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Ditto on tying above the head causing fewer pull-backs, though I'll  
add that the same rule doesn't apply to crossties.  I know because my  
crossties are anchored to the roof beam in my garage, and Zephyr sets  
back in them a couple times a year.  Pulled an eye hook right out of  
the wood, once.  Now I use fail-safe quick-release crossties I bought  
from these folks:
http://www.ultracite.com/products.htm

For my tie-pole, I have a telephone pole next to the driveway that I  
put an eye hook in way up high... I can barely reach it... and I have  
a Blocker Tie Ring attached to that.  Works like a charm.  He hasn't  
pulled back in months.

-Sharon L. in Maine




Quoting Quentin & Libby Llop <qhll@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

> Excuse me if someone else has mentioned this. I haven't read everything
> lately. Horses that pull back (and I've had quite a few over the years,
> mostly TBs, some very intermittent like Stone) often won't if they are
> tied from overhead. I have a few ropes attached to the rafters next to
> the arena and one hanging down from the tree by the back door for these
> horses. The poll pressure seems to cause a reaction that they can't
> help and a very high tie never triggers it. I had one mare from birth
> to about age 20 who wouldn't tie. Other wise she was a kids horse and
> one of our driving horses in the wedding pair. When I had to tie her to
> the trailer to hitch up I would tie the slip knot so that she was
> attached to the part you pull to release it. For the most part she
> would stay tied without testing it, but when she started to pull back
> it would instantly release and she would be fine. For camping she was
> fine on a high line with a ring that slid and for the kids to saddle
> her we tied her lead rope to her front leg.
>  BTW since horses don't pull on the overhead tie, the one by the back
> door is very handy to clip to the bridle when you are about to ride off
> and have forgotten something in the house.
>                                                                    Libby
> Coles wrote:
> > I have a story to tell you about horses that pull back.  If you   
> > have one, make sure you get good help when you try to break them of  
> >  it!!!
> > I bought a warmblood sport horse filly a few years ago.  Her name   
> > was Stone.  I got her as a 9 month old filly who had had little   
> > handling.  She arrived at my place loose in the box of the trailer.  
> >   Fella had had a hard time getting the halter on her and she  
> > looked  a bit worse for wear.
> > We brought her in and settled her in to the barn and didn't tie her  
> >  (we have standing stalls).  I spent the next few days getting her   
> > used to handling and having the halter taken off and on.  When it   
> > was time to tie her in the stall we rand the lead rope through a   
> > ring and when she got a bit panicky she pulled back and we released  
> >  on the rope.  This happened a few times and then she relaxed and   
> > accepted the restraining tie.
> > Over the next few months she would occasionally pull back and panic  
> >  for a few seconds and then settle.  Then she started to get worse!
> > She started breaking her tie ropes (not an easy feat!), so we   
> > replaced the tie rope with a heavy rope.  Then a few months later   
> > she broke the buckle on her halter, we bought her a better halter.   
> >  Then she broke a rough 2x6 board that the tie rope was secured to!  
> >   Snapped it in half like a tooth pick!  So we went to the local   
> > draft horseman and he gave us a leather strap and said confidently   
> > "she won't get outta this!"  That lasted about 3.5 seconds!  Tore   
> > it like old rotten leather.
> > Now this mare was 18 months old and getting to be a really good   
> > size! We took her to a local fair and she broke the tie stall at   
> > the fair, flipped over backwards with the effort and then just got   
> > up and stood there.  When we loaded her to go home that day she   
> > flipped in the trailer!  Took about 8 men to get the other horse   
> > off the trailer and the get the 2x10 plank that she broke and   
> > pinned her head to the floor with (don't ask me HOW did did that   
> > one!) off of her and get her upright.  She was perfectly calm and   
> > loaded right back up again.
> > When she was 20 months old I finally decided enough was enough.    
> > She had torn, TORN, nylon halters, busted rough solid planks and   
> > flipped herself over after whatever she was tied to gave away.    
> > Very scary to watch!!!  I had a young son at the time and was   
> > fearful that he was going to be behind her one time when she   
> > freaked out.  She would stand in the tie stall for several months   
> > and then one day, freak out!  No warning!
> > So...  back we go to the local draft fella and he suggested a nylon  
> >  towing line.  "OK" we said and he came to show us how to do it.
> > There was quite a side show present.  Myself, my husband, son,   
> > friend, draft fella.  We walked her up to this HUGE pear tree in   
> > the front of my house and put the toe line through her halter and   
> > around the back of her pole and secured it to the tree.  Long story  
> >  made short... she felt the pole pressure, reared, set back and   
> > dropped flat on her side.  I go to run over to her and old draft   
> > guy says "Just let her be!  She'll figure it out in a minute and   
> > get up".  "ok" says the dummy owner.  So we watched.
> > And watched...
> > And watched...
> > After about 90 seconds, which felt like a life time, I said "She's   
> > not breathing!!!"  Her eyes were WILD!  Her nostrils were flaring!   
> >  But her ribcage was not moving!!!  I ran over and untied her and   
> > tried to get her up.  She just looked at me with scared eyes and   
> > kept trying to breath.  I held that mare while she died in my arms.  
> >   She had broken her neck...
> > Stone is buried in the corner by the barn, and it is a lesson that   
> > I will never never never forget.  Please, find someone who has   
> > experience with breaking a horse that pulls back, before you need   
> > to call in a backhoe to bury your mistake.....
> > Donna Lee
> > whoisstillcryingoverthisepisodeeventhoughitwasseveralyearsago
> >  Jeff and Donna Lee Cole
> > Turning Point Stables
> > Browns Flat, NB
>
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