So today while tied to my trailer, my friends’s horse removed the weather stripping from around two windows. This is the second time she has done that, the first time we thought she was bored since she didn’t have her hay net out. But today she did, so now we think she just thinks it is “fun”. She is a very busy, inquisitive horse! Has anyone ever had a horse that learned to do this for fun and what did they do to discourage/prevent it?
Not this in particular but if you have a busy destructive horse the only thing you can do is prevent or distract.
In my straight load bumper pull the horses are tied and can’t really play with the eindiw and have hay bags too. If that doesntvwork in your rig setup then you could try a grazing muzzle or putting raplst or similar on the stripping
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You’d either have to tie her where she can’t reach a window (if you have multiple tie rings) OR put a muzzle on her.
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This is when she is tied outside once we get there… I do tie inside so I don’t think she could reach the window, but I’m going to need to check that now. I hadn’t thought about that possibility, lol!! Right now I was thinking feed bag, but probably grazing muzzle could work, too! My friend didn’t want to prevent her from being able to eat hay while tied at the trailer but I know she also does feel bad about the destruction, lol! So that’s why I was thinking she might be able to put something in a feed bag if she does want to have her mare eat something while getting tacked up. Thanks!
OF COURSE SHE DID. 
Because that is what a horse thinks weather stripping is for, right? Like puppies. If they can reach it, then it is so fun to play with.
If this horse, who believes that weather stripping was installed for her enjoyment, is to continue to travel with you, then you or someone has to sit next to her all day to say “NO! LEAVE THAT ALONE! I MEAN YOU!” at frequent intervals, and get offended looks in return. And probably end up spending half the day handwalking or grazing her to keep her away from it.
Don’t fall for some idea that you’ll train her not to do it, or find something that will discourage her.
Much easier: Keep her where she can’t reach it. She can be tied anywhere at the show but there. OR have your trailer shop install another tie ring where she can’t reach it.
Good luck. Hope she doesn’t think of anything else to chew on.
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Yes, now that I see it’s happening outside the trailer the obvious solution is to install a tie ring away from the window.
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Despite the fact that Bob and W tie pleasantly at the trailer for as long as necessary (Will does not, he paws), I NEVER tie my horses to my trailer --unless just for a brief moment while I saddle (tack on same side as tied). I used to --many years ago, until I saw:
- Horse pawed, tire exploded, horse panicked, broke away and ran off into a dense woods --took a couple of days to find the horse.
- 4-H horse show: horse pulled back, entire side of the horse trailer came off with the grommet (either really poor condition or parent had improperly attached) --ensuing chaos as horse ran panicked with trailer side (sharp metal edges) dragging scaring myriad 4-Hers and horses . . . no one was hurt.
- 4-H parent lost an eye when tied horse pulled back, snapped the bungie type tie and wacked the parent in the eye.
- Another 4-H horse show, horse tied to stock trailer, kicks back and cuts right above the rear hoof on a sharp edge of the fender --blood shot up like a fountain as high as the horse’s back --pulsating with the heart beat. Vet on site (did you know a horse has 10 gallons of blood?) --but a lot of 4-Hers were pale faced or vomiting before the vet had the bleeding under control. Didn’t help that the horse was white and looked like he’d been dipped in a vat of red dye. Horse was fine and lived another 20 years (he was my white Percheron). FYI one can buy horse trailer fender trim (peel and stick, black rubber) --I have it on my trailer!
If I must tie to a trailer, we keep a chair inside the tack --someone sits with the horses. Always.
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Eeep. I’m guessing none of those horses were tied to baling twine?
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@SuzieQNutter --clearly a break-away of some kind would have been ideal --however, you might check the strength of baling twine --I THINK it is about 100# for natural to greater for synthetic. One hundred pounds of breaking strength is pretty tough for a horse tied with an “unbreakable” halter and rope. I use a twine with an 8# break strength for my archery course guide lines --and I’ve used that plain old white cotton twine for my trailer ties to fasten to their grommets --leather shoe laces are great too. However, not sure that the horse who ran into the woods (trail ride) that took two days to find would have been found quicker had the rider used a breakable connection, neither would a break-away tie have prevented the horse from kicking back and cutting his pastern on the sharp metal fender . . .each to his or her own, but I do not tie to my trailer.
