| Did you ever see a horse that was tied to something | | | | bend farther and farther around. The release of |
| set back and fight against the rope? It's not a pretty | | | | pressure when the horse gives even a little is very |
| sight and can be very dangerous. I knew a gal who | | | | important. |
| tied her horse to the stair rail while she ran inside for | | | | Stand out in front of the horse and put some pressure |
| something. When she came back, there was no stair | | | | on the rope asking the horse to come forward |
| rail any more. It was attached to the end of the lead | | | | towards you. If there is resistance, just hold steady, not |
| line and "chasing" her horse around the yard, banging | | | | pulling, just steady, until the horse gives to the pressure. |
| his legs at every stride. It was an expensive vet bill, | | | | At that point, be sure to release the pressure quickly. |
| and expensive repair bill, and a lesson learned the hard | | | | Once your horse really understands how to give to |
| way. Not only did she learn not to tie a horse solidly to | | | | pressure, you will find that if it steps on the lead line |
| an object that might give way, but she learned that her | | | | while grazing, there is no jerking upward when it feels |
| horse didn't really tie well. | | | | its head held down. Instead, the horse will drop its head |
| What's the best way to teach a horse to tie? I've | | | | back down and step off the rope. In fact, this is a good |
| heard and even tried lots of ways. The way that | | | | test to see if your horse really gives to pressure and is |
| we've learned doing natural horsemanship seems to | | | | ready to tie. |
| be the easiest on the horse and it solves a lot of other | | | | What does this have to do with tying a horse? Well, |
| problems at the same time. It involves teaching the | | | | the horse has to know how to give to pressure to be |
| horse to give to even the slightest pressure on the | | | | able to stand tied, and once you have a horse that will |
| lead line. | | | | respond instead of pulling against the pressure, you |
| Begin by having the horse wear a good rope halter, | | | | have a horse that will tie and not pull back. The |
| not the flat web or leather kind. The rope halters offer | | | | process of really getting it to give to pressure may |
| a better feel to the horse and are not as easy to lean | | | | take a few sessions, longer perhaps if the horse has |
| against and ignore pressure. Then, stand by the | | | | already learned to set back, but it will make for a much |
| horse's shoulder and gently and steadily use the rope | | | | safer and responsive animal and is well worth the time |
| to ask the horse to bend its head towards you. At the | | | | it takes to teach. Additional benefits include a horse |
| slightest movement of the horse's head, release all the | | | | that leads without having to be tugged along, and a |
| pressure and rub the horse. Do it again and again and | | | | horse that already knows about giving to pressure |
| again from that side and then also from the other side | | | | when it comes time to begin asking for collection under |
| of the horse until the horse becomes very tuned in to | | | | saddle. |
| bending its head on the slightest of cues and until it can | | | | |