Hobbles- would you? Do you?

[FanyDuChamp]

I was just reading a thread that some suggested hobbles on, now when I was younger you saw it fairly frequently, now not so much. So my questions are do you hobble? If so why? And does it cure or mask the problem?
FDC

 

[Thistle]

I have a large strong horse who has a tendency to kick the lorry when standing at shows, he wears hobbles behing if he is in 'that' mood. Only when stood though, NEVER to travel

 

[Merry Crisis]

Yep I have done in the past, my old mare used to be a door basher. Soon stopped those shannagins! Not sure I would want to travel a horse in them though.

 

[FanyDuChamp]

Did it stop the actual problem when the hobbles were removed MC?
FDC

 

[classicalfan]

Used them in Australia. Stopped the horse wandering off overnight. Would never use them travelling though - sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 

[Merry Crisis]

Yes to that too! She soon forgot her nasty and unsociable habit. I gave my hobbles to my OH who used them on a cow that used to do the splits in the cubicles. Usefull things hobbles!

 

[FanyDuChamp]

What is the weather like with you MC?
FDC

 

[Merry Crisis]

What is the weather like with you MC?
FDC

Lovely RNF! Frozen, no mud and sunny. Just been for a long walk with the dogs. Roads not safe to ride on though. Same with you?

 

[FanyDuChamp]

Lovely RNF! Frozen, no mud and sunny. Just been for a long walk with the dogs. Roads not safe to ride on though. Same with you?

Getting there MC, it is cold but bright. Roads are icy because of the thaw yesterday and the tops are covered with snow. Why have we not seen you on MisFits lately, get your bum back missus!
FDC

 

[Wagtail]

No, I haven't and can't think of a valid reason for using them either, especially to travel. When I read that I was horrified. Any of the horses here would absolutely freak if I used them. And the thought of them travelling in them and not being able to move all their legs when needed just fills me with dread. I know someone who used to use them on a horse that frequently jumped out of his paddock, and I guess that in this case it was okay as he was quite chilled wearing them, but personally I would prefer to use a diffeent method of deterrent such as running electric fencing a metre in from the boundary fence. That has cured every horse I have come across that liked to jump out.

 

[Merry Crisis]

Getting there MC, it is cold but bright. Roads are icy because of the thaw yesterday and the tops are covered with snow. Why have we not seen you on MisFits lately, get your bum back missus!
FDC

Lol, I am on my way!!!!

 

[FanyDuChamp]

No, I haven't and can't think of a valid reason for using them either, especially to travel. When I read that I was horrified. Any of the horses here would absolutely freak if I used them. And the thought of them travelling in them and not being able to move all their legs when needed just fills me with dread. I know someone who used to use them on a horse that frequently jumped out of his paddock, and I guess that in this case it was okay as he was quite chilled wearing them, but personally I would prefer to use a diffeent method of deterrent such as running electric fencing a metre in from the boundary fence. That has cured every horse I have come across that liked to jump out.

I know Captain would panic, yet years ago you used to see them a lot and the horses were fine. Strange how things change. I always have reservations about gadgets but maybe these work for some. Luckily neither of mine need them.

Have thought of tethering Captain just to keep him in a field, but could not bring myself to do it and that is another whole big can of worms!

FDC

 

[traceyann]

I have used them once when my cob was three tried to pull his mane. has had it done before he was vet sedated and twitched and hobbled still manage to rear and pee of. Never would i do it again i just hogg him pulling his mane is the only thing i cant do with him.

 

[only_me]

Yep, have used them to stop horse kicking/pawing when standing in lorry at events.
I don't see the harm in them when used appropiately.

 

[*hic*]

Ha, it was I who suggested them!


I don't actually own a set and would have to purchase them but I think that it would be better to hobble my mare than the risk that her getting on the tack locker or wrenching her leg trying carries. Currently she has stopped being such a twit but if she restarts then I am seriously considering a set. I know various people who do have to hobble horses to either prevent just what my mare does or those who try to kick out backwards. I wouldn't travel in them - she doesn't do it then - and neither would i use them in her stable when she is inclined to paw the ground for attention. To solve that problem she has a stall chain and an extra rubber mat outside.

