The Tie Ring

I ran across a handy item for tieing horses at a Clinton Anderson Clinic this summer. He called it the "Aussie Tie Ring", but i have seen it advertised as the "Blocker" tie ring and others. I purchased a couple at the clinic then went to eBay to order a couple more.


The tie ring comes with a screw bolt to fasten it to a sturdy post, but one can fasten it to a tree or hitching post with a bungee or strap. We use it on the horse trailer with the attachment shown on the top left of the picture above.

All you have to do is put the loop of the tie/lead rope through the ring.


Then, flip up the bar so that it goes through the loop of the rope. You can take a wrap or two of the rope if you want more tension on it. The horse can still pull it, but not as easily.


My horse, Okie, has pulled back when tied and startled by something. With the tie ring, he can move his feet backward and the lead rope slips through just enough to give him some slack so that he gives up fighting it. If he moved back and hit the resistance, that would be when the incident could become a trainwreck.


We use it to tie the horses to the horse trailer, because that seems to be when the wrecks happen. We have also used the tie ring to tie up to posts and trees. The bolted fastener at the top makes it easy to move.
I have seen a demonstration of it on RFDTV and it is featured on a Clinton Anderson DVD.
If you have a chance to get to a Clinton Anderson clinic, i suggest you go. Jac and i learned a lot and he is certainly entertaining. Jac won a DVD set for Advanced Riding and, we got a picture of her with him. He is a cutie.
I also went to a Parelli clinic and i loved it. It was quite a production and i quite literally got goosebumps.
At Arlington, Washington, i got a few minutes to speak to trainer Ken McNabb. I really like his show on RFDTV. What a nice, approachable man. He also was doing a clinic where people brought their horses. I would love to do that some time! We spoke for a few minutes and on his autograph, he wrote his signature salutation: "May God Bless the Trails you ride."
Jac and i want to get to a Chris Cox clinic next. We like his show, as well. Recently we watched his show where he showed some of his most challenging moments. He has won the colt starting competition several times at that equine fair back east.
There are a lot of good trainers out there and i am really glad that they are doing these shows. And i am thankful that the RFDTV channel features so many trainers.

Okie and Sami Jo

Sami Jo walked Okie out of my trailer and led him over to her trailer, where she tied him up. She and i quickly brushed him and she offered to wrap his legs with her polka dot polo wraps. I thought that sounded fun so, first, she stood in the doorway of her trailer and threw her saddle blanket at Okie's back from the off-side. I thought he might flinch, but he didnt. What doesnt kill you is good for you, i guess. I like that Sami Jo is so relaxed with him. He needs a lot of de-sensitizing and she is good for him. I wondered if she was going to throw her saddle on him in the same fashion, but she carried it out of the trailer and swung it to his back, letting it down lightly. I cinched him while she dug in her bag for the polo wraps. Sami Jo squatted by his front leg and quickly wrapped the polo on it. Before i knew it, she had all 4 on him and i admired them. Okie is not used to wraps being on his back legs, but after a few steps, he didnt seem to mind them. Sami Jo led Okie to the small arena, checked his cinch, and climbed on. She walked him around the arena several times as we chatted about her last barrel race.
"Time for some galloping", she said and she urged him out. It didnt take much encouragement. It had been a cooler morning and Okie was feeling good. Still, i didnt think he was moving as fast as he could, or as fast as he had on other mornings. I tried to get some good photos of the polka-dot polo wraps doing their job. I thought that the lime green polka-dots stood out the best.
Okie started to smooth out his gait and Sami Jo settled in for the ride. Okie did not seem to be breathing very hard as she took him around for the 8th, 9th, and 10th times.
In the meantime, Jac was doing the stretching exercises with Skyler. Skyler's golden color was almost hard to watch in the bright sunlight. I was pleased that his hip and chest had filled out a lot since we got him home from Spokane.Jaclyn trotted Skyler as Sami Jo and Okie zoomed by. Talk about your "zoom-zoom". It was easy to picture Sami Jo and Okie on their way "home" from the 3rd barrel as they rounded the corners of the small arena. At one point, Sami Jo was going to break him down to a walk, but he resisted just a bit, and she let him go on.Eventually, Sami Jo took Okie through the center of the arena and reversed their direction. As they rounded the corner, Okie began to switch his lead. But then he was cross-firing in the back and 4 strides later, he had that corrected as well. After a few laps in that direction, Sami Jo reined him in and did a little backing and some sidepassing with the Oklahoma Kid. She also tried to get him to do a facsimile of a cutting horse move, where the horse backs and turns at the same time. Okie tried, but couldnt quite put it all together. Jac decided to ride Okie next to do some exercises with him. Okie is a little inflexible on his right side and Jac and i have been doing the exercises to improve it.
Jaclyn and Skyler had been traveling around the arena doing their exercises and it was determined that it was friend Marlaine's turn to ride. Marlaine's nickname that my Dad gave her years ago is "Half-Pint". Hence, major stirrup adjustments had to be made. Jaclyn put the stirrup fastener on the last hole, and even that wasnt short enough, but Marlaine said that she would practice her ballet and point her toes.So, off she went. Marlaine has not ridden horses in about 25 years, so she tried to figure out how to communicate with Skyler, who has a different means of communication from anything she has ever ridden. She does quite well, however and she and the Golden Boy make several circuits of the arena.
And then it is time for Sami Jo to meet her Grandpa and we get every one dismounted and lead the horses to the trailer to be unsaddled. Okie and Skyler get a few treats, a quick brushing and hop into the trailer without a fuss. Jac and smile at one another as we shut the door, because we figure that we have got ourselves a couple of fun guys to play with.

