Tried the Clip Safe Tie

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

Anybody tried this...it's cool.

This is what I'm talking about (similar to blocker tie--same principal). http://www.smarttieproducts.com/

[jawa]

I have a horse that will cross tie wonderfully, but doesn't like to straight tie. He does extremely well with this. I like it for my other horse because it is SO much easier than tying and untying.

[BaroquePony]

That thing looks really handy. I have never seen one so could someone explain what the screw and tiny brass thing do? Wish they had a photo of the other side of it and the video link doesn't work :(

[2bee]

That thing looks really handy. I have never seen one so could someone explain what the screw and tiny brass thing do? Wish they had a photo of the other side of it and the video link doesn't work :(


It adjusts the tension when the rope is being played out. In that pic the screw is actually up to high and the rope is in the adjustment position. Once the lenght is set the rope is in the lower goove and the screw provides the drag.

They are really handy, clip in the trailer, clip to the outside......where ever.

My current mount figured out that if he really wanted the grass at his feet he could eventually get it by pulling, he ties fine....unlike my last crack-head, so I ended up not using it anymore.

[BaroquePony]

Thanks, that makes much better sense.

[cssutton]

Most won't recall, but my thoroughbred had a really rough time with the farrier last spring, freaked out, and broke his halter (probably saved his life though). Subsequently, he has become very claustrophobic about being tied, especially if his feet are handled. Really a pain for me, he's gotten somewhat better ( I can do bells, boots, etc. now, without problems) but I don't tie him anymore either. So I wanted to find something more secure, but safe.

He does do all the yield to pressure/leading exercises, btw, in case that's relevant to anyone...I play around with the natural horseman stuff.

So for Christmas I asked for and received the Clip. We installed a tie ring in the indoor to try it in there for safety reasons (barn is old dairy barn with low ceilings). I am totally impressed. He would have a mini-stress out and then had just enough give (inch or so) to calm down. He never had a complete blow up like I had anticipated (it would have been possible to pull all the way free eventually). I picked up his feet and he did pull back at first, but when it gave a little he stopped and actually stood there the second time I tried it. Afterwards he just calmly stood there chewing things over a bit (it was like I could see him thinking about things and adjusting his worldview). Lovely.

I'm very happy!! I even want to try it next time my (different) farrier comes out. I'll be there too, just in case, and the farrier is very cool about being patient with him (has helped him tremendously in getting over his most recent baggage).

This is what I'm talking about (similar to blocker tie--same principal). http://www.smarttieproducts.com/

I use big truck inner tubes for cross ties.

Horses will pull on them and keep backing and backing until they give out. Then they walk forward to where they belong and stand.

CSSJR

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I use big truck inner tubes for cross ties.

Horses will pull on them and keep backing and backing until they give out. Then they walk forward to where they belong and stand.

CSSJR

I board, and I don't think that would fit with the BO's decor, lol! But that is a good idea.

The screw is for tension, as stated. I don't even engage the screw because the width of my lead rope was plenty snug without it, but it is nice to have because there are thinner leads on some of the rope halters I've seen.

Oh and I think they are even made in MN! [Gotta support the place of my birth] ;)

[Dalemma]

I've been using The Clip for years now and love it.

Dalemma

[cssutton]

I board, and I don't think that would fit with the BO's decor, lol! But that is a good idea.

The screw is for tension, as stated. I don't even engage the screw because the width of my lead rope was plenty snug without it, but it is nice to have because there are thinner leads on some of the rope halters I've seen.

Oh and I think they are even made in MN! [Gotta support the place of my birth] ;)

But those inner tubes came from a tire shop that had replaced them with new, so I got them for free.

And the original set is still in use 41 years later.

CSSJR

[FoxChaser]

I use Clips for my cross ties in my barn aisle as well as in my wash stall. I have one OTTB who does fine in cross ties until he gets a notion to hit the end of his rope (:)), then he'll break whatever he's tied to. LOVE the Clips!!!

[Green Acres]

I wish their video link worked. :no: My OTTB in the last few months had gotten terrible being cross tied or straight tied. I now only sort of tie him (just loop the leadrope through the bars in the stall) as he kept freaking out in the cross ties. I can't tell you how many halters he's broken. He also has freaked out when tied to the trailer and broken a few halters/leadropes then too. When he 'freaks out', he will start backing up and then rear up immediately pulling back and won't stop until he's free.

With crossties, I assume I would need two clips?

[Nezzy]

i have used the blocker tie ring- same basic principal as the clip- and it has helped my horse be able to tie again. I am very impressed.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I wish their video link worked. :no: My OTTB in the last few months had gotten terrible being cross tied or straight tied. I now only sort of tie him (just loop the leadrope through the bars in the stall) as he kept freaking out in the cross ties. I can't tell you how many halters he's broken. He also has freaked out when tied to the trailer and broken a few halters/leadropes then too. When he 'freaks out', he will start backing up and then rear up immediately pulling back and won't stop until he's free.

