I agree, Patty. At rides, my horse is tied to
my little 2 horse trailer, and I sleep in the back of a Bronco. Believe
me, I can feel any movement! I sleep very well, knowing that if there is a
major upset, I WILL feel it, and can deal with it. I wouldn't be able to
sleep at all if I thought he could get lose or if another horse could knock down
his corral.
I'm definitely a newbie, but I've done a lot
of horse camping, with my horse tied to a trailer, and have done about 15 ctr
rides now, as well as my one and only LD. Oddly enough <not!>,
the only time I saw horses running through a camp was at the LD, where horses
escaped from electric fences, and ran right by my truck and trailer, trailing
the electric tape - and poles. Scary stuff. My horse was securely
tied, where he ate, drank, and even laid down to rest. He is 100%
comfortable, and can move and look around, with ease.
Maybe there's a misunderstanding about the length
of the tie rope -- the end should be about an inch or two off the
ground. I know - it sounds too long. But, it works. I was
scared the first time I tied my horse "that long" but he was fine, he didn't get
his head under the rope, or his leg over the rope (those were my two main
fears). Anyway, being tied that way, he has lots of room to maneuver, and
does.
I learned how to tie safely, doing NATRC
rides... I love both NATRC and AERC. But I do worry about the
use of electric fencing, and light portable corrals. I can guarantee you, I will not sleep in a tent. I don't
want to get run over!
If your horse doesn't stand tied, all you need to
do is practice. Just like anything else, it's a training
issue.
