makes him feel trapped and worried.

I rarely "tie" my horses, instead I just slip a cotton rope through a binder twine ring. the cotton rope catches on the binder twine and gives a slight hold, but the rope will slide though if the horse panics. Some horses are a little claustrophobic, and hate feeling trapped by being tied, so the twine or the special tie ring helps to defuse the panic by having some give.

Pulling back can cause nerve damage to the horse and cause permanent (albeit mild) issues such as one sidedness, so I would not put my horses in a position where they were likely to pull back.

Karen

Dusty's girl · 11-20-2007, 04:49 PM

You know I have been thinking about what changed, the only thing I can think of is around the time this started we were in the barn with one of his herd mates who is very jumpy. Something scared him and he freaked, broke the cross ties and took off. Rooney was in the second set of ties and he got kicked in the incident, nothing major but still.

As for the tying itself, he's done that since I bought him, I really try to avoid it but he's only 5 and I really think this is something we can work on with the right reinforcement, or I at least have to try. I will def look into the clinton thing's I've heard a lot of good things about, can't hurt I suppose as long as I watch him.

**seerfarm** · 11-20-2007, 05:20 PM

Might also suggest when you do go back to cross ties's, are the bungy ones with the panic(turtle) snaps that will break away if the horse really panics and tugs hard.

ricoman · 11-20-2007, 06:34 PM

You can use a rope halter and tie him to something very solid and walk away. You'll keep an eye on him of course. Getting kicked while the other horse escaped probably caused his new ansey attitude. Also use the rope halter and cross tie him again and walk away. He will settle back down again but you'll need to have patience.

Slim Pikkens · 11-20-2007, 09:56 PM

You can try tying the horse to a stout post by wrapping the rope tight twice around the post. Use a 4' stick and when he starts to pull back, use your stick to move his hindquarters over. This disengages his back end. Then go to his other side and move him back to where you started. Do this each time he starts to pull back. He has to lock up to pull back and you are preventing this. He will come to realize that he has to move sideways every time he wants to move backward. He'll get so he'd rather stand quietly. Until you have accomplished this I would not put him in the crossties. Too many horses have flipped over backward and smashed their withers.

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11-19-2007, 03:41 PM
Dusty's girl Weanling Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 269	Standing in the cross ties Ok, I am trying to nip this in the butt before it becomes a fulll blown problem. Rooney is completely prancing around in the cross ties. He use to stand still, perfectly, never had a problem. About a week and a half ago he started prancing around in them, then he learned he could break them. Great. He's never tied well outside of the cross ties either. The one time I did it, he pulled as hard as he could and laid down with a thump, almost broke his neck. It was one of those things I planned on working with over the winter when riding wasn't possible. Well between the cross tie issue and this, I think it can't really wait any longer. I read a lot of older posts that said something about Clinton Anderson's tie ring which I am looking into, some posts said to tie them and just leave them there (while keeping an eye on them) until they stand still. Do I use a breakaway halter, rope halter? Anything special? Any other ideas. I round pen him once a week and do the parelli's games, he's fine there. Lots of friendly game. He has a great whoa when he has his tack on, its like a button clicks or something and he's fine. __________________ All I pay my psychiatrist is the cost of feed and hay, and he\'ll listen to me any day. ~Author Unknown

11-19-2007, 04:07 PM
tricia3kids Weanling Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: SW FL Posts: 476	learning to be paitient sounds like he just needs to learn that you will call the shots. I know easier said then done. really with your time you can get him to learn to stand still and wait for you to let him go. a break away halter will only reinforce the pull and go behavior. have you tried to nose tie him? with minimal slack? __________________ Be grateful you are on this side of the grass

11-20-2007, 03:27 PM
trinabug Weanling Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 237	I have had your exact problem and let me tell you I thought I had tried everything...he would go weeks without a problem then we would start all over again....I bought one of those clinton anderson rings and now I brake all my colts to tie with it.....they really work...and just like it says the horse will brake himself from pulling...I was the biggest skeptic til I tried one....now I use the tie rings in my cross ties and on the side of my horse trailer at shows...they are completely safe....all I have is rope halters

11-20-2007, 04:18 PM
EquineAlberta Seasoned Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 4,688	I would try to think about WHY he started the prancing in the first place. He sounds like he has an issue with anxiety, and anxiety usually has a cause; too much grain, poor saddle fit, pain somewhere, herdmate picking on him, unsure about his current training, something changed in his routine...It could also be that he only just realized that the cross ties were holding him so now it makes him feel trapped and worried. I rarely "tie" my horses, instead I just slip a cotton rope through a binder twine ring. the cotton rope catches on the binder twine and gives a slight hold, but the rope will slide though if the horse panics. Some horses are a little claustrophobic, and hate feeling trapped by being tied, so the twine or the special tie ring helps to defuse the panic by having some give. Pulling back can cause nerve damage to the horse and cause permanent (albeit mild) issues such as one sidedness, so I would not put my horses in a position where they were likely to pull back. Karen __________________ Hillside Stable, Ardrossan, AB CHT Horse Stories!

11-20-2007, 04:49 PM
Dusty's girl Weanling Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 269	You know I have been thinking about what changed, the only thing I can think of is around the time this started we were in the barn with one of his herd mates who is very jumpy. Something scared him and he freaked, broke the cross ties and took off. Rooney was in the second set of ties and he got kicked in the incident, nothing major but still. As for the tying itself, he's done that since I bought him, I really try to avoid it but he's only 5 and I really think this is something we can work on with the right reinforcement, or I at least have to try. I will def look into the clinton thing's I've heard a lot of good things about, can't hurt I suppose as long as I watch him. __________________ All I pay my psychiatrist is the cost of feed and hay, and he\'ll listen to me any day. ~Author Unknown

11-20-2007, 05:20 PM
seerfarm Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Out with the Herd! Posts: 8,237	Might also suggest when you do go back to cross ties's, are the bungy ones with the panic(turtle) snaps that will break away if the horse really panics and tugs hard. __________________ "Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us". ~Hal Borland

11-20-2007, 06:34 PM
ricoman Weanling Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Central Kentucky Posts: 440	You can use a rope halter and tie him to something very solid and walk away. You'll keep an eye on him of course. Getting kicked while the other horse escaped probably caused his new ansey attitude. Also use the rope halter and cross tie him again and walk away. He will settle back down again but you'll need to have patience. __________________ Resistance is Futile

11-20-2007, 09:56 PM
Slim Pikkens Greenbroke Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 3,003	You can try tying the horse to a stout post by wrapping the rope tight twice around the post. Use a 4' stick and when he starts to pull back, use your stick to move his hindquarters over. This disengages his back end. Then go to his other side and move him back to where you started. Do this each time he starts to pull back. He has to lock up to pull back and you are preventing this. He will come to realize that he has to move sideways every time he wants to move backward. He'll get so he'd rather stand quietly. Until you have accomplished this I would not put him in the crossties. Too many horses have flipped over backward and smashed their withers.