# Hobbling



## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I'm going to assume that you know how to put them on because I don't know if I can explain it so you can understand. When you put hobbles on put them on as tight as you can with the horses feet about 3 inches apart. When the horse tries to take the first step they will pull tight and be just right. I like to put them in a round pen and take the halter off so they cant get in a wreck that way. Then just leave the pen and find sopmething else to do within sight of the corral. The horse will panic a little but as long as he's safe just let him go and he'll soon figure it out.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

what do you need hobbles for?

when i saw hobbles i was thinking trotting or pacing hobbles.... lol, then i wondered why anyone would be asking that!


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

I hobble my horse almost daily. For grooming, for saddling. He spends about 1/2 hour every day wearing them on the front, on the back and sometimes on both.
You do not teach it by just putting them on and turning the horse loose. It is a simple thing to teach, 10 minutes a day for 3 or 4 days and the a horse will wear hobbles without fighting.
A post on how to do this was run about a month or so ago
Do a search on hobbling and you should find information on how to do this.
I always carry a pair in my saddle bags and when I need to clear trail I ground tie by dropping the reins and slip a pair of hobbles on for safelty.
Hobbles teach patience, the teach a horse to stand quietly for long periods of time.
Look it up and if you can not find it I will try a search tomorrow


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

Try this link
http://www.horseforum.com/horse-training/training-horse-accept-hobbles-31945/


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

If hobbles teach so much patience, why exactly do you continue to hobble your horse daily? Ground tying isn't ground tying if your horse is restrained. Hence the term GROUND tying. Seems like a pretty big waste of time if after all these years your horse hasn't even learned to stand still for saddling.

I've never had a problem teaching patience and standing without use of hobbles. Quite frankly, I dislike the idea of completely removing my horses ability to escape if neccesary.

OP - what is your experience with hobbles? Why do you want to know how to use them? I've never quite understood the point of them, other then to cause unneccesary danger.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

If you had ever spent the afternoon walking back to the trailer hoping your horse would be there when you got there it wouldn't seem like such a waste of time.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> If you had ever spent the afternoon walking back to the trailer hoping your horse would be there when you got there it wouldn't seem like such a waste of time.


Care to explain exactly what you mean by that? I fail to see how hobbles prevents your horse from galloping off if you get dumped, if that's what you're insinuating. My horses are trained to stop when I fall, and I've never had an issue with a horse running off.


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## shesinthebarn (Aug 1, 2009)

I've used them when I ran a pack train a few years back. The mules and horses were already used to them, so I'm not sure how exactly they were trained to accept them. I used them without incident, and they were very easy to use. It was a nice feeling knowing that they were not too far away all night, and they could get up and down with them on which surprised me. Better than tethering all night long!
Ummmm....I think I kinda remember an article in Western Horseman a few years back about them. Maybe they have an archive on ther website?
Are you going on a trip??


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I mean that if you get off your horse to enjoy some lunch in the great outdoors you can either hobble your horse and let him graze, tie him up short so he doesn't get tangled in the rope or let him graze and hope your bond is strong enough that he won't run off. I have tried all the options and I hobble my horses when I won't be using them but want to keep them near. Some people use horses differently than I do and they have no need of hobbles. I have never in 25 years had a horse hurt using hobbles so to my way of thinking they must not be too dangerous.


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## close2prfct (Mar 9, 2009)

I believe in using hobbles to train a horse patience, standing still and not to panic. Hobbling teaches a horse if there is something around it's feet to stand still. If a horse is trained to not panic at something being around it's feet chances are if it ever hangs up in wire or some other restricting line around it's feet it will not panic and wait patiently for you or someone to rescue it and remove whatever is around it instead of thrashing about and getting cut up or worse. I do not see using hobbles on a daily basis for grooming etc as being productive unless you are personally afraid of being hurt by a pawing/kicking horse.


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## shesinthebarn (Aug 1, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> Care to explain exactly what you mean by that? I fail to see how hobbles prevents your horse from galloping off if you get dumped, if that's what you're insinuating. My horses are trained to stop when I fall, and I've never had an issue with a horse running off.


You don't use hobbles when riding. They are a kind of semi-restraint you put on the horse when you are on a long ride and don't want to have to tie your horse for long periods of time. I've never heard of anyone riding with them! The hobbles don't completely restrict movement - they just make it so they can't go too far away in a hurry. We used them overnight so we didn't have to tie them all night long. That way they could graze, lay down, whatever. In the morning, they were never more than a hundred feet away.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> If hobbles teach so much patience, why exactly do you continue to hobble your horse daily? Ground tying isn't ground tying if your horse is restrained. Hence the term GROUND tying. Seems like a pretty big waste of time if after all these years your horse hasn't even learned to stand still for saddling.
> 
> I've never had a problem teaching patience and standing without use of hobbles. Quite frankly, I dislike the idea of completely removing my horses ability to escape if neccesary.
> 
> OP - what is your experience with hobbles? Why do you want to know how to use them? I've never quite understood the point of them, other then to cause unneccesary danger.


I am at a boarding barn and instead of cross tying I just lead him out a slip a pair of hobbles on him. It leaves his head free for grooming, I don't have to duck under a cross tie either. The horse learns to stand absolutely still while you do your thing. I tie them both front and back.

Ground tying?? I drop the reins all the time and unsaddle at the back of my truck, strip his and my gear off and then lead him to the barn. I drop the reins for minor cleaning of the trail but when I pull out my machette and start chopping berry bushes and thistles I slip a pair of hobbles on to guarantee while my back is turned and I am clearing trail he will be there when I turn back to him. If he ran off chances are good he will be killed crossing major roads at a dead run.
Also hobbling teaches the horse if his leg gets caught he doesn't fight, he Teaching a horse to accept restraint is never a waste of time. He has no flight option ever. He has to learn that right off the bat, tied, hobbled , ridden there is never a time he can take flight, no matter what.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

No, I understand that shesinthebarn, I know exactly what hobbles are. I'm just totally confused on what kevinshorses meant by his statement. That a hobble trained horse won't run off on you?

I don't have an issue with people who use hobbles, they definately have their place. I just don't believe hobbles teach anything you can't teach without hobbles. I could see them being useful on camping trips and such though!


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> I dislike the idea of completely removing my horses ability to escape if neccesary.
> 
> 
> .


Could you please give me an example where your horse needs to escape??

You are working with your horse and suddenly he needs to take flight and escape??????


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## shesinthebarn (Aug 1, 2009)

Ya, we ran week long pack trips hauling gear for hikers and campers - we slept in the open, and without hobbles, it would have totally sucked! I thought maybe you were confusing them with "hopples"!lol Like for pacers!


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

I never said restraint was a waste of time. My mare will follow me out the gate and directly to the sand area where we tack up. She will stand quietly, without any restraint whatsoever while I groom and saddle. If I'm on a trail and I need to do something, I dismount and she'll graze while I do my business. So no, I don't see the point in hobbles. My mare doesn't panic when she gets tangled in something, she stands and waits for me to help her. So she's learned everything your horses have without the danger of having all four legs restricted at once.

I just don't understand why on earth you'd want to train every flight sense out of your horse. Are you actually so arrogant as to believe that you are the supreme god and you will always be able to protect him no matter what? Things happen, regardless of your belief that your horses are beyond imperfection, and I'd rather be able to get my horse loose but fast when they do.

But again, to each their own I suppose.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> I mean that if you get off your horse to enjoy some lunch in the great outdoors you can either hobble your horse and let him graze, tie him up short so he doesn't get tangled in the rope or let him graze and hope your bond is strong enough that he won't run off. I have tried all the options and I hobble my horses when I won't be using them but want to keep them near. Some people use horses differently than I do and they have no need of hobbles. I have never in 25 years had a horse hurt using hobbles so to my way of thinking they must not be too dangerous.


I don't know how to explain it any better!


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

RiosDad said:


> Could you please give me an example where your horse needs to escape??
> 
> You are working with your horse and suddenly he needs to take flight and escape??????


I forgot, you don't have wild animals or freak occurances of nature where you live. My bad.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> I mean that if you get off your horse to enjoy some lunch in the great outdoors you can either hobble your horse and let him graze, tie him up short so he doesn't get tangled in the rope or let him graze and hope your bond is strong enough that he won't run off. I have tried all the options and I hobble my horses when I won't be using them but want to keep them near. Some people use horses differently than I do and they have no need of hobbles. I have never in 25 years had a horse hurt using hobbles so to my way of thinking they must not be too dangerous.


Thanks for clarifying kevinshorses, I just didn't understand what you meant. I realize what you're saying, and I agree they probably have their use. I've just seen ugly things happen with them, and with fully broke horses so I'm a bit biased I suppose. I've never had an issue with my Arab mare, she clings to me like glue, so I guess I never thought to use them. Thanks for explaining!


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> I never said restraint was a waste of time. My mare will follow me out the gate and directly to the sand area where we tack up. She will stand quietly, without any restraint whatsoever while I groom and saddle. If I'm on a trail and I need to do something, I dismount and she'll graze while I do my business. So no, I don't see the point in hobbles. My mare doesn't panic when she gets tangled in something, she stands and waits for me to help her. So she's learned everything your horses have without the danger of having all four legs restricted at once.
> 
> I just don't understand why on earth you'd want to train every flight sense out of your horse. Are you actually so arrogant as to believe that you are the supreme god and you will always be able to protect him no matter what? Things happen, regardless of your belief that your horses are beyond imperfection, and I'd rather be able to get my horse loose but fast when they do.
> 
> But again, to each their own I suppose.


You have my permission to NOT use hobbles.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

I tried editing my post and I exceeded the 10 minute time limit

I am at a boarding barn and instead of cross tying I just lead him out a slip a pair of hobbles on him. It leaves his head free for grooming, I don't have to duck under a cross tie either. The horse learns to stand absolutely still while you do your thing. I tie them both front and back. Sometime I put them on the front feet, sometimes I put them on the back and some times I put them on all 4. At other times_ I even put a single cuff on his left hind leg, attach a rope to it and stake him out on a choice piece of grass._


Ground tying?? I drop the reins all the time and unsaddle at the back of my truck, strip his and my gear off and then lead him to the barn. I drop the reins for minor cleaning of the trail but when I pull out my machette and start chopping berry bushes and thistles I slip a pair of hobbles on to guarantee while my back is turned and I am clearing trail he will be there when I turn back to him. If he ran off chances are good he will be killed crossing major roads at a dead run.
Also hobbling teaches the horse if his leg gets caught he doesn't fight, he Teaching a horse to accept restraint is never a waste of time. He has no flight option ever. He has to learn that right off the bat, tied, hobbled , ridden there is never a time he can take flight, no matter what.
How is teaching all this harmfull to a horse????


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> I forgot, you don't have wild animals or freak occurances of nature where you live. My bad.


We don't have wild animals. Squirrels, rabbits, deer , wild turkeys, coyotes and our harmless guarder snakes don't count as a threat.. 
Occurances of nature??? What am I suddenly going to have happen?? A tornado?? Hurricane?. Wild fire?? They don't exist in my world. there is never a time when a wild animal or occurance of nature enters my world.

The natural flight relex never never is accepted in my world. Not riding, not grooming, not while tied securely to a tree or hitching rail. 
If you feel hobbles are so bad then don't use them.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

I never said it was harmful, I just said it's not the only way and I personally find hobbles can be dangerous. Just because you've never had an issue with them, doesn't make them fool proof. So I was merely voicing my opinion as I've seen things go drastically wrong.


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## Marecare (Jan 1, 2009)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> I never said restraint was a waste of time. My mare will follow me out the gate and directly to the sand area where we tack up. She will stand quietly, without any restraint whatsoever while I groom and saddle. If I'm on a trail and I need to do something, I dismount and she'll graze while I do my business. So no, I don't see the point in hobbles. My mare doesn't panic when she gets tangled in something, she stands and waits for me to help her. So she's learned everything your horses have without the danger of having all four legs restricted at once.
> 
> I just don't understand why on earth you'd want to train every flight sense out of your horse. Are you actually so arrogant as to believe that you are the supreme god and you will always be able to protect him no matter what? Things happen, regardless of your belief that your horses are beyond imperfection, and I'd rather be able to get my horse loose but fast when they do.
> 
> But again, to each their own I suppose.



Well as they say" a picture is worth a thousand words"

Here is a couple of pictures of a friend of mines horse.
He always hobble trains all his horses as I do and this is one of the best reasons to do it.
The horse stood and waited for help with no injuries!


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

shesinthebarn said:


> Ya, we ran week long pack trips hauling gear for hikers and campers - we slept in the open, and without hobbles, it would have totally sucked! I thought maybe you were confusing them with "hopples"!lol Like for pacers!


hey hey hey, now as an STB girl you should know you should include trotting hopples in that, not just pacing!!! lol. and i dunno about in canada, but they go by both hopples and hobbles here. which is what confused me!



Marecare said:


> Well as they say" a picture is worth a thousand words"
> 
> Here is a couple of pictures of a friend of mines horse.
> He always hobble trains all his horses as I do and this is one of the best reasons to do it.
> The horse stood and waited for help with no injuries!


 wow, that could have been pretty nasty!!!!!!


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## close2prfct (Mar 9, 2009)

Marecare said:


> Well as they say" a picture is worth a thousand words"
> 
> Here is a couple of pictures of a friend of mines horse.
> He always hobble trains all his horses as I do and this is one of the best reasons to do it.
> The horse stood and waited for help with no injuries!


my point exactly had the horse not been hobble trained it could have been disastrous.


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## cwgrlup85 (Aug 29, 2009)

Wow thanks everyone for your opinions. Sorry didn't realize there was already a post on this few mths ago. I was just curious about everyone's opinions on hobbling. I am in the process of training my colt. My farrier suggested using hobbles, says he has always used them to teach his horses patience. Like close2prfct said in case they would get caught in wire, just like in marecares pics. Right now my horse stands patiently for grooming and putting tack on, wasn't sure whether I was going to use hobbles. My farrier did show me how to put them on. But I think it's something worth teaching. Wasn't sure if anyone had ever had a horse get hurt while using hobbles?


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## APHA MOMMA (Jul 10, 2009)

We use hobbles when we pack in to hunt. Once we find a spot sometimes we hobble the horses so they can just hang around and eat while we do our thing. I have never known hobbles to be dangerous. My horse actually doesn't mind them now that we are starting him on learning what they are, but it is my friend's horses we use hunting and hobble them. Scout is still to young to pack in and be rode for long periods of time so we do all his ground manners and training now with the hobbles.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Maybe it's just me then? I suppose it's not wise to base my entire opinion off one experience, I've just never personally had a purpose for them and after seeing what happened, it made me not keen on them.

A friend of mine had a stock horse gelding that was well hobbled trained. The horse was as quiet and respectful as can be, never had an issue, had hobbled him his entire life. We were out on a group trail ride and he hobbled him while we ate lunch. I'm assuming something stung him, because out of absolutely nowhere the horse went BERSERK. He started jumping and flailing around, and ended up flipping himself and gashing his head open on a rock. Thank god he was well trained, he was thrashing around but stopped when his owner yelled whoa, long enough to get him loose. The horse was fine, aside from a nasty cut on his head but it just scared the crap out of me.

So that's my limited experience with hobbles. Even the best trained horse still has instincts that we can never train out of them, and I just personally find it foolish to believe we can. I can definately see how hobbles are effective for teaching horses not to freak in wire, and handy dandy on an overnight ride. I just personally don't like the idea of restricting my horses movement so much due to what I've seen happen.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I would rather have my horse hurt whereI can see it and get to it than have something cause my horse to run off and get hurt somewhere down the trail where I might not find it. But that being said don't use hobbles if you don't want to.


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## shesinthebarn (Aug 1, 2009)

AlmagroN said:


> hey hey hey, now as an STB girl you should know you should include trotting hopples in that, not just pacing!!! lol. and i dunno about in canada, but they go by both hopples and hobbles here. which is what confused me!
> 
> 
> wow, that could have been pretty nasty!!!!!!


 Hahaha! I've always been told to pronounce it "hobbles" but spell it "hopples". I have NO idea why - and trotting hopples are a dirty word!! NEVER had any luck with them. They work for lots of people, but not for me!

But to the OP - if you are not confident using them, then you shouldn't....and it sounds like you have a great system for training your horses to stand and be patient without them. That's the great thing about horses - you can teach them the same thing a hundred different ways! There is never one absolute best way, and there is always an alternative


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## jimmy (Aug 26, 2009)

they are illegal over here[england]we used to use them years ago and nothing was said but times change i never saw a horse hurt by being hobbled


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## RedHawk (Jun 16, 2008)

Found a good article on leg restraints, and the writer gives a long list of reasons why he trains his horses to accept hobbles and the like.

LEG RESTRAINTS TRAINING


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## sparksgirl (Sep 13, 2009)

Here is a story that supports the use of hobbles as a training tool- I have a QH that loves to graze - he can "walk thru a fence with his chest " only problem is his feet get caught up in the wire. He is hobbled trained . Thank God the person who sold him had the foresight to hobble train him. Otherwise I would have a horse that may have been dead by now or maimed so that he would have been lame- No matter how well you anticipate safety for your horse in your fields,pastures,paddocks- the point is accidents happen . Trying to prevent accidents, major blow ups and to improve your horses mind a mark of a true horseman, and one that all horse owners should aspire to be.


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## chasin the dream (Jun 2, 2008)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> Care to explain exactly what you mean by that? I fail to see how hobbles prevents your horse from galloping off if you get dumped, if that's what you're insinuating. My horses are trained to stop when I fall, and I've never had an issue with a horse running off.


if ur horse is so trained to stop whenu fall...let me get a big garbage bag and jump out from behind a tree waving it.i will guarantee ur horse will spook and youll fall and i highly doubt ur horse will stay right there by ur side.there is no way in the world and horse would stay there.

besides..what u say has nothing to do with the other thing...if u get dumped..ur horse wont have hobbles on... if u get dumped ur horse will run off though.i doubt urs is any different.ur never going to change a horses natural instincts. u can restrain them...but if they arent hobbled and something scares them....they are going to be gone wether u lilke it or not.


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

Horse Hobbling

The issue of hobbling in the XXIst century brings into question the ethics of the relationship between human and equine. Hobbles affixed to any two legs deny the horse the ability to move freely for any purpose especially “flight” 

For some folks undoubtedly the horse is perceived to be a servant; the human remains the master at all times. The horse if necessary is forced to perform and to behave appropriately, The human’s desires come foremost, the horse is merely a horse powered tool with which to achieve the objective. Any horse is seen to be ultimately expendable. A hobbled horse cannot move far and is thereby very effectively restrained in open environments In similar vein, the resting horse takes up less space if tethered by the head in narrow stalls. There was an era when this attitude could be understood.

For other folks, horse lovers as against horse users, the relationship is different in that the horse is viewed as a companion; a relatively helpless but powerful animal which can be schooled to perform in the service of its carer. Leisure and play are the prime objectives behind ownership. The horse can becomes the beneficiary of tender loving care which the owner willingly provides. The horse is routinely forgiven for minor disobedience and its life is often prolonged, in spite of the cost, indeed sometimes inappropriately. Horses have a different function in our lives.

Personally speaking, if I were in a position where to hobble a horse was the only option to contain it, say for example in a plain without either trees or fencing then I would have chosen not to take the horse along in the first place. In the UK we have an effective system of portable electrified fencing working off a relatively small battery, which if appropriate could be readily carried by the horse in a saddle bag, To like thinking folks, neither hobbles nor stalls and indeed other questionable restraining practices, have a place within horse husbandry in the XXIst century. Nowadays in civilised societies the physical wellbeing of domestic animals is protected by law. Sadly the mental wellbeing of a horse often goes unchecked.


Barry G.


PS I was riding in good company in Andalucian countryside on a beautiful horse and we rode past a small farm in the grounds of which were a collection of hobbled farm animals - cows, horses, dogs. It was a pitiful sight. The memory stays with me after years It is a reason for not ever living in Spain.
On our yard is a Welsh cob - which was hobbled as a youngster so as to convert it to a pacer. It is still confused as when to trot and when to pace. It has difficulty with slow canters.
I hate hobbles and I hate stalls especially those divided by hanging beams. I hate all harsh tie downs.
My own horse is only ever restrained for her own safety and then for limited periods only.


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

I think hobbles have their time and place, and if used correctly can be an ok training tool.
But when hear people using hobbles as a training crutch or for their own comfort, with no regards to the horses mental well being, that is just ignorant. Im not challenging anyone to an argument so please keep them to yourselves as i am only stating an opinion, but honestly hobbling a horse just for grooming pruposes or to keep them still during routine experiences( ie farrier, floating, bathing, clipping, ect.) is just another crutch that sits right up with twitches, tied owns, and sedatives used to replace proper training. I understand that when out on a trail it is necessary to hobble at times, ok, but when you are in the safety of the barn why do you need such total control, after all these are animals, not toys to be used. I'm sure you'd have a problem with it if your dentist tied you up "for your own good" when you are getting a root canal, after all isn't it sooooomuch easier just to not have to WORK to accomplish something?
Also i think it completely IRRESPONSIBLE, IRRATIONAL AND, DANGEROUS:evil: to hobble train a horse by just "puttin em on and letting em go"!!! I mean honestly how smart are you people? You spend hundreds to thousands of dollars to care for these animals. Why do something so risky and dangerous, these are after all 1200lb animals with one of the strongest fight or flight reflexes in the animal kingdom.... That is pure laziness! It takes only a few hours to a few days to safely and properly train a horse to stand hobbled, isn't a safe and mentally unstressed pet worth the effort of just a few hours? But as humans go, i guess the quickest way wins out... which invents the want for hobbles anyway. I mean we are all busy people right? Who has time to train our horses these days?:roll::roll::roll:


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

Sorry this had nearly nothing to do with the original post, but honestly, if you are going to be a moron and risk your horses health by allowing them to jump and thrash around and not take the few extra hours to train them properly, you should at least keep your ignorance to yourselves... And as i said this is my opinion, no replies necessary! Good luck training your colt!!!!


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

Did I miss the part where someone suggested slapping a set of hobbles on a horse and let them thrash around??? 
Also horses wearing hobbles can still outrun you. They do not harm a horse but allow him free graze in an area where there are no fences..
Most people don't like something they really don't have any knowledge of.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Honeysuga said:


> Sorry this had nearly nothing to do with the original post, but honestly, if you are going to be a moron and risk your horses health by allowing them to jump and thrash around and not take the few extra hours to train them properly, you should at least keep your ignorance to yourselves... And as i said this is my opinion, no replies necessary! Good luck training your colt!!!!


I don't know if your reply is directed at me but I put my horse in a safe place and keep my eye on them the entire time. I don't know how you would train them but eventually they have to try to take a step and when they do they thrash around a little. I have done this with several horses and I have NEVER had a horse fall down or hurt himself in any way. Being in an enclosure as opposed to being tied up lets them have full control of thier heads. By not forcing them to move and just letting them move on thier own they don't feel chased and can stop at any time. Why don't you offer your suggestions on how you would do it. I have a feeling that you have not used hobbles or been around anyone that does. If hobbles keep my horse comfortable while I'm camping or both of us safe during training I will continue to use them. You may keep an open mind or wallow in ignorance it makes no difference to me.


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## Marecare (Jan 1, 2009)

Pictures are of a 7yo Mustang mare that is saddle broke,but never been in hobbles in her life.
All horses that come to my place get hobble broke for THEIR safety.
Hobbles were placed on the mare and care is given to make the mare comfortable and relaxed.
Again this is the first time in her life that she has ever worn hobbles and this is usually the way it goes.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

I too hobble train every horse I own. I use them daily for grooming and saddling and find hobbling more convenient then cross tying.
I also have never had a horse throw himself or mark themselves in any way.
Anyone who is really against them probably really knows nothing about them or seen them used.
10 minutes a day for 3 days and a horse will wear hobbles without fighting.


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

As I said Im not averse to hobbling, and of course I've used hobbles, I train all my horses to wear hobbles though I rarely use them unless trail riding or overnight camping.
I would never just throw a pair of hobbles on an animal without first desensitizing them to friction and restriction about their legs and feet. To to this I round pen them and using a cotton lead rope (for their legs , as well as a cotton lead and halter to prevent burns to my hands) with a medium sized loop tied in the clasp free end, place it around their fetlock and work to get them to give to the pressure both walking and standing. When they consistently give to all four feet, then i will loop the lead (which is still on one foot) behind the opposing foot to get them used to the pressure on both feet, then progress to the hind feet in the same manner.All the whil i am in complete control of the situation and if the animal begins to panic i can simply release the lead around the hoof. When the animal is completely comfortable and gives freely to pressure (i.e. not struggling when asked to walk with both front or hind feet bound), I will place them in a pair of soft cotton hobbles and remove theri halter and lead and leave them to their own devices to move in them on their own. then from there we work outside of the round pen and move up to leather hobbles yadda yadda yadda. 
That is how I was taught and how I teach. Everyone has a different opinion, though it isnt nice to call someone ignorant because they think what you are doing is dangerous or possibly harmful to the animals... Honestly its quite childish in my opinion.


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

If Honeysugar, Riosdad, Kevin & Marecare make such an eloquent case for the use of hobbles then I must accept
that they have a place in the necessary restraint of a horse, for whatever specific reason.

I have asked a friend, a life long horseman, for his opinion and he agrees that hobbles have their place in his tool bag. His knowledge is far greater than mine.

I confess I have never even thought of using them, because in truth, on this tiny island, there is rarely any need.

I will not say that I am going to buy a set - even if I could find them - but I now have a better understanding of how and why they are used. Thank you for the education. Undoubtedly previously I was ignorant of their value.

However as my own last words on the subject - I hope I am never in a position where I think of using them.

Barry G


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

Barry Godden said:


> I will not say that I am going to buy a set - even if I could find them -
> Barry G


You don't have to buy them. You can make a set out of cloth. I have about 6 sets of bought ones, some leather, some felt lined and most of the time use these from my saddle bag. I hobble sometimes the front, sometimes the rear and sometimes all 4 just to mix it up BUT he is totally comfortable wearing them anywhere.
Here he is hobbled on the back and I am grooming him. I just slip a neck rope over him, lead him into the barn and drop the rope and slip on a pair of hobbles, remove the neck rope and he will remain in that spot, relaxed, totally stationary, no figiting, no nothing, just enjoy the brushing, the treats and after I pick one set of hooves I slip the hobble, he is totally free and just pick the other pair of feet. 
I then go to the stall door , open it and when I say it is ok he walks into his stall. He ground ties and verbally ties as welll.
A homemade set of hobbles with a powerful eleastic band between them so he does have a little give if he kicks at a fly.


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