Traveling a hobbled horse...

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Arkmiido

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Following on from my previous post...

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=394757

Are there any thoughts or suggestions on using hobbles on a horse that kicks in the lorry? Aside from the expected "how could you be so cruel" responses..
Yes I know he needs to spread his legs to balance. That's sorta why I'm wondering how it works, and what you practically would do to hobble a horse - and any problems actually doing this? I want more info before I consider it as a final resort....
 
My old boss used to travel one in hobbles, as he was a git of an animal. He also wore them when standing in the lorry at a show. The sides of lorries are not as strong as you think! He once bucked repeatedly and made a hole in the lorry. Luckily it was at a show not on the road. I don't many horses would try this though!
 
Hi, I used to travel my mare in hobbles as she would kick in the lorry. Never had any problems but I would always bandage rather than put boots on. Oh, and make sure you take them off before unloading!

On another note, it might be worth having his hocks looked at as mine stopped kicking after she had hers medicated.
 
You may not have the luxury to be able to do this, but have you tried travelling the horse in different positions i.e infront of the rear axle/behind the rear axle/forward facing/rear facing etc. I ask because some just don't like some positions for travelling and it unbalances them hence the kicking.

I used to work on an event yard and one of the advanced eventers could only travel behind the rear axle, if you tried to put her infront she literally hit the floor (fell over!) yet never did it behind the axle. Another friends horse created everytime in a trailer (forward facing) but put her in a rear facing box and she travelled brilliantly.

Just an idea. The thought of using hobbles I'll admit I don't like, but then I also don't like the idea of a horse putting it's legs through the side of a lorry and doing serious damage to itself........
 
competitiondiva said:
You may not have the luxury to be able to do this, but have you tried travelling the horse in different positions i.e infront of the rear axle/behind the rear axle/forward facing/rear facing etc. I ask because some just don't like some positions for travelling and it unbalances them hence the kicking.

I used to work on an event yard and one of the advanced eventers could only travel behind the rear axle, if you tried to put her infront she literally hit the floor (fell over!) yet never did it behind the axle. Another friends horse created everytime in a trailer (forward facing) but put her in a rear facing box and she travelled brilliantly.

Just an idea. The thought of using hobbles I'll admit I don't like, but then I also don't like the idea of a horse putting it's legs through the side of a lorry and doing serious damage to itself........
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Hi, we discussed this sort of idea on the last thread - I am lucky enough to be able to travel him in a variety of ways, and also traveled him in my last lorry herringbone, he was sideways in his last owner's lorry, and is backwards, or backwards 45 degrees in this current lorry. He travels fine in all positions and stands up well, I have mirrors to watch him so I can see how he is looking, stressed etc, which he isn't, but he is generally a stroppy git ie doesn't like being tied up in the yard, paws the ground and whole-body weaves on his rope (but stands still ground tied). He has been used to throwing his weight around and toys out of pram, and people giving in to him because he can be spectacularly unhinged with his strops, especially if he is left without a friend.
The kicking isn't "clatter bang clatter bang" where they are unbalanced in a corner. All is silent, then he adjusts his weight, and BANG! boots the wall. I have taken him to gloucestershire and back - I didn't even know he was in there until we stopped at traffic lights/roundabout/junction and he thought it was time to get out and threw a total paddy. I promise it's not my driving - I slow down slowly, corner very gently. If anything, he stays much quieter when driven quickly :rolleyes::rolleyes:
However, as it's a 3.5t box, he is over the axle whichever way we do it. I could turn him round and travel forwards, the one thing I haven't tried, if I put a breast bar in but he has a tendency to rear as well, especially at petrol stations :mad::o and I'd be worried about him getting stuck over it.
NB he travels like a saint if a human stands with him feeding him polos. Sadly I don't have a spare human for every time I want to take him somewhere and not sure I'm allowed to travel a human in the lorry with my horse!!!
He quite likes country and western, and power ballads. Not sure how he feels about my singing.

