Tethering is the practice of securing a horse to an area with a long rope or chain tied from its headcollar/neck strap to ideally a stake in the ground. Seeing horses tethered can be upsetting for many people.
There are acceptable standards of tethering that are recommended in the Codes of Practice to ensure the horse’s welfare is not compromised. Tethering shouldn’t be used as a long-term means of keeping a horse as this can lead to a failure to meet the horse’s basic welfare needs as set out in the Animal Welfare Act (2006), Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.