02/12/2025
I am seeing those "Patience Poles" methods popping up everywhere on the internet right now. They are recommended to teach a horse to tie easily without them pulling. This is a wonderful example of breaking the spirit of the horse.
The horse is tied to a rope, which is fixed onto a 3,5 meter high pole for long periods of time. There is no water, no food, no companion and absolutely no escape.
It's at least a very stressful training method at worst can cause stress colics and stress induced laminitis. In very severe cases the horse ends up breaking it's neck.
It's an old training tool for people without empathy or knowledge.
The horse is terrified and succumbs eventually. It's hopeless and helpless. What a fine method to be praised as success.
Those are some of our horses, untied, in front of a café, patiently waiting for us. And they have never seen a "Patience Pole".