I guess I just don't like the fact that traveled backwards, all 16.2 of him is behind my seat. However strong the front wall is, and I have had it checked.... Hobbles are a real last resort!
 
BuckingHorse said:
On another note, it might be worth having his hocks looked at as mine stopped kicking after she had hers medicated.
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That's interesting - what was the problem with your mare's hocks, and what was the medication? Leo has been seen a few times by the vet and is deemed sound, and passed flexion tests etc...
I wonder if it's a chicken/egg situation though - I had a mare with capped hocks, DJD and plantar ligament problems who was a kicker - but I think the kicking may have caused some of her problems!

PS I have sportabac boots - neoprene that goes from above hocks to right down over the coronet band and halfway down the hoof, but its really close fitting and molds to the leg - was thinking they would be pretty good protection for his legs to hobble over. Do you think bandages are better cos they are closer fitting?
He still kicks as much without the boots on, tried that one!!
 
My horse has hobbles on in the lorry, because he gets bored and paws (he also bites the window...!) but never when travelled, thats a bit mean imo as they may need to move to regain their balance round a bad corner for example.
 
only_me said:
My horse has hobbles on in the lorry, because he gets bored and paws (he also bites the window...!) but never when travelled, thats a bit mean imo as they may need to move to regain their balance round a bad corner for example.
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I agree - that's why I'm really reluctant to do it! It would be his back legs not front, if that makes a difference? Only asking on here cos no one I know would dream of hobbling their horse (and nor would I normally!) but I know that people do do it, and that it works...

I was horrified once when I was at an event and inside this gorgeous lorry was an even more gorgeous warmblood driving horse with its back legs hobbled together and a strap coming from the centre of the hobble, between its front legs, and up to a strap around the horse's neck/poll (where a crib collar would be), which apparently was to stop the horse from kicking or rearing, and therefore damaging the nice new lorry.... I'm not being precious about my lorry. I don't want him to hurt his legs, come through the wall, or kick through the wall and into my seat however.

I'm really asking for any other suggestions, or about the practical side of doing it safely and humanely. I admit to using the sudden braking technique - which also horrified me initially. But it does work for a while... Until the next junction!
 
Hiya, I went through a spell of travelling mine in hobbles for the same reason. He would paw the floor of my trailer, but not just scraping the floor I mean sit on the back bar and absolutely pound the floor! I could see his head bobbing up and down in the window!! It used to make my car sway about so I had to do something as figured he would end up flipping my car or going through the floor, neither of which I fancied.

So I got some hobbles with sheepskin cuffs. I put them on in his stable to start with. He just seemed to accept them. I had them loose enough for him to shuffle about but not lift a front leg high enough to paw the ground. I travelled him in them for a spell without issue and then tried him without and he's never done it since - was about 3 years ago.

So maybe you just need to trail some to break the habbit?
 
ah yes, the sudden braking ;) we use it occasionally when coming up to a junction :p

You could try the back legs when travelling, or you could try lateral hobbling (right hind to right front) so that he could still move to regain balance, but still not kick?
 
Hi, I bandage so they fit better over the top than boots but if yours are close fitting it should be fine.

With the hocks, we had a slight loss in performance and had them x-rayed which showed up some minor changes. The vet gave an intra-articular injection which is fairly common practice with jumping horses.

Good luck!
 
Interesting thread, and im very interested in the replies.

My horse sounds just like yours, i now have to hobble him. If not he kicks, bucks and throws himself at the partitions. He is like your worse round corners, changing speed etc. Hes usually good on the motorway tho. He is infact as good as gold 90% of the time if travelled alone. He seems to hate sharing 'his' lorry with my other horses. Just acting like a spoilt brat.
He is so bad if not hobbled he will rub his hocks raw with travel boots on! Last week was 2nd at the show, travelling home he trew himself around (with hobbles on) and came off the box lame. So any further suggestions would be great! Interesting about medicating hocks, mines had probs with them in the past.

