hobbling

[PatriotsDreamer]

How many people do it? why do you do it? how do you feel about doing it? Im not considering it just never understood it.

[Me'N'Chic]

Ha! Ha! I just posted an article about this on your other thread!! Here it is:

http://windyhillfarms.blogspot.com/

[rocknK]

Nice way to let a horse graze ifn you don't have a fence for miles around. In some circumstances it can be safer for some horses than tying. Its a good way of safely teaching some horses to submit, for a rider that is.

[Gem's Mom]

When I was at Truman we started teaching the youngsters how to be hobbled. I think 2 was the youngest. The opinion was that if it's taught in a safe way that the horse will then learn to stand still no matter what they're stuck in. Heard stories about people's horses getting stuck in a fence and waiting until someone comes to get them as opposed to getting tore up by yanking themselves back out. So Gem knows how to do it, learned as a 3 yr old.

Had the indoor arena (had the better footing at the time) clear and put him in the middle. Took a lead rope with no clip on it (so soft cotton). Put around one leg, just above hoof, tied in square knot, few fingers loose so not cutting circulation or big enough to slide off. Twisted the ends around a few times then tied the other foot. Or at least I'm pretty sure that's how we did it, I might have to look again. Anyways, once they're tied we still stood there with them for a few min then unhooked the lead rope to see what they'd do (perhaps had a lunge on... my memory is failing me!). Most of them would try to pick up a foot and it wouldn't work so they'd stumble around a bit and then just stand and stare at us till we let them go. After a time or two inside we'd take them out to a flat spot in the middle of a pasture and do the same thing and let them graze. I think Gem figured out he can hop around a bit and looked like a big bunny. Gulliver on the other hand already has a rope on the ground phobia so we've never tried any hobbling with him.

So I think if you know what you're doing and introduce it safely it can be a good life skill for a horse.

[mare]

It's very handy if you need to get off and do a job when you're in sagebrush country and there are no trees to tie to. Or if you don't like to ride with a halter on and don't have room in your saddle bags. Or if you the last one in to lunch and all the ties/posts are taken.

[ImaBronsonBear]

I've done it, for training purposes and if i go camping anytime in the future and there's no where to tie to, i want to be able to contain my horse. I feel just fine about doing it. Bronson's reaction was taking miniscule steps and eating grass.;) Soooooo scared, huh? 'Course i did prepare him for it by roping his legs and everything, but he totally didn't react at all.

[Dixie]

It has lots of uses.

The main one that I like is that it teaches a horse to wait and not react should they get hung up in something.

I had an arab colt I had worked with hobbling on. He got a shoe hung in the fence. Instead of freaking out and tearing himself and the fence up, he just stood there and waiting until I came to let him loose. That would have been real ugly had I don't desensitized him to hobbling earlier on. I've seen the horrors of what can happen when a horse gets tangled. I like to believe my previous work with this colt is what saved both him and the fence.

[TheRedHayflinger]

The main one that I like is that it teaches a horse to wait and not react should they get hung up in something.


that is the MAIN reason I teach my horses to hobble!
It's also nice to let them out and graze and stuff...esp. when you are overnight camping in an area that has some nice grazing to utilize :)

[PatriotsDreamer]

You know im kind of considering it for THESE purposes now. i was told my horse needed it for RESPECT, but i dont think it should be used for respect , i do like it for some of the reasons mentioned

[JackieB]

Buster used to be hobbled when he went on elk hunting trips to Colorado. I haven't done it with him, but he's quite comfortable in hobbles.

[HoustonFarrier]

All of our horses are taught to be hobbled. I think it's a "must" thing to teach.

Steve

[alittleoffkey]

Legacy has never been concerned with getting his feet hung up in something (sometimes he does it on purpose for attention :doh: ) - but I hobbled Dixie when she was younger because she would react so strongly to anything around her feet. She learned that if she just stood and waited, someone will come along and help her out... and nothing will hurt. :)

[Country Girl 43]

Dallas was taught to be hobbled while he was at the trainers.

When we were on our trail ride with 35 riders and we went to the ghost town, there was not enough room at the hitching posts for all the horses, so some people hobbled their horses. It was pretty cool to see the horses just standing there while we were having lunch.