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Elite Veteran
Posts: 682
  
Location: Northwest | First off, do you tie or not tie? Secondly, if you tie, do you tie and then shut divider OR leave them untied and then shut divider and go around to the outside and tie??
I leave untied and then go around and tie from the outside with a quick release knot. Hubby thinks I am crazy and wasting time not tying them while I am in there but it makes me nervous in case they try to step back before I get the divider shut. I am open to new ideas, but what is the SAFEST!!!!???? |
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 No Tune in a Bucket
Posts: 2935
Location: Texas | I usually tie loosely then close the panel. I don't like them getting their head down and always worry that they will get their head under the panel. If it is one of the run out as soon as you open the panel guys, I untie from the outside. |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | It pretty much depends on the horse and which hole they are in. On the steady long term haulers I usually snap the quick release and then shut the slant. If it is a colt or horse I am unsure of I will close the slant and then go around to the window to snap. The horse in the back hole always gets tied from the outside because it is a little to close for comfort to be in that space with the horse. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | I got my head split open once tying then walking back past the horse. He just got scared for some reason and started pulling. With this particular horse, I needed a stud chain when he first got to strange places, so I had one looped around the bottom ring of his halter. (Not on his nose, just hanging on the ring.) He pulled, and I was stuck in front of him. I tied the lead rope with a quick release knot, but he pulled that sucker so tight it wouldn't budge. I tried to calm him down, but he thrashed around until the stud chain broke. He had all of his weight against it when it broke and the big brass snap hit me square in the middle of my forehead. It bled something terrible and I had to get it stitched closed. I was lucky that's all that happened to me, too! Probably a good thing that chain broke when it did, no telling how much damage he could have done if he hadn't been able to get loose. Now I tie from the outside.
I have a friend who got trampled in the trailer, too. It's definitely safer to tie outside. |
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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
Location: Texas | If just one horse, I haul loose. If I take my pesky gelding along, I tie them. He gets his head under the divider and aggravates everybody. And, I close the divider, then tie outside (using quick release trailer ties). |
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 Veteran
Posts: 232
Location: Wisconsin | always tie with the clip! they are life savers and super easy |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | I'm do things differently since I haul with a straight load. My horse loads himself, and then I secure the butt bar and put up the ramp/close the doors. My trailer is a really nice extra wide/long/tall warm blood trailer and has a chest bar in front of the horse instead of mangers. The area in front of my horse is a complete walk through area with a door on each side of the trailer. After he's loaded, I walk up and secure him with a snap tie. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 417
Location: CA | I don't tie. It's better for a horse's respiratory function and their digestion to be able to get their head down. |
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 Gotta Have a Gray
Posts: 899
Location: Tex. Panhandle | We dont tie, unless we have one that absolutely needs it. We have mangers and most of ours dont bother or even try to get their heads down with the mangers. |
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 Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | I do like you do. I never tie then walk back to close the divider and doors. Been stuck up there with a panicked horse more then once. I tie from the outside. Way safer. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | I've been hurt twice by panicked horses in the trailer. No way would I give them an excuse to freak by having them tied at any point with the divider open. |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | We load, close panel, and tie from the outside. My mare gives easily to pressure, as I'm sure a lot of horses do. I could never picture her pulling back. But I won't risk it either. Better safe then smashed. |
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4557
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | I tie my stud up front close divider. I send my next horse don't tie, close divider all the way to last horse. It don't matter which one is last as long as it isn't my stud. I never tie I just throw the rope over the back. They won't back out unless I have lead rope in hand. They learn that they could stay on the trailer a bit longer if they get a bug up their butt. |
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 Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
| I tie mine before I shut the divider... but my horse will stand where I put him until I tell him he can move. So I may not be the right person to ask. I at one time did NOT tie inside the trailer at all. But I had an incident once and have since kept them tied in the trailer. |
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| I agree - we NEVER trailer without the Clip. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1008
| I leave mine all loose. One time my husband tied mine and I didn't realize it. I opened the slant and he started to step back- hit the end of the lead, pulled and ended up on the ground with me in there with him. I can't reach over the trailer and it's hard for me to reach inside. I'd forgotten or didn't realize he was tied. Not a normal puller but he didn't expect it either. I think it just seems safer for them to be loose. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 682
Location: Northwest | barrelracingstar121 - 2015-02-13 9:19 PM
always tie with the clip! they are life savers and super easy
I have one of those! I have never thought of using it in the trailer though. Thanks for the input! |
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 Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | We load with the lead rope loosely tied around their neck with a quick release knot, close the divider. Then walk around and snap a trailer tie with a quick release snap. We have mangers and tie just long enough that they can get their nose below the plane of their shoulder. For those of you who don’t tie….I guess you have never seen a wreck where a horse got his head under one of the dividers…..and how do you know your horse doesn’t put his head under unless you have ridden back there with them….SMH…. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 494
| Never tie anything. Sometimes when I pull over at a gas station, all of the horses are riding with their heads down. I feel it helps them balance better and better for their respiratory system drainage wise. |
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 Ms. Poutability
Posts: 2362
Location: In my own world | 07milch - 2015-02-14 10:09 AM
barrelracingstar121 - 2015-02-13 9:19 PM
always tie with the clip! they are life savers and super easy
I have one of those! I have never thought of using it in the trailer though. Thanks for the input!
