12/05/2026
Picture this: you’re at a rally, muster, competition or clinic. Horses are tied to floats and rails while people catch up, walk courses, gear up, spectate, or help elsewhere around the grounds. It’s a very normal part of horse sports.
Some horses are perfectly happy to stand quietly tied up all day. That’s often a combination of temperament, training, experience, and good preparation.
But others genuinely struggle with being tied for long periods, particularly in busy or unfamiliar environments. They may become anxious, agitated, hypervigilant, sweaty, vocal, fidgety, or escalate into pawing, weaving, pulling back, or panic behaviours.
This is why Pony Club Australia’s Horse Welfare Policy states that members must not:
“Leave a stressed horse tied (whether to a float or a fixed rail) without constant supervision and attempts to reduce the stress.”
In other words, it is not appropriate to tie up a horse, leave them in a state of escalating stress, and walk away in the hope they will eventually “get over it” or simply stop reacting.
Horses are flight animals, and movement is one of their natural coping strategies. When tied, they lose the ability to move away from things they may be struggling to cope with, including isolation, noise, unfamiliar surroundings, or mounting pressure and arousal.
Without intervention, stress can continue to build and escalate into panic, injury, or conflict behaviour.
Good horsemanship means recognising when a horse is no longer coping and intervening early.
Attempts to reduce stress may include:
• staying with the horse and monitoring them closely
• moving the horse to a quieter or less overwhelming area
• tying the horse near a calm companion horse where appropriate
• using calm, predictable handling rather than punishment or force
• giving the horse a break from tying if stress continues to build
• untieing the horse and finding somewhere they can settle more comfortably, such as a yard if one is available
• asking a parent, friend, or another trusted person to help supervise the horse if you are unable to stay with them yourself
In some cases, recognising that the horse is struggling and changing the plan is the most appropriate response.
Active supervision means continuing to monitor the horse’s behaviour and welfare while they are tied up, and responding appropriately if they begin to show signs of stress.
