Horse Training - Building a Good Tie Rail

All horse need to be able to stand tied. Training for young horses should include standing tied to learn patience, rest and to get past bad habits like pawing. Of course, alot of work and a long ride does wonders for getting a horses to stand still while tied.

I have six tie rails on my property, some of field pipe and one rail road tie type: one at the round pen, two at the arena and one each at the geldings corral, mare and brood mare stalls and guest tack room. Yet I needed another tie rail near by geldings feed barn/tack room. So I set out to build another rail road tie rail.

While on the State Highway on my way home I ran into (not literally) a neighbor of mine who asked about the railroad ties and cement in the back of my Super Duty. I explain what I going to build and he asked me how I was going to build it. I explained then thought I would take some pictures and post them since everyone needs a tie rail as horses need to be able to stand tied.

My list of materials: three railroad ties; four bags (80 lbs each) of sacrete cement; two 2"x3' bands of thin steel; four 1/2"x6inch lag bolts and eight 1/2"x4 inch lag bolts.

I first figured out how wide my new tie rail was going to be and dug two holes, about 3 1/2 feet deep for the vertical uprights.

I poured one bag of sacrete cement in each hole, added water and mixed it up; then added another bag of sacrete to each hole and did the same. I then used the excess dirt to fill and tamped what remained of the holes around the vertical supports.

I then placed the horizontal rail on top of the vertical supports and evened them out.

I drilled two counter sunk holes for the 6 inch 1/2 inch lag bolt to connect the horizontal and vertical supports then secured the horizontal rail to the vertical supports.

Then I molded the steel bands (actually beat them into position) over the top rail, drilled them and used the 4 inch lag bolts to secure the bands to the vertical supports.

This is the finished product (above). Most of us know the old saying "measure twice, cut once". Well I had to learn again (for the umpteenth time) that it pertains to digging holes as well. Safe Journey,.......and measure twice.