Spins
Well-Known Member
Just happened upon an instructional video on youtube about hobbling really young horses.. far too young to be even thinking about backing, whats the point in hobbling them? And if it has a purpose why do they do it so young?
Why would you hobble a young horse??
- Thread starter Spins
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Bertthefrog
Well-Known Member
You would have assumed they would have explained that in said instructional video wouldn't you!
Can't say I have ever had need to hobble a young horse.
We did use them on one of our SJ mares years ago - when she was stood on the lorry, otherwise she would batter the hell out of the wagon. Stood happily with them on - just a bit hairy when we were in a rush and occasionally unloaded her without taking them off first .....
Can't say I have ever had need to hobble a young horse.
We did use them on one of our SJ mares years ago - when she was stood on the lorry, otherwise she would batter the hell out of the wagon. Stood happily with them on - just a bit hairy when we were in a rush and occasionally unloaded her without taking them off first .....
LaurenBay
Well-Known Member
Alot of people hobble Horses, so that if the Horse were to get tangled up in fences, ropes, leccy tape etc that they wouldn't panic. Therefore reducing the risk of serious injury.
AmyMay
Situation normal
Do they??
Spudlet
Well-Known Member
What, as in just when they're being turned out!?
And I would have thought that not being able to have a full range of movement would make a horse even more likely to panic, not less so?
Spins
Well-Known Member
I would have thought it would make them worse?? the hobble was positioned around their legs and was resting on their tendons (I never paid much attention to them til now) so id imagine if they paniced they could do serious damaged??
SpottedCat
Well-Known Member
No, I think the other poster means that a lot of people teach a horse how to react to hobbles so that *if* they then get tangled in a fence, their reaction is to be still and calm (because they are used to restricted movement) rather than to panic and injure themselves more. I've taught both of mine to accept hobbles for various reasons. It's quite useful to know you have a horse which if it gets caught up for any reason will not panic. We have a bizarre antipathy to hobbles in this country, goodness only knows why.
Spudlet
Well-Known Member
Ah, I see.
jinglejoys
Well-Known Member
You don't say whether the video was in this country or not?
Bertthefrog
Well-Known Member
You may well be right - with regards to attitude towards use of hobbles - other than for the mare mentioned above, I have never seen, or heard of, hobbles used, for whatever reason, in any of the yards I have worked on. I have certainly never known them to be used with regard to educating the horse how to react in situation where they are caught up in something, but it does make sense.
SpottedCat
Well-Known Member
They are really widely used in the USA - I suppose because of the strong Western riding influences. I think not panicking when caught up in something is a helpful thing for a horse to know - and have been told by my american friends that it does translate quite well. That said, mine were taught due to their tendency to try and destroy my lorry - I simply taught them how they should react off the box, then when on it, they stand quietly.
You'll find that a whole load of competitive riders in this country use them routinely, but just never speak about it because in this country we seem to think it is tantamount to horse cruelty....
It's amazing the number of people who have since told me they do it too.
You'll find that a whole load of competitive riders in this country use them routinely, but just never speak about it because in this country we seem to think it is tantamount to horse cruelty....
It's amazing the number of people who have since told me they do it too.Tickles
Well-Known Member
Personally I wouldn't.
I think the arguments for it are either around the 'staying calm when stuck' thing, or, more traditionally, not having adequate safe/any fencing around grazing. There are various odd things that trotting horses wear to stop them breaking into canter... I guess this may help them to accept those too.
I think the arguments for it are either around the 'staying calm when stuck' thing, or, more traditionally, not having adequate safe/any fencing around grazing. There are various odd things that trotting horses wear to stop them breaking into canter... I guess this may help them to accept those too.
foxy1
Well-Known Member
We used to use them on mares we were covering at a stud I worked at, never seen or heard of them used since though.
MerrySherryRider
Well-Known Member
As we aren't using our horses for epic cattle driving adventures over terrain with few trees, I can't see much need for hobbles in the UK. Lots of trees here, plus we have the advantage of being able to use temporary electric fencing with relative ease on overnight stays ..or book grazing/stabling.
The argument that it teaches the horse not to panic if it gets it feet caught, still doesn't valid the argument for hobbling as there are other ways to train a horse not to panic. Hobbling doesn't teach a horse not to panic when a lead rope is caught up round its neck either.
The argument that it teaches the horse not to panic if it gets it feet caught, still doesn't valid the argument for hobbling as there are other ways to train a horse not to panic. Hobbling doesn't teach a horse not to panic when a lead rope is caught up round its neck either.
