Came back like a catapult!

“I shod a horse that was tied up in a wash stall with the thick rubber ones.

The horse backed up all the way, then it came back like a catapult, did a somersault, and landed on its back.

I had to cut it loose.

Since then, I have never worked with rubber tie ups again.”

“Safety hooks” – They do not work as some people seem to think!

Do “safety-hooks” release?

“No – they do not work as some people seem to think.

Only if they are old and worn out.

If you are lucky, it will be a quick jerk and they are so weak that the horse manages to release them itself because they can reach them.”

A super expensive horse attached to some old ropes and old chains!

“You could see a super expensive horse attached to some old ropes and old chains that are very cheap.

I think this is a more modern solution that is safer for the horses.”

I will not use chains again!

“Now, I’m talking about things that have happened before in life, not here at Flyinge.

They flick their heads and pull against the chains. It won’t break and they keep pulling until something breaks. I will not use chains again!”

Chains don´t release as they should!

“Chains don’t release as they should, depending a little bit on what you have.

But most of the time, they aren’t releasing, so then the horses panic even more.”

With other types of tie ups you can have a lose horse!

“With other types of tie ups you can have a lose horse running around without a halter.

With these tie ups (Easy Connect), if they get loose, you have something to hold on to!”

The halter usually breaks and then they are loose!

“Well, it’s when they get stuck, everything has been too strong and then the halters usually break and then they are loose.

When this happens it is a much, much greater force than if they panic with these tie ups (Easy Connect).”

Plastic chains are worthless!

“Plastic chains are worthless.

You might as well have the horse loose.

The only thing is that the horse thinks it is tied up, but it is not.

They just come off for nothing.

You might as well have a thread.

It is pointless.”

When they’re elastic they can fire back in your face!

“I like that they’re not elastic!

When they’re elastic they can fire back in your face!”

So-called safety carabiners that do not release.

“There are so many bad experiences.

So-called safety carabiners that do not release.

Horses that fall over and hang, etc.”

People use old style carabiners.

“People use old style carabiners.

They are dangerous because they have sharp edges.

So in the case of carabiners, these once are the best I have seen!”

I was almost crushed!

“There was a time at another stable. Someone decided to climb up and fix some things on the ceiling.

Then the horse got scared and it tried to back off, but it was stuck and fixed in place with no release.

I was almost crushed.

That was very dangerous.”

I know what can go wrong!

“I don’t like to use chains to horses, as I know what can go wrong, from a safety aspect.”

Bailing twine – then the chain or halter comes flying!

Have you been involved in anything that comes flying and such?

“Oh yes. Sometimes they put up baling twine, then the chain or halter comes flying at the person standing down there if the horses throw themselves.

It’s not so good!””

They keep pulling until the halter breaks or something worse!

“When the horses are panicking and they are fixed in place, the halter always breaks at some point.

Usually the rings on the side of the halter, or the one closest to the chin. So they keep pulling until that happens or something worse.”

People opt for things that are quickest and closest to them!

“People opt for the things that are quickest and closest to them.

Maybe they know it’s not the best or safest option.”

It depends on what you want to expose your horse to!

“Using chains. It depends on how you are as a horse owner.

But it also depends on what you want to expose your horse to.”

It can be dangerous if there is no release!

“It’s very difficult, especially with the young horses. It can be dangerous if there is no release.”

Often you do not know the consequences of a horse being stuck until much later!

“Often you do not know the consequences of a horse being stuck until much later.

Perhaps it has affected the neck, or if they sit on their hind legs it is not what the horse is made for either.

I have seen some injuries to the legs, where the horse has injured itself in panic situations, or when a tool has gotten in between and injured the horses.”

Horses hanging on their backs!

What bad experiences have you had or seen?

“A lot. A lot.
Dead horses,
horses hanging on their backs.
That happens all the time.”

Tie ups that are elastic. They can snap and so on.

“I know some people that are using tie ups that are elastic.

They can snap and so on.

Where the horses have gotten scared, and they have broken.

Then they snap back.”

So the horses tend to just continue panicking until the halter is off or breaks!

“We go to a stable, where they have old leading ropes and chains and stuff, and they are hard to open.

As soon as the horse is in a panic or a tantrum, they don’t release.

So the horses tend to just continue panicking until the halter is off or breaks.”

“Safety hooks” – They do not work as some people seem to think!

Do “safety-hooks” release?

“No – they do not work as some people seem to think.

Only if they are old and worn out.

If you are lucky, it will be a quick jerk and they are so weak that the horse manages to release them itself because they can reach them.”

