Brian Hull, farrier from Grand Valley, Ontario, is particular about cross-ties — especially if he’s in a situation where he has to shoe a horse surround by walls on three sides (something he actually prefers to avoid). He believes you should avoid using chains to cross-tie a horse in these situations.
“If you are finishing the shoeing using a hoof stand and the horse rears, the chain could break away from the wall or the halter,” he says. “Horses can move faster than you can and you could get hit very hard with a steel chain. The chain could also wrap around a horse’s legs. You could end up with an injured farrier and an injured horse.”
Hull prefers to use baling twine at the halter and the wall in these situations, which he fastens with a quick-release knot.