MerrySherryRider
Well-Known Member
Yes, I had a mare that I suspected was hobbled at a stud before I bought her. Took a long time for her to be comfortable around her back end. Couldn't bear having her feet restrained. I did wonder how common a practice it is at stud farms.
only_me
Well-Known Member
I would use hobbles on a horse if it pawed/kicked in the lorry/trailer
LaurenBay
Well-Known Member
You worded it better then me
but yes that is what I meant. Horse would used to the feeling so if it were to get caught in something it would be calmer so reducing the risk of serious injury.
Spins
Well-Known Member
ahh I understand now! Sorry I never mentioned where it was.. It was filmed in the U.S...
Horserider- the horses were actually walking around with their hobbles and leadropes trailing along the ground.. so presumably it was to teach them not to panic when the stud on them and what not??
Horserider- the horses were actually walking around with their hobbles and leadropes trailing along the ground.. so presumably it was to teach them not to panic when the stud on them and what not??
0ldmare
Well-Known Member
Where I grew up they were routinely used and to be fair I never saw any injuries. The horses figured them out pretty quickly.
It was a sheep ranch and horses were used for gathering the sheep. Because the distances were so great you might well have to stay away overnight. The paddocks were absolutely vast - say 1000 acres (not a typo) so if you wanted the horse to be able to graze, but not leg it for home, hobbling them ensured they didnt stray too far. (Although some horses could get up a remarkable speed in a sort of bounding canter so it wasnt guaranteed!)
It was a sheep ranch and horses were used for gathering the sheep. Because the distances were so great you might well have to stay away overnight. The paddocks were absolutely vast - say 1000 acres (not a typo) so if you wanted the horse to be able to graze, but not leg it for home, hobbling them ensured they didnt stray too far. (Although some horses could get up a remarkable speed in a sort of bounding canter so it wasnt guaranteed!)
JCWHITE
Well-Known Member
This months edition of a leisure riding magazine, here in France, shows how to hobble, in the circs described above.
I can appreciate why one would hobble at certain times, indeed, used to have a pair, wasnt brave enough to use them in the trailer situation,
I remember someone saying that when a horse got used to being hobbled to stop him pawing and scraping, you could just use the bracelets, dont know how true that would be.
I can appreciate why one would hobble at certain times, indeed, used to have a pair, wasnt brave enough to use them in the trailer situation,
I remember someone saying that when a horse got used to being hobbled to stop him pawing and scraping, you could just use the bracelets, dont know how true that would be.
unbalanced
Well-Known Member
I used to ride at a Western barn in the States and my trainer routinely taught all the horses to hobble just as a safety measure. They weren't left like that in the field or anything. It was so that if their legs got caught up ever they wouldn't panic.
When I went on a riding holiday on a ranch in Mexico they said horses would be hobbled if they rode somewhere eg to fix a fence while they were working they would hobble the horse to allow it to graze but not wander off.
As far as the not panicking thing is concerned, it seems like a good idea to me. I haven't done hobbling with my horse as I'm not really sure how to do it safely but I have taught her how to lead by the leg. So I can wrap a rope around any of her legs and pull and she will come to the pressure, including backwards off her hind legs. It has a number of uses, including when her leadrope came loose and she stuck a leg through it, when she stuck a leg through a fence in the field and both times just stood there calmly and waited for help. Not sure how long she was waiting in the field but she never even rubbed any hair off or broke a sweat. The other main use is when you're bandaging hind legs and you need her to take a step backwards you can 'lead' her backwards by pressing lightly on the front of her hock which is very helpful.
When I went on a riding holiday on a ranch in Mexico they said horses would be hobbled if they rode somewhere eg to fix a fence while they were working they would hobble the horse to allow it to graze but not wander off.
As far as the not panicking thing is concerned, it seems like a good idea to me. I haven't done hobbling with my horse as I'm not really sure how to do it safely but I have taught her how to lead by the leg. So I can wrap a rope around any of her legs and pull and she will come to the pressure, including backwards off her hind legs. It has a number of uses, including when her leadrope came loose and she stuck a leg through it, when she stuck a leg through a fence in the field and both times just stood there calmly and waited for help. Not sure how long she was waiting in the field but she never even rubbed any hair off or broke a sweat. The other main use is when you're bandaging hind legs and you need her to take a step backwards you can 'lead' her backwards by pressing lightly on the front of her hock which is very helpful.