It broke all the fittings until it was lose!

“I had a situation at home with my daughter when we were trying to get our horse into the horse box.

Then it panicked.

It broke all the fittings until it was lose.”

When they are stuck, then they don´t calm down as quickly!

“When they are in the panic, when they are stuck, then they don’t calm down as quickly, that’s my experience.”

It’s too dangerous!

“Having something close to the head is not the solution because you don’t go there.

When a horse panics, you don’t want to be close to the head. It’s too dangerous!

You have to move away from the horse when it panics.

So I’ve seen a lot of accidents when there is no release mechanism on the tie ups.”

Learn to think about safety!

“The students should learn to think about safety, as far as is reasonable.

Even though we have this type of tie ups, we must not start to be careless.

The tie ups still resist and the horse can panic, so we must continue to think safely.”

Panic snaps are completely useless!

“Panic snaps are completely useless.

Used them before, but when they get tensioned, you can’t pull, they won’t release.”

Things can get stuck!

“Old buckles and attachments that are rusted and stiff can be hard to take off in an emergency and things can get stuck.”

Things can really go wrong if they panic!

“If you have a horse that is not a completely safe and a good individual, then things can really go wrong if they panic.

If you have one that has been raised since it was small, and it is a safe good individual, then you can use chains.

But they are heavy and they rattle.

You might as well use these (Easy Connect) instead, as they are strong enough, but they will release if something happens.”

I absolutely do not like are the thick rubber ones!

“Some types of tie ups that I absolutely do not like are the thick rubber ones.”

System that would have released, then this kind of situation would not have occured!

“A horse here at the school has previously managed to get a leg over the chain, the horse got panicky, the student fell over next to the horse and was about to be trampled.

If we had this (Easy Connect) type of system that would have released, then this kind of situation would not have occurred.”

Other types of tie ups either release too quickly or don’t release at all!

“Of course, there have been some incidents.

Other types of tie ups either release too quickly or don’t release at all.

Then walls or halters break, and horses get injured.

Of course, it has happened before that someone has been hit because they were in the way when it released.”

We must modernize safety thinking!

“We must modernize safety thinking.

We also do not have the same pathway to how we become horse owners today. In the past, it was done in a way that you got knowledge in the stable through those who had handled horses all their lives, how to behave around horses and how to handle them.

Today, there are many who buy a horse or farm without having the basic knowledge.

Many do not understand what can happen and how dangerous it can be around horses.”

They keep pulling until the halter breaks or something worse!

“When the horses are panicking and they are fixed in place, the halter always breaks at some point.

Usually the rings on the side of the halter, or the one closest to the chin. So they keep pulling until that happens or something worse.”

A lot more sound going on around you!

“Chains are a lot noisier.

There’s a lot more sound going on around you.”

It´s safer!

“It’s safer, it works in such a way that the horse comes loose faster! 

It doesn’t create this situation where they get stuck and then they pull even more.

In the end it can result in them sitting and then they fly into the wall and that’s where I don’t want any student in between.”

It’s a case of educating people to use the safer equipment!

“Safety has not been a big thing in the equine industry before.

It will happen over a longer time. It’s a case of educating people to use the safer equipment.”

It´s not a boat you´re mooring!

“Rubber batons – I don’t know that they work that well actually.

It’s not a boat you’re mooring!”

Dead horses, horses hanging on their backs!

What bad experiences have you had or seen when it comes to tie ups?

“A lot. A lot.

Dead horses, horses hanging on their backs.

That happens all the time.”

Think about the conditions around you, so that it becomes good for everyone!

“Safety is starting to come now.

That you think about the conditions around you so that it becomes good for everyone, for both the horse and the one who is going to work.”

Shattered the light in the ceiling!

“My sister’s horse had been resting for a while, had saddle discomfort when getting prepared, panicked, and got stuck.

Eventually, it freed itself.

That’s when it shattered the light in the ceiling.

There were shards all over the stable floor.

It was a scary experience.”

Just old chains and stuff rusting away!

“When it comes to safety I think the equine world is a little bit behind.

There’s a lot of stables around that just have old chains and stuff is rusting away.”

Can’t get close enough to release it!

“Some horses throw themselves and then the halter breaks.

If you have a really old leather halter and you think it will break and then suddenly it doesn’t break.

You can’t get close enough to release it because it’s to dangerous!”

You can´t predict everything!

“They are also living animals so you can’t predict everything.”

He injuried his neck because ha couldn´t release himself!

