From: Tammy Sorensen
Hi Jessica!
I would like to teach Molly to ground-tie. Unfortunately I think I've trained her in such a way that I may not be able to accomplish this. Let me elaborate... I've worked quite a while with her to get her to follow me at all times and I love that she will do this without me asking. But, now I want her to "stay" when I tell her and she won't. I end up having to tie a rein to something which I don't like to do. Is there a way to teach her or do I need to content myself with the fact that I have a horse that 'tags along'? Thanks for the help!
Tammy
Hi Tammy -- you're right, you may have created a tag-along horse. ;-) I've seen you and Molly, and I know that she likes you very much, so convincing her that she should NOT follow you may be a tough proposition, especially since she's been rewarded for following you in the past.
You're right to worry about tying her up by a rein. It's a bad idea -- in case she panics and pulls back, she could get hurt. Teins and bridles DO break, but generally not until the horse has hurt its mouth, badly or very badly, depending on the bit you're using.
Ground-tying isn't always successful; even horses that have been taught by one of the old cowboy systems (tying the rein to a fixed object, hobbling the horse and tying the rein to the hobbles, tying the reins to the saddle horn to pull the horse's head in) generally figure out when they are truly tied and when they are NOT, and if there's grass in the vicinity, or if something frightening pops out of a cornfield, that horse will be on the move. Here again, stepping on a rein can damage the horse's mouth. And although many horses will eventually learn to carry their heads to one side so that they can move along without stepping on their reins, this isn't necessarily something you WANT Molly to learn. ;-)
There's another option, though, and it's one that the cavalry used to use, and that many trailriders use routinely. When you go for a ride, instead of removing Molly's halter and leadrope, leave them on and just put the bridle on OVER the halter. Leave the leadrope fastened to her halter, and tie the other end of around the base of her neck in a loose loop. The loop won't bother her, the section of leadrope connecting the halter ring to the loop won't interfere with the reins, and you'll be able to tie her without risking harm to her mouth. In fact, if you want to stop for lunch and let her graze comfortably, you can take the bridle off!
Jessica
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