Dh just installed some cross ties for me. I intend on using them only with my ponies and only when I’m hooking the carts up. Neither pony has ever been in cross ties before.
Anything I need to know before we begin cross tie training?
When I first teach a young pony or horse to use cross ties I keep a short rope on the halter, just in case.
How old are they? Do they stand tied to the wall or trailer? What are you working with?
If they tie in a trailer, to a trailer, along the wall to get hosed off, you should not have too much of an issue. They just need to learn that turning around is not a good idea while cross tied.
They are both seasoned driving ponies that doze off bored when they are tied. I’ve hooked the older one up and after about a five second fit she’s been standing well. I think she thought it was time to graze. I’m out here sitting with her watching but she’s just standing quietly.
I don’t understand this question at all.
Just a reminder: never hook a horse that is not bridled. Personally I am from the school that does not tie or cross tie a horse while hooking, but I know people do. But hooking a horse who is not bridled is a serious no-no in that if the horse should break loose from the ties and is hooked but not bridled you have a very dangerous situation on your hands. Hooking a horse who is not bridled is against the rules when you are at a show (you also must unhook before you unbridle).
Training a horse to cross tie would involve cross tieing them for regular things like grooming and don’t push it, don’t set your ponies up to get in trouble In other words don’t leave them unattended and don’t leave them tied for long periods of time.
I realize that my comment may have sounded rude, what I don’t understand is “Why crossties now?” (if you don’t plan to use them for anything else) If the ponies are seasoned drivers and stand tied (I’m assuming to a ring or hitch rail)… How are the cross ties helping your system?
I like to either hold my horse by a leadrope while I hitch (with the rope clipped to the jaw of the noseband or halter if I have a halter under the bridle) or to tie him to the back of my trailer when we are away from home. (Yes- NEVER hitch or unhitch without a bridle on!) We do it that way all the time and he is very used to that routine. When I lead him to that specific tie spot he will square up to ready for the shafts… sometimes I worry that I’m too dependent on our routine - if I had to do it differently for some reason he’d be thrown for a loop. But facing a “wall” (trailer) and tied to a single point- works great for me and for him.
I am planning to put crossties in my wash stall when it’s done- in order for me to keep the horses centered in the space and to allow me to wash blazes etc without being pinned between a rope and a wall. I haven’t started trying it out and don’t know how my horses will tolerate it- I assume pretty well… but I know there are some pitfalls with crossties and am concerned and alert as you are.
The way my building is set up the cross ties will allow me to pull the vehicles out of the building without any turning or backing and going forward again. Previously I’ve had to pull the cart out, back it, turn it, blah blah to where the ponies are tied. Now I can just go straight out and hook them, and when I return I can drive the ponies to the ties and back the cart or wagon right back into the building. I’ll put their harnesses on them on my regular hitching post where I’ve been doing it all these years, then move them to the ties to put them to cart.
It’s more of a help for my old bones than anything else.
When I cross tie a horse and I’m not sure of their background, I help them find the boundaries of the cross ties and learn to be comfortable with it.
Cross tied and also with a lead rope attached, I back the horse until they feel the pull of the cross ties on the halter and then immediately step them forward so they learn how to remove that pressure themselves. Then I do it forward, I walk them forward until the crossties are pulling on their halter and then back them one step so they learn how to remove that pressure. I keep doing this, back and forward until they offer to take that pressure off themselves without my help. Then I feel reasonably ok that if they get excited they won’t panic and set against the ties.
Also a good idea to use bailing twine somewhere in your ties, either where it ties at the top, or at the end where you clip to the horse, to have something that breaks easily in the case of an emergency.
OK…when I hitch in the barn (my barn is 300 feet long), I bridle and harness in cross ties and have the cart situated in the middle of the aisle. I ground drive to just past the cart, back them into the shafts as close as possible, move the shafts up and over their asses -place into shaft loop holders(tugs) and then hitch while keeping hold of the reins. I don’t tie and have never, ever had an issue doing this with seasoned horses. If they aren’t seasoned, I always have a header. It sounds like you will be using the cross ties on bridled and harnessed horses?
[QUOTE=Cielo Azure;7003878]
OK…when I hitch in the barn (my barn is 300 feet long), I bridle and harness in cross ties and have the cart situated in the middle of the aisle. I ground drive to just past the cart, back them into the shafts as close as possible, move the shafts up and over their asses -place into shaft loop holders(tugs) and then hitch while keeping hold of the reins. I don’t tie and have never, ever had an issue doing this with seasoned horses. If they aren’t seasoned, I always have a header. It sounds like you will be using the cross ties on bridled and harnessed horses?[/QUOTE]
Yep.
Did you start this thread to get people to jump all over you?
Because I am not sure of the point?
What is lesson #1 in tying horses?
(insert what we all know here)
Knowing that lesson and then asking for advice on how to do it and train for it -what do you think people are going to write?
[QUOTE=Cielo Azure;7006977]
Did you start this thread to get people to jump all over you?
Because I am not sure of the point?
What is lesson #1 in tying horses?
(insert what we all know here)
Knowing that lesson and then asking for advice on how to do it and train for it -what do you think people are going to write?[/QUOTE]
wow. I wanted help. It’s hard for me to hook up to my cart and where my cross ties are located it will make it easier for me. I wanted to make sure I didn’t do any harm to my ponies.
