Hobble a horse for transportation

[lil85]

I need advice...

I have a horse who is destroying the inside of my lorry. He constantly kicks. I'm worried he will put his leg right through eventually and goodness knows the damage he is doing to himself!!

He doesn't do it everytime. I tie his tail up because initially I thought it was getting stuck in his travel boots but its not that. He just does it for attention when we're in traffic/stationary. He travels well other than that, doesn't sweat up etc. I have an internal lorry camera and he eats hay mostly so he can't be stressed if he's eating, surely.

Has anyone had the same problem? How did you tackle it?

I'm thinking to hobble him. I'm guessing I'd have to train him to be hobbled first then transport him hobbled.

Does anyone have any experience with hobbling or alternative methods to stop him kicking during transport.

TIA

 

[Jojoeena]

Sorry but you are asking for major trouble if you hobble him !
Have you tried transporting in normal brushing / over reach boots ? It could be the travel boots aggravating him, either that or the vibrations when the lorry is idling in traffic is either rattling something in your lorry or perhaps something in him, does he have any hock problems at all ?

 

[nikkimariet]

Sorry but you are asking for major trouble if you hobble him !

And what's going to happen if OP doesn't hobble him?!!!!!!

OP I hobble mine as he DID kick his way through 2 x marine ply, rubber, plastic, metal and glass into the cab. Incredibly lucky to walk away with a couple of scratches... Could have been the end of everything.

He's traveled internationally incl air and sea so not worried, just an impatient turd.

 

[lil85]

Sorry but you are asking for major trouble if you hobble him !

Yes this is what I need to know...what other potential issues I should be aware of if I hobble him?

He has travelled internationally so he is well travelled.

He has bone spavin but I don't think his kicking in the lorry is related to that as he does it when he first gets on before we've competed. Its a gut feeling, I could be wrong. He's had ulcers but doesn't suffer from them now. I think it could be that I'm separating him from his field buddy...I've have had them for three years in a separate field as neighbours but in the last 1.5yrs they've been kept in the same field together and have really paired up....

 

[Dubsie]

Try bandages rather than boots, they're more flexible and I reckon more comfortable.

 

[FfionWinnie]

If you tie him up by himself on the yard/in his stable, will he stand quietly for significant lengths of time.

 

[9tails]

Definitely recommend trying him without travel boots. Mine can barely stand up in hers and kicked seven shades of crap out of a trailer the one and only time she wore them.

 

[FemelleReynard]

Surely hobbling a horse for transport makes it nearly impossible for them to balance?

 

[Lanky Loll]

Surely hobbling a horse for transport makes it nearly impossible for them to balance?

Depends on the direction of travel and how you hobble them. They should be restricted enough to not kick but still able to rebalance, I've known several horses that it's the only way to travel them and like the others, it's not because they're stressed or frightened by travelling.

 

[Bernster]

Ooh controversial - I posted a thread about a horse that kicked whilst travelling and hobbling did come up as a suggestion, along with some other ideas. Some people do travel hobbled but I think it requires an experienced person and the right horse. I'd try other suggestions first before hobbling. Fortunately for me, it wasn't my horse so in the end didn't need to tackle it - I just don't take that horse any more.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

OP, you could try service hobbles 1st, much easier to balance in but damned hard to kick in.
Doesn't stop them swaying about or stamping, but only prevents kicking when travelling.
I used to keep a set in my travel magic box.

I have used full hobbles for the odd serial nut, but you are definately open to all kinds of issues when on the road. An emergency stop can cause them to tip over if not tightly partitioned and only a v intelligent horse can get themselves up again without help.
If you do go down full hobble route, ensure you have a couple of very strategically placed sharp knives in case of emergency. I still keep one gaffa taped to the wall by the back door of current box, as old habits die hard. (well out of horses reach but easy for human to grab)

 

[Luci07]

My mare would start to stamp and kick within about 30 seconds of stopping the lorry or my trailer so when we arrived, I would get out and start talking to her so she knew she was coming off/being seen to shortly. In a jam (and if possible) I would slow right down and just keep the vehicle moving slowly and that would stop her. It was sheer excitement in her case so I did know what I had to deal with!

 

[only_me]

I'd try traveling without boots first (you could always put brushing & overreach boots on first) but if needed you could hobble when traveling. With a previous horse we had to hobble him, otherwise he pawed constantly & was at risk of damaging himself and the other horses as well as unsettling him.
As long as hobbles are wide enough to allow to balance but short enough to stop him pawing/kicking then it's grand imo

 

[Tegan]

Another vote for trying without boots. My cob will not wear boots, especially travel boots and is worse when we stop. He is fine without. If you are worried about protection perhaps just try bandages or even brushing bootst. I tried every combination including many hours of practicing and in the end just gave up as he travels really well without.

 

[ROMANY 1959]

Hi..a fellow livery had a SJ horse who would kick and paw in lorry, I used to take her horse for her with mine...it was becoming a problem and was concerned either horse would injure itself or wreck lorry..then one day we couldn't find the travel boots, so travelled said horse with just o/r and SJ tendon boots, and horse was a totaly different traveller.. Never kicked off at all.. Horse never wore them again..all was fine after that.

 

[Illusion100]

I know of a horse that has to be hobbled to travel. Owned by a very experienced trainer that specialises in problem horses. Great competition horse but diabolical to travel. They've tried every method/trick they know but the horse remains an absolute nightmare on the lorry.

I'm afraid I don't know any more details about which hobbles/how tight/any complications etc as it was mentionned in a general conversation about bad travellers. I do think it may be an option for your horse to minimise risk of injury but I imagine you might need to research it quite thoroughly before attempting it.

Don't some Cowboy/American trainers hobble quite frequently? Maybe have a look on youtube and get chatting to some of the people on there?

 

[DirectorFury]

Another here with a box kicker and paw-er who immediately stopped after I stopped putting travel boots on her. She now travels in vented XC boots with o/r boots all round and no problems since .

 

[ester]

Hobbling, done properly and with correct hobble training is rarely dangerous.

The lady that went off to do tent pegging and horseback archery stuff wrote a post on here ages ago about correct training and preparation and the fact they do many just because it teaches a horse not to panic when restricted/stuck anyway.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

An old friend from my dim and distant childhood had a pony that did this.

Please note: this is NOT what I would necessarily do, or what would be advisable.

The family had dealt with horses for many years, father was an MFH - what they did was to put some gorse inside the travel boots.

Pony never did it again.

 

[Goldenstar]

I would certainly try traveling with nothing on the hind legs in the way of boots or bandages before trying hobbling .
I had one horse who travelled beautifully as long she had nothing on her hind legs .
I travelled one hobbled in front, he climbed on the tack lockers causing thousands of pounds in damage not to mentain the risk of damage to the horse .
I got him used to the hobbles in the stable he was well used to them by the time we tried them for travelling .
I have known several competition horses who travel hobbled .

 

[lil85]

Thank you for all the advice!

I'm going to try travelling him regular boots instead of travelling boots and see how that goes....

 

[Pebble101]

My friends horse is the same (see one of the posts I started). She is just impatient as she does the same in the and has made a large hole in the back as well. For her it's nothing to do with boots but temper.