I didnt like the idea at first but when you spend the whole time shouting, or me standing in the back talking to him while dad drives, hobbles are the way forward. We dont know what to try next to be honest, mines terrible even in hobbles can damage himself. Great.
 
Just to add, i bandage then hobble, then add my mark todd travel boots over the top for my nutter!! Oh and they can move and alter where there legs are in hobbles, they have enough play with the amount of gap.
 
Thankyou Only_me and Stilltrying - that's exactly the kind of advice I was looking for! I'd love to live in the fluffy bunny world whereby my horses behave perfectly through my mystical relationship with them, the the real world ain't like that, and sometimes the solution requires breaking a habit.
Hadn't thought to do front/back, but that's a really good idea too. Especially as I know which leg he uses...;);) Also like the sheepskin cuffs:) I would of course get him used to them away from the lorry - I wouldn't want him to panic inside the lorry either at discovering his legs were tied together!

***tootles off to start online shopping***

ps I horrified someone by saying I was going to get my 'hobble' before long-lining a youngster, prior to getting on for the first time. In reality, it's the term for the old stirrup leather that lashes the stirrups together under the girth when you are long-lining. However, tying her legs together might have been a better idea!
 
showjump said:
Interesting thread, and im very interested in the replies.

My horse sounds just like yours, i now have to hobble him. If not he kicks, bucks and throws himself at the partitions. He is like your worse round corners, changing speed etc. Hes usually good on the motorway tho. He is infact as good as gold 90% of the time if travelled alone. He seems to hate sharing 'his' lorry with my other horses. Just acting like a spoilt brat.
He is so bad if not hobbled he will rub his hocks raw with travel boots on! Last week was 2nd at the show, travelling home he trew himself around (with hobbles on) and came off the box lame. So any further suggestions would be great! Interesting about medicating hocks, mines had probs with them in the past.

I didnt like the idea at first but when you spend the whole time shouting, or me standing in the back talking to him while dad drives, hobbles are the way forward. We dont know what to try next to be honest, mines terrible even in hobbles can damage himself. Great.
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Did you see the other thread? some interesting stuff on there too...
Things I have tried, that might work for you? Who knows... Bloody horses!
Instant Magic magnesium calmer. Oxyshot calmer. Stable mirror. Lickit. Changing angles/widths of partitions. Direction of travel. With/without other horses... Human pacifier - it's quite fun actually! It gave me real insight on how it feels to be standing and not know what will happen next!
SUDDEN BRAKING - have you tried this? Tapping the brakes when they kick? It does work! Best if only one horse on board as not fair to others though. I combine it with "LEO! PACK IT UP!!", which was very funny as lorry was rocking and rolling down a crowded high street in gloucestershire and I realised I had the windows open, and was listening to Cher rather loudly. I got alot of very funny looks. Leo loves music and singing though. Only kicks when there are male artists playing :rolleyes::rolleyes: so we quickly skip those tracks!
I have also had people running into petrol stations shouting that there is an insane animal going mad in the lorry outside - who's is it - get out there quickly! I shrug, and pretend not to know.... :o:o When I go in there, he looks all innocent as though there had never been any problem!!

My shetland goes nuts while traveling - she is an awesome driving pony, but rear and paws while traveling, I found her hooked over her rope once and she'd traveled the whole way with one leg in the air!!
The best solution for her, given that I have a little lorry, is to travel her loose. She sticks her bottom on the wall, and eats a haynet. I don't hear a peep out of her the whole way. If I have more than one, I put them in loose together and they lean on each other. Not sure I'm brave enough with the big boy, especially as I can't take the partition out without three large men to assist, and with it in, even diagonally, he wouldn't have enough space to fully turn round if he tried, and might get stuck. He currently gets low cross-tied so he can't rear as high..
 
just athought but does he have a net whilst travelling as sister's cob would travel fine but kick ten bells out the lorry when stopped at a junction or traffic lights, cured it by always travelling with a net?
 
