Every once in a while I run across an ad for a weight or tether to which to tie a horse in harness. These are always quite old. Has anyone ever used one?
What a good question. I hope someone answers because I’ve been wondering about these, too. They only weigh about 25 pounds, hardly enough to keep a horse from moving if it wanted.
But since there are not very many hitching posts left around, I thought one of these might come in handy, if they really work.
Experience anyone? Pease share.
Just clarifying – I mean one of those 25-pound weights that you throw out kind of like an anchor when put to and parked…
I have seen one used with an Amish horse once. He was parked in town and tethered to a weight.
Usually when the Amish are away from the barn or house with their usual hitching posts or rings they just tie their hitched horses to a barb wire fence. I’ll get a picture of it the next time I see it and post it for everyone to see. And then I want a report back from everyone who thought I was kidding about it. LOL
If your horse is very well trained to tie and desensitized so as to not bolt I think it would be fine to tie them to a weight.
My father and uncle used something called a ground weight tie with agricultural horses on the farm.
I’m thinking that might be along the lines of what you mean.
Thanks, Trimmer, that’s it exactly. I guess that at one time these were in regular use, as there are still so many about. Perhaps horses then were so glad to be standing still that the weight was just a courtesy to let passers-by know that the horse was under control. :lol:
That’s what we call a ground weight tie.
I have a beautiful one I found in my grandmother’s basement. Only weighs about 10-15 lbs with a nice fat ring on the top. When I drove I’d carry it in the trunk with a lead rope and used it often. My pony respected it, and was lazy enough to just wait for instruction, although I never tested it by leaving her alone.
I started her using it by tying a lead rope to it while she was out eating grass in the pasture. She learned to tug and drag it as she grazed without panic. It helped lay the groundwork for later training to a hitching post.
I loved using it to just keep her still when I got out of the buggy and didn’t want to constantly hold the reins. Sure, she could drag it, but rarely did for more than a foot.