With crossties, I assume I would need two clips?

I don't know, I just use it on the one side of the cross ties and don't mess with the other. I think doing two would be a hassle and don't really see the advantage outweighing the hassle.

I've now used it in the barn several times with no issues (super happy).

Video works for me (using Internet Explorer web browser).

[Green Acres]

I don't know, I just use it on the one side of the cross ties and don't mess with the other. I think doing two would be a hassle and don't really see the advantage outweighing the hassle.

That's pretty much my horse's MO as well. As an update, I've now used it in the barn several times with no issues (super happy).

Video works for me (using Internet Explorer web browser).

Makes sense that just one would work in the cross ties.

I will try the video again.

I am actually having the vet out next week to examine the horse to see if there is something physically wrong before trying the Clip since there a few other things going on with my hrose. But good information to have! Thank you!!

[FoxChaser]

I have one Clip on each cross tie because I figure he could still get into a problem with the one static tie.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I have one Clip on each cross tie because I figure he could still get into a problem with the one static tie.

Right--and to clarify, I'm just single tying (not cross tying). [Boy that seems grammatically incorrect!]

[chaltagor]

But those inner tubes came from a tire shop that had replaced them with new, so I got them for free.

And the original set is still in use 41 years later.

CSSJR

Do you take them with you where ever you and your horse go? If you were to show, camp, trail ride with your horse would you bring them along and use them as easily as this small clip? You can fit this in your pocket.

[Dalemma]

Do you take them with you where ever you and your horse go? If you were to show, camp, trail ride with your horse would you bring them along and use them as easily as this small clip? You can fit this in your pocket.

I have several .....one of which is in my trailer and I take it to shows, clinic etc......I always use it no matter where I am.

Dalemma

[cssutton]

I haven't shown in 50 years.

When I hunt, I pull the horse off the trailer, throw the tack on him, let the hounds out and hit the woods.

When I get back at the end of the day, I load the hounds while holding the horse and then take his tack off and put him on the trailer.

I have never tied a horse to the trailer.

If I wanted to, and I am thinking about teaching this OTTB to tie to the trailer, I would simply get one tube with the tie rope on one end and the snap rope on the other end and throw it in the trailer tack room.

The horses I have had would stand with the reins looped over a tree branch, so that takes care of an emergency tie on the trail; like when you lose your glasses or horn or whatever and have to search for it.

If I were y ou, as I assume you do all of the above, I would use the inner tubes at home and carry the clip when I showed or camped out.

CSSJR

[JoZ]

Has anyone found that this type of clip results in a horse that will tie "normally" (a fixed snap or slip knot)?

That is what has kept me from buying it. I don't want to extend (or, god forbid, even CREATE) the problem of pulling back. If this device were to teach the horse he's OK, nothing to worry about, that might translate to the pressure from a real tie. If it teaches the horse that he can persist and get loose, or persist and keep getting a release -- well, then I don't think I'm interested.

So has anyone used this to teach a horse to tie, who then graduated so it wasn't necessary?

[FoxChaser]

You create as much tension as you like/ need with the Clip, so no worries about teaching a horse he can get away. I have mine set so that if my horse really pulls, he gets some slack. He quit pulling :)

[SmartAlex]

I have the blocker rings on both sides of my cross ties and love them. My horse straight ties in his stall ok, but quite often I want to tie him to the arena wall or the hitch rail to give him a bath or something, and he is very claustrophobic and would panic and run backwards before I even got to tying the slip knot. If I just wrapped the rope I could get him to stay for a bit, but he wasn't learning anything from it because it wouldn't provide any tension to slow his escape.

My New Year's Resolution (for him) was to teach him to straight tie using the blocker ring. Yesterday, I tied him to the arena wall with it intending to leave him while I raked the footing. He pulled the rope all the way out twice, then pulled three more times taking less rope each time. It was easy to go back to him and reset the length I wanted and he stayed tied in theory so he wasn't getting away with anything. Within five minutes he was standing on a loose rope fiddling with it happily while I worked around the barn. No trauma. No chance of getting seriously hurt.

I've gone the old cowboy route several times with bad tiers. I think it's great that people have come up with these little gadgets so now we have a tool to deal with these horses without having to get out the ropes and innertubes etc. and risk injuring the animal. I plan to tie him this way each day for awhile and I'm quite confident that by spring he will be comfortable with being tied without it under most circumstances. The concept really seems to work for both initial training and dealing with a problem horse. They may seem a bit pricey, but so far I have not regreted a cent of it.

[IFG]

I have both the blocker and the clip, and I find the blocker much easier to adjust, though the clip on the clip is larger than that on the blocker and easier to move around. So each has it's own benefits. That said, these are great. My OTTB started pulling back and breaking halters and leads, and since I started with the blocker, he has been fine. Pulled back a few times to test it. The rioe let out, and now he hasn't pulled back in ages.