Twilight Ride

The girls had been riding for a couple of hours by the time that i got to the arena that evening.It had been a really hot summer day with temperatures close to 100. I know - "but it's a dry heat." Well, around here, when it gets that hot, it doesnt matter how dry the air is - it is stinkin' hot. The temperature gauge in my car has been very reliable about reporting the respective numbers concerning the heat. It will read: "96." "98." But today, instead of giving me a number, it just showed flames.

The girls had waited until after 7: PM to ride and by the time i got there, the temp was a very pleasant 82 and was dropping rapidly. They had a good ride, they reported. The chestnut that Sami Jo was riding, Okie, had not been ridden in some time. But i had been doing some groundwork with him. I have sent him around in small circles, with change of direction. I have taken him to obstacles such as a plastic tarp, a metal folding chair, and cones. I have poked, prodded, and petted him. Through all of this, he has been very laid back.
Sami Jo said that on this night, he was very laid back. We thought he might be "juiced up", but he responded well to her cues, and did not exhibit any "hot" behaviors, such as prancing, while she worked with him. She did say that he did not want to pick up his right lead. Jaclyn has ridden him before and she knew he wasnt used to being asked for that lead. The cowboy told me that Okie was being trained to be a rope horse and he had not spent much time with him working on leads.

Sami Jo loped him around the arena and Okie started out with a slow, rocking horse movement. He was also a little stiff, or inflexible on his right side. We could tell, also, that he is out of shape - a little soft. But, still, spurs were not needed on him.

It was kind of hard to get get some good photos in the growing darkness and i stopped to adjust the lighting. When i looked up, Sami Jo and Okie were still going, but it was hard for me to catch them close enough to get a decent shot.

Jac said that her boy, Skyler, was his usual good self. She walked and trotted him around the arena. I have to say that Skyler is looking really good right now. When we brought him back from Spokane last winter, he had dropped a lot of weight and his winter coat was quite light - almost white. Now he is a beautiful golden color and he has filled out again nicely. Even though he has not been ridden hard, his muscles have some definition. He is so good natured. He is truly our Golden Boy.

Okie and Skyler felt right at home at the arena, although neither of them had ever been there before. There were cows in pens nearby and horses spread out throughout the facility. Strange smells, a border collie pup running around, and lots of equipment in varying shapes and size. Our boys were fairly indifferent to all of the sensations.

Sami Jo had been loping her barrel horse to get her ready for competition this weekend and she was riding in the prettiest cowgirl boots you'd ever see. It was easy to see how pretty they were because she was riding in shorts. I told you it was a hot day. She looked cute as a button, but she must be tough as nails, because i tried riding in shorts when i was a kid and my legs got so "chewed up" from the saddle and even trying bareback riding in shorts was a disaster.

Sami Jo does a lot of riding. She has to work at keeping her barrel horse in shape, as well as her cutting horse and she lopes her grandpa's cutting horses, to keep them in shape for competition. It would seem that this is not the only time she has ridden her saddle while wearing shorts.
Sami Jo is about 19 and we have known her since she was just a little stinker. She has grown up to be a gal of multi-talents. She was a star athlete in high school. She was a member of the theater company. She writes songs and performs them -she has a beautiful voice. She was a state champion high school rodeo competitor. She placed third in the National High School Cutting Horse Championship. And she is the nicest down-to-earth gal.

So the girls had a good ride; the boys got loosened up; and i got some pretty funky photos. And to think that i couldnt take any better pix than these even though i was sober. Something is "askew" about that sober thing....

When Jac got home, i offered to lead one of the boys for her, but she said no, she'd just lead them both from the front yard to the back and into the corrals. And she did. I guess i'll just go fix a "nightcap."

