I enjoyed reading this old thread. Before it, I had no idea teaching such a basic skill was controversial! Do those of you who think tying is bad never go to schooling shows? I took the youngster to a one day show this summer–my classes were 4 hours apart. Was I supposed to hand walk him for 4 hours? That would have been exhausting for both of us. Instead, he stood tied to the trailer, always with at least partial supervision (us in chairs or visiting at nearby trailers). We had one big spook when a golf cart whizzed by–but since he knows to release he wound up sitting back for a split second, and then remembering and standing up normally. He had hay and water the whole time, and he did get some grazing breaks, but he was tied for a long time. And he mostly munched, busy bodied, or snoozed. I didn’t realize I was cruel to expect this of him!
Interesting topic. I haven’t read the thread yes, but, since I loves me a good train wreck, I’ll be sure to. I thought I’d add my two bits, though. My horse came to me about 8 years old. His history was that his early years, age 3 to 5, were with a young woman who had him at a BNT stable. Many many horses, several indoor and outdoor rings. The story came down to me that she would spend loads of time grooming him on the cross ties, and talk to all her friends, and the very busy aisle was fully of busy horses going by, and so much going on. He’s an intelligent horse, and apparently loved all the activity. The story went that she would go off and watch a friend have a lesson, and forget he was on the cross ties, and come back to find him having hung out on the cross ties for hours, apparently loving watching all the activity.
It was no surprise to me to hear this. When I got him, this horse was anxious looking at everyone going out to be worked, and him in his stall. When he was on the cross ties and could see what was going on, and see into the arena, he was would relax, drop a hip, watch everyone and seemed very happy. If he’s in a paddock and people are starting to saddle up and go into the cross ties and get baths, he paces unless you put him in cross ties, where he relaxes. And yes, he can hang out on cross ties for hours, left all alone, as long as he can see what’s happening around the farm.
He’s performance bred, and is really happiest saddled up and ridden and working. Watching other horses working is almost as satisfying to him as it is for himself. He loves interacting with people. Kids come along if he’s in the cross ties and he stands very still so as not to step on them, drops his head so they can reach, and they can crowd around with brushes and brush him everywhere and he won’t move a muscle. He can have two kids on a step stool brushing each side of him at once and he’s happy as a clam. Interesting how that all works.
The honest truth is that they will not go to shows without stalls. Once you get out of schooling shows (most of which locally offer stalls anyway) most bigger shows have stabling. I always get a stall if one is available, although I have no issues going to a show without.
I 've worked with a couple of horses that couldn’t be trusted tied to trailers at shows. Tied at home fine. Tied at strange barns fine. The temptation to tour the grounds at shows solo was too great. Both were smart geldings, both loved knowing what was going on. I never tied my stallion to the trailer even though we did local one days.
What I did/do is either hang out with them on a lead or load them back up between classes.
My current mare will stand tied for ever and a day, but she mostly prefers to be loaded up where she can hang out with her fan blowing on her, in the shade, and still be able to see what’s going on around her. If she is upset at all with the atmosphere (too busy, too many unfamiliar things) she will lose her self-loading manners and practically run me over to get back into the trailer where she will stand like a freaking queen and watch the goings on from the safety of her conveyance.
The point is - it’s individual.
The other point is I don’t believe anyone has a problem with tying horses, it’s the way they are taught or forced that is the issue. In many people’s opinion, it’s not necessary to tie a horse and leave for hours on end to teach it to stand for however long it might need to stand. It’s a shortcut which borders on or crosses over into abuse depending on how it is used.
