This thread is a response to the Exiss thread.  First, I always tie.  I had to get a dead horse out of a trailer.  He hung himself on the divider partition.  Would not have happened if he was tied.  By tying, it keeps the horses from getting into trouble... Either himself or his neighbor.

My trailer (Sundowner) has the tie rings placed high like the Exiss.  My thinking is if the trailer tie is long enough to let him put his head chest level, it's too long.  It'll let him swing his head up and back in a rear.  His head will impact the trailer roof in about the middle of the trailer.  But if you keep the trailer tie short the horse can't put his head down to clear his nasal passages.

My solution was to attach the trailer tie to the halter side ring at his face and shorten it.  It lets the horse lower his head to his chest but keeps him from getting enough swing to rear up.  Also, I attach the panic end to the trailer and the hook snap to the halter.  My reasoning is if he was having a hissy fit, it's darn hard to reach toward a moving horse.  And very dangerous to me!  With the panic snap on the trailer one only has to reach in the window and release the snap.  Plus, then there's a short lead line attached to the horse.

 How  do you tie?  Any downside to my tie solution?

Howdy!

 I hauled for 2 different companies and they both tied the same as you have said. I do the same in my trailer and yes it is important to keep the quick release end away from the horse and attached to the trailer.

Happy Trails

I understand every point you have Hoss, I don't tie the two horses that I haul all the time. Call me lazy, or whatever. I own two rope horses and they are both frequent haulers I open the rear door and "Cash" just walks in, I follow him and shut the divider behind him. The I can unhook "King" from the side of the trailer and he will walk around back and get in the trailer. He has done this many times with folks standing around, I go back and put the but bar up and shut the door. Off we go. When I get where we are going I open th rear door, drop the butt bar and "King" will stand there until someone tugs on his tail. Then he quietly gets out.

All that being said, If I was hauling "ANY HORSE" that was unknown to me , he would be tied, and I also when I tie, use the side ring on the halter.

You can start shooting now.

depends on the horse.  You'll probably get as many opinions on this one as if you had asked a Ford vs. Chevy question.

My older retired endurance horse almost never gets tied in the trailer and has done fine being hauled all over the countryside that way.  I do tie the 2 young ones  in the slant stalls but if we are going any distance if I have 1 horse in the trailer will put the partitions aside and let them go loose so it's like a small box stall. 

i agree with reg about the haystring, some is alot stronger than others.  the velco release trailer tie work pretty good for me also.  as for sawing through nylon or cotton lead ropes.........get a better knife, you or someone elses welfare may depend on it.

"Cable ties" - are these the little plastic doo-hickeys that my husband calls "Tie Wraps?" (he's an electrician)

 I like the idea of something that will break at a certain pressure. I need to buy new ties. Or do I? should I get the bungie kind, or the nylon kind? Or do I need special ties at all? Especially if I am going to do the baling twine thing or the cable tie thing? Can I just use an old cotton lead?

I was just reviewing an old thread about selling gadgets that you really don't need. Do I NEED "trailer ties"?

Please be careful when using those shock absorbing ties.  They can cause a pretty serious injury to a horses face if they break.  Have you ever had a bungee cord break and snap back at you, it is the same thing.  I do have personal experience with this luckily the horse was not hit in the eye but had a pretty good whelp right below it.  Not sure why it broke, perhaps age, fatigue, unseen damage but it did.

hi, if everyone can stand one more entry... I have half draft mares that weigh 1500lbs or better. One is a panic puller. If she gets scared, an explosion ensues. She can shred halters and break snaps easily--not to mention that much horse going nova is very dangerous. To avoid this in the trailer and elsewhere, I have started using the Blocker Tie Ring. What a huge improvement!  She starts to pull and when she feels the give, she settles back down. It will give slack if she were to fall in the trailer, but has enough hold to keep her from trying to turn her head backward in the trailer. Bungee type restraints are too breakable fo her and could blind her snapping back--heard from my vet of horses this has happend to. Anyway, hope this idea is helpful :0)