365
Days in Horse Country – Safe Tying
Horses can get into trouble quickly and easily. One minute they are quietly standing, and the
next they are trying to rip the hitching post out of the ground. That’s why safe tying is so important. Here are some essential rules for safe tying.
- Never tie your horse by the reins. If your horse pulls back, she could break her
jaw or do other serious injury to herself.
Only tie your horse using a halter and a lead rope, a halter, and
crossties.
- You can’t just tie your horse to any object
with a regular knot. Horse are strong
and can easy pull down an unsecure fence or a small tree by simply throwing her
weight around.
- When looking for a place to tie your horse,
stick to a hitching post or crossties meant just for that purpose. If you are on the trail or in a small place
where you can’t find a hitching post, tie your horse only to a large, sturdy
object that can’t be moved; even by 1,000 pounds (455 kg) of muscle (your
horse). Tie your horse as high as
possible so she can’t get her leg over the rope. A good rule of thumb is to have the knot at
least as high as the horse’s withers.
- Use a safety knot that easily releases during
an emergency. A number of knots fir this
description. Review the illustration
above and follow these directions for instructions on how to tie a quick release
knot; a favourite among horse people.
- Drape your lead rope over a post with the other end tied to your horse.
- Loop the release end of the rope over and around the tie end.
- Using the release end, pull a loop through as shown. Concg the knot closed so it resembles the number “4”
- The
knot is untied by pulling the release end.
Though the knot itself is secure, it will pull apart.
Michael