 

[SpottedCat]

I sometimes travel in them - and know plenty of others who do the same. My horse kicks for the final 30 seconds of any journey (how he knows when we are going to a new venue is beyond me!)

I've tried partitions wide, partitions close, but he does it just the same, and despite the partitions being spring loaded and very difficult to move, he is somehow able to kick in such a way as to lift the partition completely out, so it falls on him. Downright dangerous, especially if I have 2 in the back. It is pure impatience on his part as he loads and travels fine, and will stand quietly on the box all day. So for his own safety, he gets hobbled.

He travels fine with them on, and has never panicked. I always hobble-train my horses - and it saved this one from injury recently when I found him wearing the fence round his back legs, with wooden posts waving about!

I've not met a horse yet that panics with them if you introduce them correctly.

 

[jaquelin]

IMO - pretty old-fashioned but interesting to see their current uses. Used to ue hobbles on a "cut-proud" (rig to you) gelding to try to keep him in a field - didn't work, he jumped fences with hobbles anyway. Used to see cowboys hobble feral horses front & back to cast them for shoeing.

 

[emmab13]

Yup, used to hobble behind OR in front (never both)to clip one that was trying to kill you/take your head off. Would put them on in the indoor so they understood them and if they panicked wouldn't hurt themselves.

Did the job, but only works safely on a naughty, bolshy one, a frightened one would quite likely hurt you or itself and you're better sedating tbh.

 

[Ibblebibble]

was tempted to use them on daughters old pony who was an escape artist, would eye up electric fencing and just run through it but resorted to tethering the little sod instead

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We bought a mare that had sore fetlocks when she was delivered to us (not when we tried her). She had been shod in the meantime. Our farrier knew that a farrier in the area that she came from routinely used hobbles to keep horses still for shoeing. It took ages for our very patient farrier to get her right again.
I certainly wouldn't just slap them on a horse that wasn't used to them, as had obviously happened to our mare.
I'd be very wary of using them to travel a horse that was used to them, it sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. And I wouldn't use them or sedation for a job like pulling a mane, that wasn't vital.

 

[Merry Crisis]

IMO - pretty old-fashioned but interesting to see their current uses. Used to ue hobbles on a "cut-proud" (rig to you) gelding to try to keep him in a field - didn't work, he jumped fences with hobbles anyway. Used to see cowboys hobble feral horses front & back to cast them for shoeing.

Well why did you not just use the word we all understand in the first place? RIG. fgs.

 

[Fools Motto]

Use them for covering the mares. Much safer, don't want them kicking the stallion. Seems to be routine in most studs too.
Also used them for when a mare wanted to kick her new foal into oblivion last spring. That didn't work, it stressed her out and she tried to savage the poor foal with the front end, so we did re-think. (all worked out fine in the end).

 

[Twilkolock]

I can see their benefit when used for covering mares, by professionals and with a good thick bed should they fall.

However, after reading some of the posts, I'm a bit horrified.

I think that some of the behavioural problems [that cause them to be used in the first place] are signs that the horse needs re-training/schooling, especially groundwork focusing on 'stop', 'go', yeild.

Spotted cat - (hobbling whilst travelling) there is a line of thought that says that pawing/kicking, as you describe, is a symptom of anxiety. It's interesting that he does this when approaching an event/show. A horse doesn't need to be Einstein to learn that travelling and simple changes such as change of gear and slowing down, equates/means shows at the end of it. From a equine psychology point of view a horse shows these symptoms when it feels conflict - often in its ridden work, such as stimultenous rein/leg pressure. I'd rather get to the bottom of the behaviour than whack hobbles on, but that's just me!

I have never used them and don't know of anyone else who has ever needed to use them.

 

[Twilkolock]

I can see their benefit when used for covering mares, by professionals and with a good thick bed should they fall.

However, after reading some of the posts, I'm a bit horrified.

I think that some of the behavioural problems [that cause them to be used in the first place] are signs that the horse needs re-training/schooling, especially groundwork focusing on 'stop', 'go', yeild.

