Opinions on using a tie down.

[horsesrock93]

I was wondering how people felt about using a tie down... ~Z~

 

[devinej]

hmm define tie-down.

i like side reins. which are something you should use only if you've been taught how to use them or else you could have a major accident. and i only lunge in them, no riding. but they are very very very good for teaching head carriage and relaxing the back and neck down. my side reins have an elastic section in them.

 

[Pasofever]

hmm define tie-down.

i like side reins. which are something you should use only if you've been taught how to use them or else you could have a major accident. and i only lunge in them, no riding. but they are very very very good for teaching head carriage and relaxing the back and neck down. my side reins have an elastic section in them.

She is talking about a "rein" that goes from a noseband to the girth between the horses front legs to keeps its head down...

If you cant train him to keep it down and he is going to bob you in the head...then use it..

 

[horsesrock93]

hmm define tie-down.

i like side reins. which are something you should use only if you've been taught how to use them or else you could have a major accident. and i only lunge in them, no riding. but they are very very very good for teaching head carriage and relaxing the back and neck down. my side reins have an elastic section in them.

OK i just wanted to find out... i wanted it to help with head carrage, rearing when not wanting to do somthing and some unwanted jumping.

 

[devinej]

hmm sounds like some tricky problems. have you taught him to give to the bit? give his head around to your foot almost? that will help. only after he knows that would i put any ties on him. and be careful because sometimes if they bump up against the ties when they are trying to rear or whatever, that will cause them to flip over. done that...

 

[covekat]

I think a tie down is fine as a reminder to your horse of where his head should be... it shouldnt be used as a way to tie his head down though... like devinje said, alot of horses could become worse with it on... causing them to panic, and possibly flipping.

Try using other methods first, if you havent already... get him moving his behind... using your leg, once the hind end is engaged, he will naturally become round and his head will come down... you can also use half halts (gently squeezing the reins) untll he gives to the pressure, then reward him by giving him his head.

If you do decide to put a tie down on him, make sure you start out with it loose!

 

[horsesrock93]

hmm sounds like some tricky problems. have you taught him to give to the bit? give his head around to your foot almost? that will help. only after he knows that would i put any ties on him. and be careful because sometimes if they bump up against the ties when they are trying to rear or whatever, that will cause them to flip over. done that...

Well i cant use a bit because she wont and refuses to stop. I have had her bend her head to the tip of my boot and she dose it and stands still. the only time she rears is when we go over water or i want her to walk and she says NO.. She was an endurance horse and i guess they never took the time to make her walk through the water...I have worked with her and she has gotten better but she still dose it... ~Z~

 

[mingiz]

JMO A tie down is a vice. If the horse is refusing and rearing you need to step back and do some retraining....

 

[horsesrock93]

JMO A tie down is a vice. If the horse is refusing and rearing you need to step back and do some retraining....

The thing is she is 15 and is a nice horse but i have sat at a stream and worked her through it. I would work her til she walked than go off for about 1/2 hr then wed be back @ square 1.. i have even tryed shorter times like 5 min and still be back to square 1.

 

[devinej]

hmmm sounds like not the best time for a tie down - at a stream. have you tried teaching her with another horse to follow who is good at stream crossing?

when i'm teaching a horse to go through a creek, i'm real gentle about it usually-just flap your legs on ther sides until they take a step, then stop and reward. then wait a little bit, and start again. make her feel safe at the stream. if there's a lot of rearing and stuff, she's going to remember that and associate that with the stream and be scared of it, not because of the stream, but because of the rearing she remembers.

 

[appendixqh]

The thing is she is 15 and is a nice horse but i have sat at a stream and worked her through it. I would work her til she walked than go off for about 1/2 hr then wed be back @ square 1.. i have even tryed shorter times like 5 min and still be back to square 1.

I just about fainted reading this thread. As someone that had a broken pelvis from a horse going up and over, and someone that had a horse rear and flip into a car...rearing is something that is not to be taken lightly. The tiedown won't help. A tiedown helps with Polo, so the horse gets support when yanked into a stop, and a tiedown helps in roping when the horse leans on it to stop the calf, but a tiedown doesn't help an animal with behavioral issues like rearing. A properly fitted tiedown is looser than you would expect, and only stops the horse from putting its nose straight in the air. An improperly fitted tiedown can cause what everyone above stated...freak outs and flip overs. JMO as this is a touchy subject with me.

 

[fredsaid2]

Maybe you could team up w/ some of the experienced trail riders here on the board and set up a training ride? I'm sure they'd be more than happy to help. Good luck!

 

[horsesrock93]

Maybe you could team up w/ some of the experienced trail riders here on the board and set up a training ride? I'm sure they'd be more than happy to help. Good luck!

I have teamed up with people and praised but its not really rearing i am worried about is head.

 

[mingiz]

I have teamed up with people and praised but its not really rearing i am worried about is head.

The rearing would be the first thing to worry about...Why? What's causing the horse to fight you....Or is it the horse is just too smart for you.?? and doing it knowing you'll give in? I had a horse like that and with constant work I got him out of it....He never did it again...JMO There's a reason for it you just have to figure out why...

 

[fredsaid2]

I have teamed up with people and praised but its not really rearing i am worried about is head.

Perhaps instead of you riding, one of the older experienced trail people? Rearing is a dangerous vice. I'd be afraid the horse may start doing more of it and not only at water crossings. Having someone else up is kinda like how a child will be on their p's and q's w/ a new adult. Your horse may listen to the new person and they can get it past this behavior. Tying the head is not the solution. Take care of the rearing issue and the head carriage will be resolved not vice versa. Good Luck!

 

[mygoldnhorse]

I have teamed up with people and praised but its not really rearing i am worried about is head.

What cha doin home Z

 

[horsesrock93]

What cha doin home Z

I was not home i use the library computers when i can...

 

[horsesrock93]

The rearing would be the first thing to worry about...Why? What's causing the horse to fight you....Or is it the horse is just too smart for you.?? and doing it knowing you'll give in? I had a horse like that and with constant work I got him out of it....He never did it again...JMO There's a reason for it you just have to figure out why...

She rears because she dose NOT like to walk through water...

 

[horsesrock93]

Perhaps instead of you riding, one of the older experienced trail people? Rearing is a dangerous vice. I'd be afraid the horse may start doing more of it and not only at water crossings. Having someone else up is kinda like how a child will be on their p's and q's w/ a new adult. Your horse may listen to the new person and they can get it past this behavior. Tying the head is not the solution. Take care of the rearing issue and the head carriage will be resolved not vice versa. Good Luck!

I have had others ride her.. she is 15 and dose whatever i ask her to do just water.

 

[ElliesMom]

Keep going over the water. My older greenish horse benefits from repition. A lot of repition. Have been "working" on some minor problems for well over a year now. That and a helmet.