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Nope; never gonna happen.
Providing toys or nibbles will help, at least for awhile. I’ve found that a “Hay Play” ball will keep mine occupied, as will one of the large “Kong” dog toys filled with broken-up horse cookies. For standing tied, maybe try a small hay net. However don’t be surprised to find the hay untouched, and the weatherstripping removed, and pulled into pieces when you come back.
As far as the weatherstripping, use some silicone sealant when you re-install it; it might help a little bit if keeps the weatherstripping from being easily pulled out of its channel. Then again, it might just make it a more challenging and therefore more entertaining problem.
Ultimately tho, you’ll simply want to restrict access to things you don’t want destroyed. Resign yourself to this reality, and try to be proactive.
Good Luck with that project :-D.
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The poly twine used in most two-string bales works great as a break-away. You might find that you have to use a double loop; most horses will break a single strand with a head-toss. They’ll break a double strand as well, but not regularly.
It’s not so much the static load strength, as the shock-load of a thousand pound animal hitting it.
I’ll also add that those tie rings with the slip function work until the critter learns about the slip-ability, at which point they never work again. Just sayin’ . . .
Edit to add: We’ve gone to using breakaway halters 100% of the time; they do exactly what they’re advertised to do, and it only takes a couple of minutes to replace/rework the sacrificial leather piece; I keep a couple spares in the junk box.
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Where / what brand do you use?
I used several breakaway halters from a brand I won’t mention. Within weeks of use, no breakaway incidents, the fastener on the breakaway piece just let go. On every single one, no exceptions. Basically, poor quality fastener. I quit replacing them.
I like the idea of a breakaway halter but don’t know which brands are reliable.
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The ones we like are by Lami-Cell, got ‘em from Dover.
On these, the breakaway piece is secured by one Chicago screw. Just be sure the screw is long enough to get metal to metal contact, and hold the body with a small pliers while you tighten the screw. Same with any Chicago screw in your tack as far as that goes.
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Thank you, I’ll take a look at those.
I don’t own a pullback at the moment, fortunately, but these are handy to have.
Yer welcome, OverandOnward.
Um; whatsa “Pullback”? You use the term like it’s a thing . . .
(edit) Oh; nevermind; I figgered it out; an Equine what tests the tiedown . . . “Doh :-).”
But they’ll all jump if spooked, and if their nose is tied, backwards seems to be the usual choice. “Pop” goes whatever happens to be the weak link. Having the halter let go means one less thing to cause trouble (no dragging lead to trip over) should the critter vacate the premises.
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For me the problem is with breakaway halters is now you have a naked headed idiot running amok and it’s harder to catch. They do save injury during the pull back incident but they don’t help with catching. There are trailer ties that have a Velcro part that lets go with some amount of force but you end up with a 6-12” long tag attached to the halter you can grab but shouldn’t tangle or get stepped on. Though horses can hurt themselves in the most creative ways so nothing is 100%.
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I tie with a trailer clip and leather halter but underneath is a rope halter with the lead tossed over the neck.
aka ‘halter-breaker’. A horse that will pull back and often thrash against being tied to anything.
Here is my very old and very long thread about my journey, 2011 …
The answer for me was/is the Blocker tie. I learned how to set it up to not trigger my horse to go nuts with it (with some training), he elected to solve it like a puzzle instead. I had 20 minutes more or less before he would get himself loose. It was a godsend.
Not that this will save anyone’s weather stripping … but it might help find another spot to tie the mare.
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I like these. It could be converted to a tie-assist if needed.
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Yup & THIS X 1 ZILLION!
I learned this hauling to a Hundreds of Acres trailhead.
After a lovely ride, getting near dusk, DH & I want to load our horses to go home.
They are both wearing the leather-fuse breakaway halters.
My TB goes on first…
Except at the top of the ramp he doesn’t & pulling back, breaks the fuse & goes trotting up the rapidly darkening trail.
We load DH’s horse & take his halter to catch TB.
So now we have 1 loaded - 2H Straightload BP - nekkid & getting upset he’s Home Alone.
Happy Ending, TB was grazing about 200’ up the trail & consented to being caught & loaded.
Moral of the Story:
DO NOT, EVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, HAUL IN A BREAKAWAY HALTER 
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