Horse won't stand tied

[Bob Gould]

I have a horse that sets back every time she is tied. She has broken about every lead, halter, and every thing else I have tied her to. I can't take her to a show because she will not stand tied without setting back. She is nervous because she set back and pulled a panel loose.

She drug it for a long way and it cut up her back legs up bad enough for sutures. So now she is bad about setting back. I have tied her for long periods of time to a pipe fence that will not move but as soon as I tie her up anywhere else, she breaks the halter, lead or whatever. I don't know how to stop this behavior.

Please help!!!! Thanks, Debbie


My first suggestion is that you get this mare to a good equine chiropractor and have her examined. I'm sure she is probably sore and hurting from the wreck you got her in, especially if she required sutures from the "run away". Then when you tie her, you need to be sure that you have a really good quality nylon halter and a lead rope that DOES NOT have a snap on it - it should attach directly to the halter. Be sure the halter fits her correctly and that she can't pull it off because you have it on too loose.

You want a halter that fits closely around the throat but that is large enough in the muzzle area that a horse can eat and chew comfortable with the halter on. DO NOT tie her to anything that is not extremely solid - you don't want another wreck where she can get loose or hurt herself or someone else or another horse.

Get a good "healthy" inner tube (like one that goes inside a tire) and cut it into 8" wide pieces so that you have several "circles" of rubber. Half hitch the piece of rubber to the fence and then tie your lead rope into the loop of the piece of rubber. By tying your mare this way, you have given her a little bit of give and hopefully she will learn not to panic.

You have a bad habit that is hard to stop and you may always have a horse that will have to stand in the trailer until time to saddle her and get on. If you can, carry some panels that you can make a small pen around her with so that she can't get away from you if she does break loose.
Good luck.
Martha Wright