Spotted cat - (hobbling whilst travelling) there is a line of thought that says that pawing/kicking, as you describe, is a symptom of anxiety. It's interesting that he does this when approaching an event/show. A horse doesn't need to be Einstein to learn that simple changes such as change of gear and slowing down whilst travelling equates/means shows at the end of it. From a equine psychology point of view a horse shows these symptoms when it feels conflict - often in its ridden work, such as stimultenous rein/leg pressure. I'd rather get to the bottom of the behaviour than whack hobbles on, but that's just me!

I have never used them and don't know of anyone else who has ever needed to use them

 

[stilltrying]

I've also used hobbles for travelling. My horse went through a phase of violently pawing the floor of the trailer, as in leaping up and down bashing the floor (wooden!!) with his front legs. I could see him bobbing up and down in my mirrors and it would rock my car. Bearing in mind he is 17h m/w, it was tie his legs together or risk him going through the floor or turning the trailer.

Its really not that savage, its not like they can't move in them, you can tie them loose enough so they can move about just not wave legs.

I travelled him in them for half a dozen trips and it broke the cycle and have never had to use them since. He only ever did it on the way home, guessing it was always just cos his blood was up and he was just feeling a bit wired?

 

[flyingfeet]

Hobbles are a lost art in the UK

I have upper front leg and lower hobbles - all of mine get hobble trained

They are all started in a big arena in a safe environment. I also had to buy the hobbles from america as the UK ones are rubbish

So as to the why:
It teaches the horses they are some things you cannot get away from and you need to place reliance on your human

Horses that get tangled up in fences and panic are the ones with hefty vets bills, a hobble trained horse feels the restriction, accepts it and waits for a human to fix the problem

In Australia training is still prevalent as farms are so big, as horse that panics and rips itself open if it gets stuck is a dead one

Good front leg hobbles:

Upper leg hobbles:

One leg hobble (your farrier will thank you for this one, as teaches them to balance on 3 legs)

 

[flyingfeet]

Spotted cat - (hobbling whilst travelling) there is a line of thought that says that pawing/kicking, as you describe, is a symptom of anxiety. It's interesting that he does this when approaching an event/show. A horse doesn't need to be Einstein to learn that simple changes such as change of gear and slowing down whilst travelling equates/means shows at the end of it. From a equine psychology point of view a horse shows these symptoms when it feels conflict - often in its ridden work, such as stimultenous rein/leg pressure. I'd rather get to the bottom of the behaviour than whack hobbles on, but that's just me!

I like to have long conversations with my horse, but no amount of psychology therapy worked when he decided that if he was 20 minutes from home he would start pawing in the lorry or trailer

I'm sure it was a deeply rooted emotional problem, rather than him just being impatient about getting home (I want to know how he knew on different routes and journey times he was 20 mins from home too... )

For what its worth I didn't hobble him, but did have to buy a thicker rubber mat for my 'special' boy! If I had one do this again, I'd probably would hobble them as its a dreadful habit, and got rather expensive

 

[Twilkolock]

"place reliance on your human..........waits for a human to fix the problem"

Scientifically speaking, you are imbuing the horse with abilities and intelligence is simply doesn't have. There is not one scientific study that a) has shown that the horse is able to conceptualise humans in this way, b) has that level of intelligence whereby it can problem solve to such a high level (wait for a human to fix the problem, etc.)

Hobbles simply immobilise the feet which in turn diminishes/removes the flight response. The flight response can be easily supressed through correct training/schooling.

 

[stilltrying]

"place reliance on your human..........waits for a human to fix the problem"

Scientifically speaking, you are imbuing the horse with abilities and intelligence is simply doesn't have. There is not one scientific study that a) has shown that the horse is able to conceptualise humans in this way, b) has that level of intelligence whereby it can problem solve to such a high level (wait for a human to fix the problem, etc.)

Hobbles simply immobilise the feet which in turn diminishes/removes the flight response. The flight response can be easily supressed through correct training/schooling.

How would you train/school a horse not to try and dig its way out of a trailer?

 

[Twilkolock]

Jen_Cots..... I am sorry that you appear to have misinterpret what I've said and that you've tried talking to your horse and used 'psychology therapy'. Obviously, it's nothing to do with horses. May I suggest you read Andrew McLeans "Equitation Science" to get the basics.