Does anybody know if rubber stall guards are okay to use as cross ties? I’ve seen other barns use them, but I wasn’t sure if they’re okay to use or not.
I wouldn’t because of the chain/weight. Chain isn’t something I like using for ties. I prefer nylon or rope, though those tend to be longer than chains. The rubber part of the stall guard would add some heft to those if it popped or swung at someone.
I’ve been at barns with chain crosses before; they were just lightweight chains with quick release clips. The chains were short (3-4).
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Personally, it feels like so much unnecessary risk. If done as a hard tie you risk injury. If you use a breakaway link up high you’ve got a chain a rubber flying projectile.
I think crossties should have at least two methods of releasing like release snaps plus Velcro or blocker ties and enough length to let a horse safely back. Ive seen hardware break before a leather breakaway too many times to trust it, and I’d rather have a halter on a loose horse.
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NO. Just NO. You’d be looking for an injury.
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NOPE absolutely NOT. If they break, you have extremely heavy flying projectiles. If they don’t, they’re likely to rip out of the wall or break a post and become extremely heavy flying projectiles. I’ve seen chain links, snaps, and even screws give way before a breakaway halter, so don’t count on that to free the horse should something go sideways. Chain cross ties should be lightweight and separated from the horse by a breakaway (twine between chain and horse side clip, for example). That doesn’t eliminate the projectile issue, but it does limit the likelihood of a horse galloping around flinging a heavy chain like a bullwhip.
Cross ties, IMO, should always have a safe breakaway feature. If you’re going to hard tie, do it on a single line.
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Yes … IF you use cheap, shitty, very easily broken (white metal or brass) double-ended snaps at the horse end and absolutely sturdy hardware at the top end.
Twine is not a substitute for shitty snaps. It will not break as quickly believe it or not!
Do not use panic snaps. They will not break/release as easily as shitty snaps.
The price of shitty snaps has gone up, but they are worth every penny for their safety factor. Keep spares on hand.
Anyway, this method (solid hardware at top, shitty at horse) gives you a foolproof breakaway at the horse end which allows the tie to thunk back against the wall. The double-ended snaps give two weak points for the hardware to break when necessary.
This or heavier regular chain has always been my preferred x-tie material. I don’t like light chain because it catches my hair and swings around too much. I don’t like nylon because it looks nasty in a heartbeat and usually comes with hardware that is far too sturdy.
Friends, also remember that zip ties come in various weights/strengths. You can buy 100 lb zip ties or 25 lb zip ties. I love them as cheap and easily replaceable break away straps.
As others have said, sometimes twine can be surprisingly strong - too strong and not letting go when needed.
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I am surprised by some of these answers.
Sure these are heavier than say using a piece of rope.
But I can see the advantages of the rubber coating on the chain (less damage to the wall, less noise, less chance of things getting tangled).
Like was posted above, as long as your something that will break at the horse end if there is a panic situation, I can not see these being an issue.
I don’t think they are long enough for most cross tie situations, though.
@Mouse_amp_Bay, you make a very good point about zip ties.
I personally do what @sascha mentions. Cheap double ended snaps break very easily. Far easier than just about anything else.
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When that comes off and whips through the air someone will get hurt.
Just no.
For diy I like cotton clothesline with quick release snap at the wall end (that you’ll be lucky to get near enough to unsnap) attached with twine, and twine at the horse end snap as well.
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When properly installed, the horse can sit down (or run forwards), break the snap and all that happens is they go “thunk” against the wall. They don’t whip around at all, just “thunk” against the wall. Light weight crossties are far more likely to whip around than heavier ones.
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Exactly
Having been at a barn that uses these, and seen plenty of them break due to horses setting up against them, they are fine for crossties. They don’t turn into dangerous projectiles.
That said, they’re short, and therefore don’t work very well.
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Am I thinking about the wrong type of stall guard from the picture? Because the firm “no” answers are surprising to me.
I have those for stall guards. They are a chain with a plastic coating. It’s not a “bungee” like it sounds like some people are describing. It doesn’t become a projectile any more than any other rope or chain.
I use one as a straight tie in one of my stalls. I wouldn’t have an issue using it for cross-ties, but I’d add baling twine on the end to make to breakable. I always like my cross-ties to be breakable. My stall guards are only about 4.5’ long, so too short for cross-ties, but if the OP has longer ones I see no issue with it.
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I use blocker rings for my cross ties, with a just slightly slippery lead rope. I think the blocker rings are awesome. They give the horse some extra length if they need it but don’t ever cause anything to break. Worst case scenario, the entire lead rope pulls out, but I’ve yet to see that happen.
I also put a tennis ball at the end closest to the horse so that it doesn’t damage my wall so much when I drop the lead rope after I unclip. And fyi for people like me, you can buy black tennis balls on Amazon so it looks nicer.
I’ve been thinking about this and wondering if they bounce or because they’ve had holes cut whether they stop without much of a bounce against the wall?
They don’t bounce. Maybe a slight 4” rebound when it hits the wall but nothing like a normal tennis ball.
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Thanks!
I use leather laces instead of twine on my cross tie clips. As noted, I’ve found that twine doesn’t always break easily, but the leather strings do.
I bought a bag of assorted length leather strings at my local craft store, but similar to this: https://www.bigdweb.com/weaver-leather-lace-bundle-1-lb?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuZjT5LjqhgMV9srCBB3zgQQtEAQYBSABEgKZ1fD_BwE
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