impatient mare

Question
I have a mare that has little patience.  She will not stand still for any period of time.  If I have to stop while riding, she dances around doing half passes to the right and the left.  She'll stand while I get on but other than that, forget it!  My husband was raised the 'cowboy' way and says to tie her up for hours at a time and it will teach her patience. That sounds cruel to me, so I have not done it and I've had her about 2 years.  She's about 13 years old.

Answer
sometimes the "cowboy" way isn't all bad. I work for the local SPCA, and we find that a lot of people have ill mannered horses because they think something is cruel or unfair.

In my opinion, tying a horse up until they learn that they can't escape, and they can't out-weigh a solid post, isn't cruel at all. It is saving your own butt. you are putting yourself, your horse, and everyone else at risk by having a horse that prances and moves about.