How to use cross-tying safely?

The area must be cleared of any obstacles or potential hazards (such as forks, shovels, brooms, brushes, wheelbarrows, or other equipment).

The area should be wide enough for the horse to comfortably walk into and fully turn around. But at the same time not too wide so that the horse is invited to spin around.

Having a boom in front increases the risk of injury, as the horse can jump over and get hung up. Instead, choose to put the tie up far enough back so that it is not necessary to use it.

A solid barrier behind the horse, like a wall, restricts the horse to move away backwords and is a safer place to use.

The floor should have a non-slippery surface, such as a rubber floor.

Slick surfaces (such as concrete or stone) can get slippery and create a dangerous situation if your horse loses it´s footing.

If the rubber floor ends in front of the hoof of the horse, there should be a lot of distance between the hoof and the rubber floor, so the horse can’t get caught with it´s shoe when taking a step back again.

If there is a walled edge in front, the horse should stand so far back that it cannot step over and get stuck.

Never connect a tie up system to something that is movable (like a stable door).

Accidents have occurred when horses, without proper safety tie up systems, have been tied up in stall doors and, in a panic attack, have become untied and dragged around the door with devastating consequences. 

The eyebolt, rings or bars must be fixed so it doesn’t break away. If attached to wooden panelling it should be fitted to the stronger supporting structure behind the wood.

The use of tie ups, without a good safety system, has resulted in numerous injuries to both horses and humans due to the recoil force that occurs when the tying ring is released from the wall, or when the carabiner breaks.

Accidents have occurred when i.e. the horse is attached to a beam that’s not solid enough, and the force from the horse made the beam collapse over the farrier resulting in a hospitalisation.

The tie-rings should be attached to the wall or post at a distance higher than the withers of the tallest horse.

The length of the ties should be just long enough to prevent your horse from getting tangled up or turned around, still being able to have a range of motion of the head and neck.

Take into account the:
– Width of the maintenance place.
– Height of the connection hole/ring.
– Horses movement needs.
– Height of the horses head.
– Location in the halter/headcollar where you want to attach the carabiner.

If possible, adjust the cross-ties so if the horse backs up, it’ll hit the wall before the cross-ties tightens.

A little bit of movement is necessary for the horse to communicate what feels good. This will prevent the horse from feeling unnecessarily restricted and trapped, which leads to a panic situation.

Make sure the tie up solution is as light as possible and of good quality so it opens in the right places.

For instance, accidents occur when the horse is panicking and the heavy and stiff tie up solution breaks away from the wall, the tie up projectile can break the nose of the handler or hit the horse in the eye.

The halter should have a wide surface on the neck and be in good quality and you should always close all the buckles, so the throat snap doesn’t hurt the horse in the eye when they shake their head.  

The ties themselves should consist of a non-elastic material without a flexible, elasticated tie up, so as not to create an unpleasant bungy effect when the horse puts pressure on the tie-ups.

Some horses push on with a lot of power when in flight mode. If the crossties do not release at the right pressure, the horse may experience such resistance that it loses its balance. Horses have accidentally broken their necks in this way, crushed their withers, pelvises, injured their hamstrings (semitendinosus, biceps femoris) etc.

If you see someone using an old-fashioned baling-twine directly tied to the halter, please make sure it’s removed, so the loop doesn´t get caught in other items which could break the horses necks or jaws.

Make sure the carabiner has only soft edges.

Don’t use old-fashioned carabiners with sharp edges so the horse gets cut and injuries on sensitive areas such as eyes or mouth.

It is important to have a tie up system where the horse and halter is connected in good way.

Even though the horse moves around and fiddles with it´s head.

Make sure the tie-ups does not release too easily so the horse gets loose with just a sharp head turn.

If the panicked horse is freaking out in the cross ties – it is not safe to release any quick release snap if it is attached close to the halter.

It is better to be able to use a automatic releasing system where you have a safe distance and don’t have to be close to the horse to release it or fiddle around with a knife etc to get the horse free.

A number of people argue that the horse should not be able to get loose when in fear, but we have another opinion.

The horse must be able to get loose in a real panic situation, without hurting itself or its surroundings.

For most of the horses, a release pressure around 90 kg is good. But for foals and smaller horses other levels are more appropriate.

Where in The Halter Should I Attached the Tie-ups?

When using a crosstie, the horse should be centred in a grooming/washing area, providing easy access to both sides of the horse.

Some horses like being tied by a single tie system better than crossties, but if they are relaxed, they adjust.

Each horse is different, and some horses accept being cross tied and for others it takes a bit longer to get comfortable with it.

Like many of the things we teach our horses, cross-tying comes with a risk, instilling fear or bad behaviours can lead to scary situations if it isn’t done properly.

So, make sure you take as much time as necessary to train the horse to have good behaviour.

If a horse pulls back, flips over, or hurt itself when tied up they will remember that experience, and it takes a lot more time to teach and show the horse that being tied up is actually a great place to be. 

The lower cheek piece is the most common place to attach the tie.

But for easier handling and for horses to be able to express themselves, it is better if the tie-ups are attached to the higher halter rings closest to the neck.

If the horse would rear, it is not as easy to accidentally get a leg over the crosstie. 

If the horse has different behaviours like crib-biting etc it is not as easy for them to reach the tie-ups. 

The person does not need to bend over/lift the ties as much when crossing under and the horses don´t bite the ties as easily. 

However, the horse can turn its head more and can also develop more power from side to side.

Our recommendation is to tie the horse in the higher halter rings, as long as a smooth carabiner is used and the opening is turned away from the eye.