“We had a horse at home that backed away a lot when he was tied up and he injured his neck because he couldn´t release himself.”

The halter usually breaks and then they are loose!

“Well, it’s when they get stuck, everything has been too strong and then the halters usually break and then they are loose.

When this happens it is a much, much greater force than if they panic with these tie ups (Easy Connect).”

Everything happens so fast!

“The horses, they push their head forwards fast and then they pull backwards and everything happens so fast.

And that’s what I like, is that they (Easy Connect) release here at the wall or pole attachment.”

When things come flying!

“I have shod a lot of horses.

I have certainly seen many different types of injuries to horses and halters that have broken.

But the scariest thing is almost when the construction that they are fixed to doesn’t hold.

When things come flying.

I once saw a wall collapse in a stable. And a doorframe once came loose.

So I’m most afraid that they’re tied up to the wrong things.”

If you’ve been badly injured a few times, what’s safe doesn’t become expensive!

“Safety costs.

If you’ve been badly injured a few times, what’s safe doesn’t become expensive.”

If so called safety carabiners are old and worn out, they will release!

“If so-called safety carabiners are old and worn out, they will release.

If you are lucky, it will be a quick jerk and they are so weak that the horse manages to release them itself because they can reach them.”

Pretty poor mindset in the equestrian sport!

“Overall, there is a pretty poor safety mindset in the equestrian sport – considering that they are large animals weighing 600 kg that can run right over you.”

I prefer horses that get loose!

“I prefer horses that get loose instead of getting caught and then falling over.”

Personal accidents and serious horse accidents can happen if a horse is stuck!

“Personally, I have never been injured, but it has been very close when horses get stuck.

The advantage for me has been that I know how I can escape from the horse.

It is about learning to read a horse, so you can usually avoid problems.

Of course, personal accidents and serious horse accidents can happen if a horse is stuck.”

That feeling is not so nice!

“With a chain, you can get stuck yourself and get stuck in the chain with your hair and so on. That feeling is not so nice.”

It’s crazy and a real eye opener!

“I’ve seen people tie their horse to a saddle hanger that’s attached to the wall with three screws.

It’s crazy and a real eye opener!”

You have to be more careful!

“Certain things cannot be neglected or compromised on.

You have to be more careful.”

On the old tie ups I can not get close enough to release it at the halter!

“I was close to the horse when it panicked at home.

On the old tie ups (Easy Connect) I can not get close enough to release it at the halter.

With these tie ups, I can easily release it at the fixings so I am not too close.”

It’s slippery ground, they fall over, lie and struggle…

“The worst is almost when the horses have thrown themselves and they are stuck.

It’s slippery ground, they fall over, lie and struggle, then they get even more panicked.”

They have to release!

“If a horse panics and they’re rearing up, you don’t want to be at the head, you can’t get there when they panic, it’s too dangerous, so that’s much better that it releases at the attachment.

They have to release!”

So-called “safety carabiner hooks”

“In order for a so-called safety carabiner hooks to release, you must pull on them with your hand.”

There are many advantages!

“It is not just the safety function.

There are many advantages.

A heavy chain, they rattle and make noise.

They (Easy Connect) are light.

If you want to go past the horse, there is no problem, just to poke them up. They (Easy Connect) are great.”

Before we had chains – I got my hair stuck in the covers all the time!

“Before we had chains with the plastic covers.

When the horse chews on them, they become more rugged on the edges.

I got my hair stuck in the covers all the time!”

Think about the need for a good place for the farrier.

“The biggest risk is actually everything around.

People come there stressed, they have to feed and keep on.

As a farrier, you need a calm working environment.

Think about the need for a good place for the farrier. Especially when building a new facility.”

Once you’ve experienced that, you don’t want to go through it again!

“A few years ago, I had a horse that got stuck.

It came to a sudden stop. Eventually, they released, and when the horse reared up, it was a challenging situation.

Once you’ve experienced that, you don’t want to go through it again.
It didn’t feel good.
Panic sets in.
What do I do?
How do I calm it down, etc.?

I was just trying to calm it down when it was so agitated.
I myself was a bit shaky, and it wasn’t easy to reattach it.”

Suddenly they feel that it’s too tight and then they throw themselves in a panic!

Have you been involved in anything that comes flying and such?

“That there is good space around so you don’t get crowded or stuck anywhere.

It is different from other sports, where the equipment does not attack you!

The most common thing is that it happens when you clinch the nail.

Then the horse moves a little without you really noticing it.

Suddenly they feel that it’s too tight and then they throw themselves in a panic.”