What's "the clip"? I like to tie mine when we have more than one in the trailer |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| I have my trailer ties in each slot of the trailer, so they are all quick release snaps. I tie them up, then close the divider unless they are in the last slot, then I have someone close the door, then I tie them. I've had a horse step off and tear his legs up on the trailer. The horse that is always in the front is my big mare, and I dare her to pull back, she'd get her butt kicked. |
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Pick Me Pick Me
Posts: 2052
Location: Somewhere between the badlands and worselands | I absolutely hate tying a horse. Just my personal preference. Luckily I haven't had any mishaps, but had a good friend in high school that tied hers in the trailer. He slipped (even with shavings, etc) and broke his neck. Probably a rare occurence, but it scares the crap out of me. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | The divider and back door are CLOSED before they are tied. I've never had a problem but I do not want to have the risk of a horse pulling back when the dividers are still open. And on that note, they are always UNTIED before the back door is even opened.
I always tie in the trailer because I don't want them to get their head under or over the divider and get into a wreck that way.
I always tie with quick release snaps (to the window side) so I could get them unhooked in an emergency.
I always haul with breakaway halters so hopefully they would break (or the panic snap would break) if they fall in the trailer.
I also always wrap my horse's legs with homemade shipping boots, or sometimes Red gets his BOT quick wraps. But I also don't haul super long (my longest trip is 3 hours once in a while).
You can never take too many safety precautions.
My old horse in my old horse trailer, I also would put a head bumper on him because he was so big and tall for our stock trailer at the time, just as protection for his head.
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | I don't tie. Our horses are rodeo horses and they know the drill. I throw them in and shut the divider. When I unload, they wait to back up until I'm at their head.
If it's an unfamiliar horse, or if mine is by (or being) a troublemaker, then I'll tie to avoid any conflict. I just do a quick release while I'm in there. |
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 The BHW Book Worm
Posts: 1768
| I deal mostly with colts. I always tie . I want them to be able to look around but not turn around or go under dividers. The risk of them doing that is much more than falling. |
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 Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Regardless of the type of trailer, I always shut them in and then tie.
The reason is I came real close to getting severely hurt when I got trapped in the front of a trailer with a horse that had pulled back before I could get the divider shut. I also tie long enough that they can get their butt to the back for that same reason. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 304
Location: Up and over to the right | Leather halters, trailer ties with bailing twine at the ring end and I don't tie until the divider is closed and the door is shut.
My horse self loads and all that jazz but if I'm with others I lead their horse in and have someone at the window to 'catch' them. Leather halters and break away trailer ties have prevented a lot of injuries. |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | I tie mine then close the divider. He knows the drill, I do it exactly the same every trip. He also knows not to back out until I turn and face his butt and ask him to. If he starts backing before I ask, I'll hold the lead like it's tied. When he touches the end, he comes back up the front and waits. Then I ask him and we back out. I also teach them that when I say "Step," they start looking for the ground (I don't have a ramp), this keeps them from popping their head up when the edge suprises them. Even if his foot is on the edge and I say "Step," he'll inch his foot back and feel for the drop. He very rarely rides in the back hole, so when he does I will untie him from the outside, just because I can't really fit in there with him. I still tie him though bc that's what he's used to.
I am always cautious and make sure not to get in a bad position, and I make it a routine. We walk up to the back, I grab his fly mask from the hook inside, put it on, and in we go!
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | I only tie if they are prone to trying to turn around. One of my sister's horses completely turned around in his spot, with dividers on each side of him. Have NO idea how he did that! If they get tied, it's after the divider is shut, and they are untied before the divider is opened. The above mentioned horse will set back HARD if the divider is opened before he is untied. |
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Tying in the trailer...