I have no one irl to help me with driving. I mistakenly thought I could get some help here.
Won’t make that mistake again.
[QUOTE=Remudamom;7007778]
wow. I wanted help. It’s hard for me to hook up to my cart and where my cross ties are located it will make it easier for me. I wanted to make sure I didn’t do any harm to my ponies.
I have no one irl to help me with driving. I mistakenly thought I could get some help here.
Won’t make that mistake again.[/QUOTE]
I haven’t a clue why CA asked what she did, because it didn’t make sense to me either. I didn’t think anyone else was rude in answering you, gave some different viewpoints. From what was offered, you can have several methods, possible reactions to look out for, as you and ponies learn to use the new setting for hitching.
Everyone doesn’t have help available when they can go driving. You have to work out a SAFE method, or you end up staying home.
If you get upset on one unhelpful post, after 10 more helpful ones, then Chronicle Forums are going to be hurtful. There are a number of posters who are quite rude, and they jump on EVERY question just to comment. I am kind of surprised there haven’t been even more posts on this question. Helpful or otherwise!
I cross tie horses to harness and hitch in the barn aisle every outing at home. They have learned to crosstie from young ages, get worked with regularly in crossties, to keep good manners on them while standing to be worked with. We find the aisle to be a good place for harnessing, wide, handy to the equipment.
I would NEVER dream of driving the horse up to the cart and backing them to the shafts!! Same as I would not EVER drive a Pair to the vehicle, have one step over the pole, back up for hitching!! I see way too many chances for breakage, horse/s leaving, but really common way to do things with Draft folks. I wouldn’t call it wrong, but just NOT the methods I would use. I personally consider those methods quite unsafe, have seen the horses leave AND break equipment stepping on it, so not what I am going to do. I am sure Draft folks have seen PLENTY of light horse drivers do things that are dangerous looking to them.
But Forums are for exchange of ideas, so people bring what they are used to doing or seeing, put it out for everyone to consider using in other circumstances. Just don’t toss the whole bunch of folks away because one person came off as unhelpful. There is an ignore button you can put to use, which some folks find helpful with people they don’t want to hear from.
I would never, ever cross tie to a bit with a bridle, with a cart behind me.
I do not cross tie in a bit and bridle. ever. That to me, goes back right back to basics of horse care. I certainly would never advice someone on how to do that -it is such a core part of horse care, it become almost a liability issue.
I don’t think it is safe for the horse.
If you find this unhelpful. So be it.
Guess I SHOULD have said we use HALTERS when horses are crosstied. Halter OVER bridle when harnessed and hitched. Then halter is removed by Driver with REINS-IN-HAND, who then walks back to enter the vehicle. Great if Driver also has a Header to manage the equine, most of us do not have Headers.
Guess I totally missed where ANYONE said they would crosstie using a bridle and bit for hitching the vehicle.
Guess I totally missed where ANYONE said they would crosstie using a bridle and bit for hitching the vehicle.[/QUOTE]
Me (Cielo azure): “Sounds like you will be using the cross ties on bridled and harnessed horses?”
Remudamom: “Yep.”
goodhorse: I think you know may understand why I answered the way I did?..
The tradition of backing a horse to the shafts comes from the horse farming tradition (where I learned). If I have a forecart, with harrow attached or a tedder -I literlly can not move that piece of equipment to the horse. I can move it a foot or two easily.
So, it is traditional to move the horse by backing it to the shafts and then just a foot or so inside the shafts (I don’t go all the way in, just close enough that I can lift the shafts up over the ass, move or drag the equipment up a couple of feet and place them in the shaft loop holders (which is what they are called in the draft horse world). It also allows me to have hold of the lines at all times while hitching. Some people lift the shafts as they back, I don’t do that.
In backing the horse up to the shafts, you learn that it is extremely helpful both in hitching and as a training tool for backing. My horses all back and understand gee and haw and step -as very precise movements when backing.
So, having learned this way, I still do it -whether I am driving a forecart or a meadowbroke…
If you go to old farming books and working horse books -this is the prefered method. A quick search found this page: http://books.google.com/books?id=tugDAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA1191&lpg=PA1191&dq=backing+horse+shafts+book&source=bl&ots=bfZb8ADHOB&sig=zqP3gJ1zZM-stEZXk29C-pBEMm4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=l4WnUZLDJYX28gTUmoDQDw&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=backing%20horse%20shafts%20book&f=false
So in summary… :lol:
Some people x tie, some people single tie, some people hold the horse in hand (my method)… all of which are OK as long as the horse is well trained and acclimated
If you choose to x tie a bridled horse for hitching, be sure you’ve got something OTHER than the bit to clip onto, a halter over the bridle, a neck strap perhaps? or I have that little ring gizmo on my cavesson (but I honestly don’t trust it nor have I ever used it).
Never ever hitch an unbridled horse. X tied or not :lol:
Driving is a sport rich with history and variety that strongly emphasizes safety. So naturally, there is a lot of eyebrow raising when universes collide. As long as horses are safe and happy at the end of the day, there is enough room for all of us :lol:
CoTH is a fantastic resource positively teeming with really wonderful and educated horse people, kind enough to share their time and knowledge. This kind of awesomeness comes with a price tag however, the occasional kerfuffle, which given time - and wine - disappears. Wine really helps :lol:
Though! Don’t drink and drive!!
(har har har):lol:
