# Tying horses legs together?!?!



## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Gossip said:


> So my trainer also works at this horse rescue, riding the horses to get them prepped for adoption. She says the owner of the rescue is really into parelli and natural horsemanship. So one day my trainer was over there riding and she saw this foal had his/her two front legs tied up with like a leather strap or something, so he could barely move. The rescue owner said it was so the foal wouldn't move so they could give him his shots. She also said sometimes they tie the two front legs together when they ride horses on the trails, for whatever reason. I just think this is so, incredibly CRUEL. I mean, how can one call this natural horsemanship, and how does this help the horse at all? Let me know your opinions guys.


This is called hobbling and it is invaluable that your horse knows how to hobble. It teaches the horse not to panic when their legs are restricted. It also teaches them patience, humility, and to over all be more quiet/accepting. 

God forbid your horse gets into a situation where their legs are stuck in something. If a horse knows how to hobble they are less likely to thrash and hurt themselves more. If a horse does not know how to hobble, they can/will panic and hurt themselves. 

I have taught all my horses in training to hobble. It doesn't hurt the horse, emotionally scar them, or anything. If done properly, a horse can REALLY benefit from hobbling.


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Here is a picture of one of my training projects being hobbled in the center of the area. He had a serious problem with traffic and horses coming towards him. So we would leave him hobbled in the area for a good while. He eventually learned that horses riding around him weren't scary. In this picture you can tell he isn't being beaten, harmed, or even scared. He's quite happy in this photo


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

How can they ride with the two front legs tied together, unless you mean they get tied together when they stop and take a break? As in hobbles? They are human if the horse is trained to them and allows the horse to move and graze without going very far.

Tying the front legs of the foal is not something I have ever seen before nor ever had to do. I would think there are better ways with a foal.


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## Gossip (Sep 26, 2011)

.Delete. said:


> This is called hobbling and it is invaluable that your horse knows how to hobble. It teaches the horse not to panic when their legs are restricted. It also teaches them patience, humility, and to over all be more quiet/accepting.
> 
> God forbid your horse gets into a situation where their legs are stuck in something. If a horse knows how to hobble they are less likely to thrash and hurt themselves more. If a horse does not know how to hobble, they can/will panic and hurt themselves.
> 
> I have taught all my horses in training to hobble. It doesn't hurt the horse, emotionally scar them, or anything. If done properly, a horse can REALLY benefit from hobbling.


If the horse panics while being hobbled, wouldn't there also be a risk of them thrashing, falling, and breaking their necks? I think there is a better way of doing this. Like having your horse in a controlled situation, with someone holding them with a halter and lead rope, and then you tying perhaps one leg at a time and lifting it and doing other things. But letting a horse move freely in a pasture where they could get into real trouble and get themselves caught on something, or letting them canter on the trails (a disaster waiting to happen, they could definitely trip and fall and break their necks!) is just something I don't understand.


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## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

Hobbling is very common, not at all cruel and highly useful. 
It can be used, if you have a horse in a field (temporarily) and maybe this field has not currently got adequate
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

<p>Hobbling is very common, not at all cruel and highly useful. </p>
<p>It can be used, if you have a horse in a field (temporarily) and maybe this field has not currently got adequate fencing, so the horse would be likely to escape without hobbles. </p>
<p>They are extremely useful. Travellers here in Ireland use them when they are grazing their horses for the night, as it is less restrictive than tying the horse up and they can graze freely.


Edit: Sorry for double post. . Using my phone


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Cat said:


> How can they ride with the two front legs tied together, unless you mean they get tied together when they stop and take a break? As in hobbles? They are human if the horse is trained to them and allows the horse to move and graze without going very far.
> 
> Tying the front legs of the foal is not something I have ever seen before nor ever had to do. I would think there are better ways with a foal.


 There is a practice done with problem horses where you tie one leg up and ride them around. However that is the only time I have heard of people riding with hobbles, I can almost guarantee rumors being spread about how some people ride in hobbles is a lie. Unless they are hock hobbles, then that is a whole other story.

I don't see the issue with hobbling a foal. Teaches them very early on not to panic when their legs are restrained. This is very useful when you go to train them to pick their feat, tie, etc. 




Gossip said:


> If the horse panics while being hobbled, wouldn't there also be a risk of them thrashing, falling, and breaking their necks? I think there is a better way of doing this. Like having your horse in a controlled situation, with someone holding them with a halter and lead rope, and then you tying perhaps one leg at a time and lifting it and doing other things. But letting a horse move freely in a pasture where they could get into real trouble and get themselves caught on something, or letting them canter on the trails (a disaster waiting to happen, they could definitely trip and fall and break their necks!) is just something I don't understand.


 SOME people leave their horses hobbled to graze where they can only walk little baby steps. This insures they can't go anywhere in a hurry. 

You need to understand that people don't just slap hobbles on a horse and hope for the best. This takes days to prepare them for. We start off with a one-leg hobble, then 2, then 3. We take very careful precautions. 

Aslong as a horse is moving forward in hobbles the risk of injury is actually little. Because their legs are so close together, the most you'll get is a rug burn. I have seen many horses panic in hobbles and hop across the area. You'd be surprised how athletic horses can be. 

Where the real threat with hobbles is, is a horse that tires to run backwards. They can seriously injure their stifles. Most people don't leave hobbles horses unattended. An if they do, it's only a front leg hobble, not a 3 leg. 

There is risk to everything we do with horses, this just another one. It looks 100x worse than it really is, I can promise you.


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Gossip said:


> If the horse panics while being hobbled, wouldn't there also be a risk of them thrashing, falling, and breaking their necks? I think there is a better way of doing this. Like having your horse in a controlled situation, with someone holding them with a halter and lead rope, and then you tying perhaps one leg at a time and lifting it and doing other things. But letting a horse move freely in a pasture where they could get into real trouble and get themselves caught on something, or letting *them canter on the trails* (a disaster waiting to happen, they could definitely trip and fall and break their necks!) is just something I don't understand.


Idk where you got this idea. But it's darn near impossible for a horse to lope in hobbles. The best they can do is hop. Unless it's hock hobbles. 

Your problem with hobbles is a people problem not a hobble problem. Hobbles are a very useful and SAFE tool when used properly. Heck, there is more risk with draw reins or a running martingale. Anything can be dangerous and inhumane in the wrong hands.


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## Gossip (Sep 26, 2011)

.Delete. said:


> Idk where you got this idea. But it's darn near impossible for a horse to lope in hobbles. The best they can do is hop. Unless it's hock hobbles.
> 
> Your problem with hobbles is a people problem not a hobble problem. Hobbles are a very useful and SAFE tool when used properly. Heck, there is more risk with draw reins or a running martingale. Anything can be dangerous and inhumane in the wrong hands.


Hmm, I guess I can see your point. The owner of the horse rescue said she has used hobbles on horses on the trails and let them canter, which is what I was really concerned about.


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Gossip said:


> Hmm, I guess I can see your point. The owner of the horse rescue said she has used hobbles on horses on the trails and let them canter, which is what I was really concerned about.


:? I can't stand people like that. She might mean hock hobbles or something along those lines. Or could be using the term hobbles out of context. It gives people the impression that hobbles are so evil and cruel.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

.Delete. said:


> There is a practice done with problem horses where you tie one leg up and ride them around. However that is the only time I have heard of people riding with hobbles, I can almost guarantee rumors being spread about how some people ride in hobbles is a lie. Unless they are hock hobbles, then that is a whole other story.
> 
> I don't see the issue with hobbling a foal. Teaches them very early on not to panic when their legs are restrained. This is very useful when you go to train them to pick their feat, tie, etc.


I've only worked with a couple foals and its been a few years so I'm no expert on what they can handle. It just seems their legs are so fragile and I would be worried about injury compared to sturdier and a little older bones.


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Cat said:


> I've only worked with a couple foals and its been a few years so I'm no expert on what they can handle. It just seems their legs are so fragile and I would be worried about injury compared to sturdier and a little older bones.


That's why you introduce it very slowly to them. An why we introduce hobbles very slowly to any horse. Because they can hurt themselves, but the goal is to teach them not to hurt themselves. 

If you teach the foal to understand hobbles = don't move, it can be very useful.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

> SOME people leave their horses hobbled to graze where they can only walk little baby steps. This insures they can't go anywhere in a hurry.


Some horses can move pretty quick with hobbles on. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

I guess I took the initial post that these were relatively unhandled rescue foals that needed to be restrained to get shots, so they hobbled the legs together to restrain them. It just does not sound like a situation where they were gently introduced over time to the hobbles.


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## jackboy (Jul 8, 2012)

Hobble training is one of the first thing I teach when I get a new horse o train. I find it is as valuable as anything else you can teach a horse


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

usandpets said:


> Some horses can move pretty quick with hobbles on.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Yes they can. I never thought horses could hop that fast before. Or they can "shuffle" quickly. Depends on the horse and how the hobbles are set up


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Cat said:


> I guess I took the initial post that these were relatively unhandled rescue foals that needed to be restrained to get shots, so they hobbled the legs together to restrain them. It just does not sound like a situation where they were gently introduced over time to the hobbles.


I'm sure that's what the OP thought. 

I don't think that was the case, It'd be hard to handle a foal who hasn't been introduced to them an having them slapped on. I think you'd have better luck chasing them down in the pasture and vaccinating them thought a blow dart tube. :lol:


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Gossip said:


> If the horse panics while being hobbled, wouldn't there also be a risk of them thrashing, falling, and breaking their necks? I think there is a better way of doing this. Like having your horse in a controlled situation, with someone holding them with a halter and lead rope, and then you tying perhaps one leg at a time and lifting it and doing other things. But letting a horse move freely in a pasture where they could get into real trouble and get themselves caught on something, or letting them canter on the trails (a disaster waiting to happen, they could definitely trip and fall and break their necks!) is just something I don't understand.


That's part of the point to hobble training - so that the horse learns NOT to thrash around when his legs are bound. In addition to getting used to wearing hobbles, this is excellent for trail riding and for being in the pasture. You never know when you might come across vines or worse that tangle around your horse's legs. The hobble training teaches them to relax and wait to be freed.


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

Id innocently ask what the purpose of the training device is before you go passing judgment. My trainer uses a wire nose band. I was a taken back, but when I asked and rationalized it I realized it was fine.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

People seem to have a huge issue with restraining feet on a horse whether it be hobbles or leg ropes. It is NO different than teaching a horse to give and tie with a halter it's just using a restraint on a different body part. A halter is a form of restraint like hobbles or leg ropes.

I teach hobbling as well, we use it a lot since we don't pack a halter and out where we live finding a tree to tie to is pretty tough so hobbling is our best option.

My 2 yr. old colt and his first time hobbled with burlap sack hobbles.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Hock hobbles are used to get a slow, goofy WP lope I heard? Anyone know?


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

waresbear said:


> Hock hobbles are used to get a slow, goofy WP lope I heard? Anyone know?


 
Yep, seen them used on a few reiners too.
supposed to be the cheap way to get legs underneath and head down at the same time.


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

waresbear said:


> Hock hobbles are used to get a slow, goofy WP lope I heard? Anyone know?


They are also used to teach a nasty horse a hard lesson. :lol:


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## corymbia (Jul 6, 2011)

Hobbling can cause injury to horses and their handlers if not done with a great deal of care and patience. When I was studying my horse management course we were taught breaking in by a very experienced trainer who has trained a lot of horses for some very big movies. He duly hobbled the young TB who was the demo horse and let him rip. Of course he panicked, fell over, crashed into the side of the roundpen and then successfully jumped over the side of the pen, falling to the ground right on the spot where I had been standing. He then continued to thrash until we sat on his head and cue the hobbles loose. After that, anytime he felt anything on his front pasterns he would panic and it took a lot of retraining work to semi-cure him of that. The panic reaction was always there. 

Likewise, before I'd seen that demo, I had a TB mare that would panic whenever a leadrope or rein got caught around her fetlocks, so I thought maybe teaching her to accept being hobbled would fix it. She had obviously been hobbled before because she didn't react to them and stayed calm from the get go. I thought she might have been "cured" but the very next time she felt pressure on her pasterns she panicked. Unfortunately it was a fence she was caught in and she made a real mess of her legs. 

There are much less traumatic ways to teach horses to stand quietly in the face of scary situations, such as teaching them to park. If done poorly, hobbling can teach a horse the very opposite of the lesson we intend to teach them. I never use it now with breaking in or any kind of training because I never want the horse to trial panicky behaviours as a way of learning not to do something. The risks to his and my safety are too high and I don't think its ethical. Sure most horses learn to cope with it, but why put them through the terror when there are other ways to achieve the same thing without the fear. I think in the situations where it is called for it should be left to experienced trainers who prepare the horse carefully so there is no little or no panic when they experience the sensation of not being able to move their legs.


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## jackboy (Jul 8, 2012)

I've hobbled hundreds of horses and never had a single one injure themselves. My personal horse got caught in a fence when we were coming down a hill in the brush and stopped on a dime and never moved. I'm glad he was trained it was a recipe for trouble we was on a steep incline coming through thick brush I didn't know why he stopped I tried to get him to move forward but thank God he didn't I looked down and seen the wire wrapped around around his legs. After that I was convinced even more to hobble train


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

corymbia said:


> Hobbling can cause injury to horses and their handlers if not done with a great deal of care and patience. When I was studying my horse management course we were taught breaking in by a very experienced trainer who has trained a lot of horses for some very big movies. He duly hobbled the young TB who was the demo horse and let him rip. Of course he panicked, fell over, crashed into the side of the roundpen and then successfully jumped over the side of the pen, falling to the ground right on the spot where I had been standing. He then continued to thrash until we sat on his head and cue the hobbles loose. After that, anytime he felt anything on his front pasterns he would panic and it took a lot of retraining work to semi-cure him of that. The panic reaction was always there.
> 
> Likewise, before I'd seen that demo, I had a TB mare that would panic whenever a leadrope or rein got caught around her fetlocks, so I thought maybe teaching her to accept being hobbled would fix it. She had obviously been hobbled before because she didn't react to them and stayed calm from the get go. I thought she might have been "cured" but the very next time she felt pressure on her pasterns she panicked. Unfortunately it was a fence she was caught in and she made a real mess of her legs.
> 
> There are much less traumatic ways to teach horses to stand quietly in the face of scary situations, such as teaching them to park. If done poorly, hobbling can teach a horse the very opposite of the lesson we intend to teach them. I never use it now with breaking in or any kind of training because I never want the horse to trial panicky behaviours as a way of learning not to do something. The risks to his and my safety are too high and I don't think its ethical. Sure most horses learn to cope with it, but why put them through the terror when there are other ways to achieve the same thing without the fear. I think in the situations where it is called for it should be left to experienced trainers who prepare the horse carefully so there is no little or no panic when they experience the sensation of not being able to move their legs.


Teaching hobbling is no different than teaching a horse to halter and stand tied. There are different ways of teaching it and if done poorly it can cause problems. It's up to the trainer to know what would be the best way to teach to the individual horse. Most horse people at one time or another has probably ran across a horse that pulls back :wink:


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