[prairiegirl]

Please, could someone tell me why this is done? (What I mean is someone tying a horse's head to bend towards a stirrup. In this case it's a green broke horse.)

[spinandslide]

tying around, when done PROPERLY and with supervision, can be benificial in teaching a horse to "give" properly...

The basis of tying around is that this method provides a quicker and more accurate"reward" of the release of pressure then many riders could..as we all know, the RELEASE of pressure is the reward and what horses learn from.

You start very easily, not cranking their head around, but where when they slightly give with their nose, they acheive release of pressure....always under supervision and always for short periods of time..

This is similar to "bitting up" done on older horses..which is asking the horse to give verticly, versus horizontly..

As with any training tool or technique, used incorrectly, it can be disasterous..used correctly, it has benfits.

Sarah

[crazyellowhorse]

Generally speaking, it is done gradually (to avoid a wreak) and to get the horse to give to the direction of the pull. Flexibilty and direction. The horse usually catches on pretty quick because they are pulling on themselves and the harder they resist the longer they are uncomfortable and off balance.

Spinandslide you beat me to it!!

[bnttyra]

Originally Posted by spinandslide

tying around, when done PROPERLY and with supervision, can be benificial in teaching a horse to "give" properly...

The basis of tying around is that this method provides a quicker and more accurate"reward" of the release of pressure then many riders could..as we all know, the RELEASE of pressure is the reward and what horses learn from.

You start very easily, not cranking their head around, but where when they slightly give with their nose, they acheive release of pressure....always under supervision and always for short periods of time..

This is similar to "bitting up" done on older horses..which is asking the horse to give verticly, versus horizontly..

As with any training tool or technique, used incorrectly, it can be disasterous..used correctly, it has benfits.

Sarah

What she said!

[prairiegirl]

Thanks all!

I don't know how long it is done for but an aquaintance's trainer is doing this with her gelding and I was just wondering why. (One day trainer came over and tied horses head.) She can't explain why the trainer is doing it either. Is it useful for all horses or does a specific behaviour warrant it?

[cowgurly02]

Ditto spinandslide's post It can be useful for all horses to teach them to give. If I were your friend I'd be asking that trainer what he was doing and learning from it. I'm suprised he/she didn't explain it to her anyways. When I had my old horse in with a trainer I was full of questions LOL

[MaggieSue]

It's an old way of training, and IMO cruel-why would you need to do that? A horse already KNOWS how to bend, watch them go after a fly sometime. This is NOT NEEDED EVER IMO. Riding the horse, and asking them to give to the bit-while moving forward and INTO THE BIT, is the way to teach. NOT forcing their head around and leaving it there for hours

[tlwidener]

Originally Posted by MaggieSue

It's an old way of training, and IMO cruel-why would you need to do that? A horse already KNOWS how to bend, watch them go after a fly sometime. This is NOT NEEDED EVER IMO. Riding the horse, and asking them to give to the bit-while moving forward and INTO THE BIT, is the way to teach. NOT forcing their head around and leaving it there for hours

No one said anything about leaving them tied for hours. Yes, horses can bend around to flick a fly, but they aren't born knowing how to give to the bit laterally. They don't instinctively know that if they turn into the direction they are asked the pressure will stop.

When I tie a horse's head around I use baling twine. I also don't let them just stand there. I move them around some in the round pen. I'd rather let them fight with themselves than me. I'm not always quick enough to release at the right time. In a 30 minute session I may spend 5 minutes doing some of this type of thing, if even that long.

[spinandslide]

Originally Posted by tlwidener

No one said anything about leaving them tied for hours. Yes, horses can bend around to flick a fly, but they aren't born knowing how to give to the bit laterally. They don't instinctively know that if they turn into the direction they are asked the pressure will stop.

When I tie a horse's head around I use baling twine. I also don't let them just stand there. I move them around some in the round pen. I'd rather let them fight with themselves than me. I'm not always quick enough to release at the right time. In a 30 minute session I may spend 5 minutes doing some of this type of thing, if even that long.

Agreed..this helps the horse get release the EXACT milisecond he gives. and its not done for hours..I have seen posts on the training forum citing people doing it for long periods of time and it is utterly wrong to do..it acheives nothing..it is ment for short periods of time only.

[cowgurly02]

Ditto tlwidener and spinandslide! I have never seen anybody leave a horse with it's tied for hours...heck I've never seen it for more than a few minutes. It's not any more cruel than using your hands if done properly.