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Veteran
Posts: 171
 
| What are the advantages or disadvantages of using a tie-down or bonnet?
I have been to several clinics some say a horse need a tie-down to brace on during a turn, thoughts?
I have also been to clinic where they believed a tie-down restricts a horses natural movement.
As I watch several barrel races whom have horses winning in the 1D, I have noticed very few use a tie-down or bonnet.
So I am just curious everyone's thoughts.
Horses that run on the race track do no use tie-down, but they are also not asked to turn.
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 ...Dot Dot Dot...
Posts: 2064
Location: SW New Mexico | There has been a thousand threads on this..
It's a no brainer for me.. I use one if it makes the horse more comfortable in the turn. I am seasoning a OTTQH....
I school and do slow work in a myler snaffle ..or warner long shank hack with split reins... and no tiedown..
I can get his head to drag the ground like a peanut roller.... loping soft circles.. no tiedown..
I believe in having a horse super well broke..
That said..
Adrenaline does things to both horse and rider in a competition atmosphere.
There are some horses will never need the support.. There are those who do.
I use one on mine in a completion run.. It helps him, he turns great and is doing well..
Top hands will never hesitate to use one if they feel they will get a winning edge in using one!
JMO...............
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
 
Location: Pacific Northwest | Just depends on the horse.
I don't think a tie-down or bonnet should be used as a band-aid to cover a habit that should be fixed with proper training. But, for example, I have a mare that uses a tie-down as a pacifier of sorts. You can ride and run her without a tie-down, she breaks at the poll, has a very soft face, etc, but if she gets agitated at a race and starts shaking her head and realizes she can get away from you, everyone around me is in danger of being ran into lol. So I keep one on her at races. She might be able to be weaned off it, but it doesn't hinder her times so I just leave it.
ETA a lot of horses don't need them. I grew up with a team roping dad who just put tie-downs on everything, so my first two barrel horse ran in a tie-down and then I realized they didn't need them. The mare I talked about above is my only horse that uses a tie down.
Edited by livexlovexrodeo 2014-07-25 1:27 PM
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tie-down or bonnet or not