Tie downs and such

I was just wondering if your useing a tie down in barrels and your horse falls will it be able to get back to it's feet?

Training forks- I was wondering about these too can you use them in barrels.

And boots- I was just looking around at horses on craigslist and I found one that had two different color boots on! What do you guys think about all using to different color boots, would it be cool, weird and what would happen if they were two different types of boots like the SMB elite and an SMB 3 would that affect anything?

What do you guys think about these things? Just wondering what other people think about everything

Tiedowns- There is a specific way of adjusting them so that they allow the horse enough freedom to regain balance in said situation.

Training forks- I am not a believer in using them on barrels. I think they are great for teaching a horse to break at the pole and give to the bit, but can pull a horse down onto it's forehand and throw the balance off on the pattern.

SMBs- it's all a personal preference as far as colors go. I've seen em different colored all the way around... but don't see a mixture of types. (brands- make)

I use a tie down everytime I run the barrels because my horse throws her head up and doesnt listen when she runs.i tie my horses head down tight enough to not let her do that but loose enough if that we ever have an accident again shell be able to stand up.

Well I use a tie down too and I thought that it would keep my horse down and out of my face, but she ended up rearing up and smashing me into the ground I came out of it with, a first place run, **,000 for selling that horse, and 4 snapped ribs from the saddle. Wasnt' my best weekend but atleast I sold the horse that did it

With every tiedown or set of training forks they should sell a t-shirt that says "I don't know how to use my hands". It's unfortunate that people get in wrecks caused by the holes they are trying to cover with tiedowns and never realize the problem was caused by them in the first place. There are some team roping horses that benefit from using a tiedown to help them pull harder but for most disipline a tiedown is just a side-effect of poor training and horsemanship.

Kevin, you said it well.
I rarely see or hear of anyone who knows how to use a tie down and what its purpose is. Id your horse is rearing, throwing his head, etc a tie down is not the answer. There are good uses for tie downs, unfortunately none of the ones I have seen so far count.
Training will solve those problems you are having.

If your horse's head is hanging in the air, you don't continue to run him. You fix the problem. So why is there even a such thing as a tie down?

I totally don't get that about barrel racers.

I definitely agree with Kevin! I see people running around XC with standing and running martingales, not knowing how to use them. Yes I agree that some horses might need them, but only when said horse can be controlled anyway and they are just a precaution. I don't agree with tie-downs, they just don't sit well with me

Well the people we bought the horse from said just to use a tie down but at the show where she did that it was the first time she ever rear

I agree with Kevin. Tie downs are just a cheap way of covering up a problem if your horse flips his head up you have to take it back to the basics.
Tasia