What a good horse can do

It was Audrey's 5th birthday and she was here, at Saddle Mountain, to ride a horse for the very first time. She was excited, but a little concerned. We knew that Skyler was going to help her build her confidence. Jaclyn reassured Audrey that Skyler would be her friend because he was 5 years old, also. Audrey approached Skyler as he was tied to the trailer. He looked awfully big and when he turned his head toward her, she stiffened, but she did not step back. Skyler smelled the top of her head and licked his lips. Audrey's mother asked if he did that because he had not eaten any children yet that morning. Jac assured the mother that Skyler licked his lips to indicate that he was relaxed and happy to meet Audrey. Audrey was encouraged to put her hand out to touch Skyler and she did - on the nose. Jaclyn showed Audrey where to pet him on the shoulder and she slowly reached for him. As she touched him, Jaclyn coaxed Audrey to say Skyler's name so that he could hear her voice. Audrey quietly said, "Hello, Skyler." Skyler, as if on cue, turned his head to smell her again and she touched his nose again and said, "Skyler," softly.
Jaclyn untied Skyler and asked Audrey if she was ready to get on, explaining that Skyler would stand quietly and when he was ready to go, Jaclyn would lead him slowly and not let go. Audrey looked at her mother and indicated that she was concerned about being on the horse by herself. Her mother asked if she would get on if the two of them were on there together. The mother asked Jaclyn if the horse would mind having both of them on there. Jaclyn told her that it would be no problem for Skyler and they were just going to walk slowly anyway. Jaclyn, however, was thinking to herself, "We'll find out if he rides double, won't we?"
Skyler was led to the grass where a stool was placed so that the mom could reach the stirrup. Jaclyn asked the mom if she had ridden a horse before and she said, "twice."
"Ah-hah! An experienced rider!" Jaclyn said boldly.
"Ah- yeah." The mom said, hesitantly.
"No worries," Jac said. "Skyler prefers greenhorns."A littlle tugging and reaching and the mom was in the saddle. Jaclyn helped Audrey reach the saddle horn and the mom hauled her up in front of her. "There's not much room. Maybe i should move back," the mom said. Jac agreed and the adjustment was made.
Jaclyn asked Audrey if she wanted to hold the reins or the horn and Audrey chose the horn. "I'm going to lead Skyler around in a circle now and i want you to tell him that it is time to go by squeezing your foot on him right here," Jaclyn said as she showed Audrey where to put her foot. Audrey moved her foot and Jaclyn started Skyler forward.Skyler's head seemed almost too heavy for him as he slowly walked beside Jaclyn. Jaclyn talked to Audrey as she walked, explaining how Skyler was trained to be a rope horse, but the cowboy who owned him knew that we would enjoy him and would give him a good home, so we bought him and the cowboy had to train another rope horse. (We, of course, bought the next rope horse, as well...poor cowboy.)
Jaclyn asked Aubrey if she knew how to stop a horse and Audrey said, "No." Jaclyn explained that you have to start by saying, "Whoa. Then you pick up on the reins, but we'll just have you say whoa when i count to three." Jaclyn counted to three and Aubry said, "Whoa." Skyler stopped, his head still hanging low to the ground. Jac noticed that he wasnt trying to eat any grass, though. He was just totally relaxed.
"Note to self," Jac thought to herself, "I will be able to line up between 4 and 6 kids bareback on this horse." "Okay, Audrey, squeeze him with your foot and we'll have him move out." Audrey moved her foot and Skyler dragged himself forward. "Skyler, i think that cowboy sold us a plow horse, not a rope horse," Jaclyn commented, quietly.So, around and around they went and, before long, we noticed that Audrey was smiling. A little smile, at first, that grew bigger and bigger. Occasionally, Jaclyn would count to three and
Audrey remembered to say, "Whoa."Audrey's little sister, who had been most patiently waiting for some time, now spoke up to ask for a turn on the horse. Audrey agreed and the passengers were exchanged with the mom staying on the back. Audrey's sister, at age 3, had no qualms about enjoying her ride. Her grin was wide from the moment Skyler took his first step. She said "Whoa" with enthusiasm and probably would have been content to trot away from Jaclyn, but Jaclyn was not about to let her get away with stealing her horse.
Then it was time for hotdogs and birthday cupcakes and Skyler got to take a break. Audrey had made a beautiful thank you card with lots of beautiful stickers of horses. She pointed to the sticker that looked like Skyler and noted to Jaclyn that it was now her favorite one. The card had a handwritten message that her mother translated for Jaclyn.
Hugs were exchanged and Jaclyn asked if Audrey would like to ride Skyler one more time before she left and Audrey said "Yes, i would." Skyler was agreeable and he smelled Audrey again as she approached him to pet him on the shoulder. She said, "Skyler." Jaclyn asked her if she wanted her mom to ride with her and Audrey said, "No, i can ride Skyler." Jaclyn boosted her onto the saddle and, grinning, Audrey picked up the reins. "Okay, Skyler," and she moved her foot. Jaclyn and Skyler walked slowly toward the grass.