Pidgeon said:
just athought but does he have a net whilst travelling as sister's cob would travel fine but kick ten bells out the lorry when stopped at a junction or traffic lights, cured it by always travelling with a net?
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As in a hay or haylage net? yes, always, with haylage in, that he loves. But not directly in front of him (although he can reach it) as I once found him hanging from it by his right front shoe, and had to cut him out of it on the M2. He'd taken his left shoe of by this point. Happy days. I also have hung up a tub/trug of alfa a, which he happily munches. But I'm no longer bothering as this didn't stop the kicking. He also has a mint lickit and a stable mirror that he kisses regularly and talks to. Leo, meet Leo. He's very silly.
 
Should have also added that prior to the hobbles i had tried...

Mirror - made him worse as he could see the other dashingly handsome horse pawing the floor too - was great fun!
Dab of the brakes...shamefully admit trying that also, didn't work
Beeping the car horn...that didn't work either.
Pulling over, opening jockey door and screaming at him FFS YOU ARE WRECKING MY BL88DY TRAILER!!!! Hadn't realised a chap was standing in his front garden - he thought it was very funny....
 
Ah, you see the interesting thing is that he dosent do it in the trailer as he can munch on the padded breastbar instead...!

He only does it in the lorry when moving as he can - YO is threatening to send him on a round trip to poland :p
 
stilltrying said:
Should have also added that prior to the hobbles i had tried...

Mirror - made him worse as he could see the other dashingly handsome horse pawing the floor too - was great fun!
Dab of the brakes...shamefully admit trying that also, didn't work
Beeping the car horn...that didn't work either.
Pulling over, opening jockey door and screaming at him FFS YOU ARE WRECKING MY BL88DY TRAILER!!!! Hadn't realised a chap was standing in his front garden - he thought it was very funny....
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PMSL!!! especially at your choice of language, and the other dashingly handsome horse! I think Leo might be in lurve...
 
There seems to be a problem with my internet search for this device - my mum is going to think I'm into some very interesting S&M stuff on her computer!!:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
Yes have tried most of them. I also untied my horse the other day, it worked so will do it again on next outing, but no doubt he will kick again.

Yes i usually scream at the top of my voice "****ING PACK IT IN!!" Needless to say he stops.. for 30 seconds.. then comences to carry on kicking the **** out of my lorry once more!
Even dads had enough now, and also shouts at him. He also said to my horse "you kick once more and come in there and batter you." Said horse then kicks... dad then climbs through and belts said horse. Walks back into living at sits down, feeling smug as hes shut horse up. Said horse then kicks again, this process when on for about 10 times, with me falling about laughing. Kept telling my dad he does it for attention, and i actually now believe he does! spoilt neddy or what?!
 
I think we have all been there! Including horn beeping.... I'm sure it's attention seeking. "Oi! This is my stop!!" And excitement about going to a party... Leo hardly does it on the way home, if at all.

One thing I am going to try (because I have enough space) is fitting a breaching bar at the 'back' (actually the front) of the lorry with a piece of rubber matting hanging from it - so Leo can kick that instead of the wall. He doesn't kick a stable door but I know the hanging rubber works for door-bangers - sometimes!! I think he may prefer to be enclosed and have something to park his a** on, as there's quite alot of space between his bum and the wall. My sister was adamant her shire x wouldn't fit in there. She put her in the morning and sheepishly phoned to say Tilly had LOADS of room behind her. That way I can also travel him forwards if necessary. Now, how to get quick release breast bar installed for when he rears over it....
He's such a t*t. Love him to bits though!
 
Never in my 49 years have i heard of this, sorry i think it is far too dangerous and agree with others changing the direction of travel or the type of transport, i.e horsebox to trailer or vice versa. Would rather give sedalin which is not good, than hobble. Just my opinion.
 
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