10/02/2026
Now, hear me out before you grab your torches and pitchforks! š„
No, I do NOT believe you should ever leave a horse tied up panicking, nor should you let them fight the rope until they reach a point of exhaustion or injury. That is outdated and dangerous.
Where I believe hard tying or using a patience pole comes into play is after advanced groundwork, used only in situations where you can pretty much guarantee success.
I think this is a prevalent issue, especially with modern competition horses. Owners are often so worried about teaching their horses to tie properly that it ends up becoming everyone elseās responsibility just to keep that horse contained. Unless the wind is blowing in the perfect northeasterly direction, these horses canāt be tied to a trailer or a stall without panicking and breaking halters or equipment.
Contrast that with ranch horses. They have it well instilled in them to follow the horse along or stand patiently because there are hours during the day where they need to conserve energy or just wait for the job to be finished.
Iāve consistently worked with this mare,leading her from the ground in various setups: different halters, with a bit, without a bit, unsaddled, and saddled. She understands pressure and release.
Today, I tied her to a sturdy tree (backcountry experts say no less than 6 inches) , and I transitioned to working the horse I was riding. I rode for about 5 to 10 minutes in a 20-meter circle right around her.
At first, you can see she moves back and forth around the tree, unsure of why she isnāt following her ālead mareā (me and my riding horse). But within minutes, she realizes that thereās interesting bark to chew on, grass to eat, and absolutely no reason to panicābecause her herd hasnāt actually left her, weāre just a few meters away.
By building up her confidence sequentially, hard tying becomes a peaceful lesson in patience, not a traumatic event.
So what do you think? Should our modern competition horses be expected to tie just as well as any ranch pony? Letās chat in the comments! š
