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 Expert
Posts: 1631
   
Location: Somewhere around here | I have a few hacks that have a bit hobble (most are metal) and I've SEEN bits with hobbles on them (metal, leather, or rope) but never really asked anyone about them. What's the purpose really of them on a bit and how does it hinder/improve a bits function?
Here's a link for anyone who has no idea what a bit hobble is or looks like:
http://www.nrsworld.com/martin-saddlery/martin-leather-bit-hobble-w... |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
 
Location: Phoenix | It is to restrict the movement of the shanks. Some bits can move too much or flip up. On shanked bits used on rope horses, there's usually a ring on the hobble to tie the jerkline to. Now on ring snaffles--I couldn't tell you.
Edited by hammer_time 2015-04-04 6:44 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 747
| We use them on our snaffles to keep the rings from flipping out and then pulling through their mouths. Saw a girl at a race last weekend who was running in a lifter bit with no bit hobble and it flipped up and the horse flipped out running to the second. She didn't know it had flipped up and started jerking on the mare. Everyone started yelling at her not to jerk on the mare and to put a bit hobble on it to keep it from doing that again. |
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  Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4557
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | On hackamore it keep the shank from turning to the outside causing an upside down and twisting the curb into the horse and from twisting into the cheeks like a fork causing a horse to rear over backward. Ropers really like them so a horse who tests the rope doesn't get the rope caught under the shank wrapping itself on the bit causing a wreak and ripping the mouth out. It's used on many swivel bits again so the shank don't turn out. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Hobble's helps keeps the shanks from twisting up and to help keep the shanks working together, on a hackamore.
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | Like everyone else has said, shanks are hobbled together to keep them from flipping. I have cut the hobbles off a lot of my hackamores and replaced them with a little longer string to give the hack a looser feel if I felt I needed that. Therefore most of my hacks now have baling twine or clothesline rope for hobble straps and the straps are covered in duck tape or vet wrap. You know, to keep it classy. LOL. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| rodeowithjoker - 2015-04-06 11:34 AM
Like everyone else has said, shanks are hobbled together to keep them from flipping. I have cut the hobbles off a lot of my hackamores and replaced them with a little longer string to give the hack a looser feel if I felt I needed that. Therefore most of my hacks now have baling twine or clothesline rope for hobble straps and the straps are covered in duck tape or vet wrap. You know, to keep it classy. LOL.
LOL!! |
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Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | Griz - 2015-04-06 11:39 AM rodeowithjoker - 2015-04-06 11:34 AM Like everyone else has said, shanks are hobbled together to keep them from flipping. I have cut the hobbles off a lot of my hackamores and replaced them with a little longer string to give the hack a looser feel if I felt I needed that. Therefore most of my hacks now have baling twine or clothesline rope for hobble straps and the straps are covered in duck tape or vet wrap. You know, to keep it classy. LOL. LOL!!
I'm a mess, but I have won probably $15K in my Jim Warner hack with baling twine & duck tape for a bit hobble. You best believe I'm not replacing that until it falls apart cause apparently it is lucky!  |
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| To simplify what you are asking ..
On solid mouthed type curb bits the hobble is tight across the rein rings at the bottom of the shanks to avoid a rope or rein from getting between the shanks or the shank getting over something and horse jerking his mouth off. if shanks are moveable .. the hobble keeps the shanks from flipping forward and keeps them stabilized with no more movement than 90 degrees. Curb bits will also have a working curb chain on them attached behind the mouth piece ..
Anything with a snaffle bit or broken 2-3 piece mouth piece is considered to be a snaffle bit whether it has rings or shanks on it. Bit hobble is used for the same reasons above including keeping the rings from flipping out and to keep the rings from sliding into or being pulled into a gaping mouth in turns etc. These type of mouth pieces should not have a curb chain on them. Having shanks on one is already severe enough without adding a nut cracker effect on the horses mouth.
Keep in mind the length of shank on any bit increases the pressure on a horses mouth and if a curb bit on his jaw bone with the curb strap.
For instance .. if you used light hands and applied one pound of pressure to a 3 inch shank it could increase the pressure in a horses mouth to 3 times .. long shanks are not for an amateur to use .. very easy to jerk a horse over backwards.
A grazing bit shank is the best style to use... it places less pressure on the horses mouth from the riders hands and is less likely to get hung up on something ..
When using a combo hack .. the bit part is a minor influence on the whole setup .. hacks are designed to put pressure on a horses poll due to the length of the purchase portion of the setup. The purchase is the portion of the shank above the bit or curb chain ..
Neck reining around your turns is a horses worst enemy ... rider can un-intentially have no slack in the outside rein and turn the horses nose to the outside which throws the rear end out of gear and horse loses its rhythm in the turn which adds time to the run.
Sherry Cervi is the master at shortening and lifting up on the inside rein to keep Stingray off the barrel while leaving slack in the outside rein. . Watch her switch to riding two handed to square herself and horse up, then rating the barrel while reaching down on the inside rein to shorten it up to guide around the barrel ... she does the same thing starting at the first barrel, running to 2nd and 3rd barrels and notice the slack in both reins coming off the 3rd barrel. You can play any video of Cervi and see these reining cues used very consistently on every run ...
WATCH CLOSELY and how deep in the saddle and how quiet Cervi rides ...
https://youtu.be/FqGi3WfY74w
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2015-04-07 4:18 AM
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| rodeowithjoker - 2015-04-06 12:16 PM
Griz - 2015-04-06 11:39 AM rodeowithjoker - 2015-04-06 11:34 AM Like everyone else has said, shanks are hobbled together to keep them from flipping. I have cut the hobbles off a lot of my hackamores and replaced them with a little longer string to give the hack a looser feel if I felt I needed that. Therefore most of my hacks now have baling twine or clothesline rope for hobble straps and the straps are covered in duck tape or vet wrap. You know, to keep it classy. LOL. LOL!!
Oh I hear that! I about freak when I have to buy a new piece of tack! I'm not one for changing things up although I DID break down and bought a new tack set yesterday after my breast collar broke and about caused a wreck last week! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 887
Location: MN | rodeowithjoker - 2015-04-06 11:34 AM Like everyone else has said, shanks are hobbled together to keep them from flipping. I have cut the hobbles off a lot of my hackamores and replaced them with a little longer string to give the hack a looser feel if I felt I needed that. Therefore most of my hacks now have baling twine or clothesline rope for hobble straps and the straps are covered in duck tape or vet wrap. You know, to keep it classy. LOL.
My mare runs in an original Ugly Bit - and I had to pay up to get it! The hobble on it is baling twine. Put that on in a pinch and now it like it! Adds some character ;) |
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Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | Echo - 2015-04-07 9:34 AM rodeowithjoker - 2015-04-06 11:34 AM Like everyone else has said, shanks are hobbled together to keep them from flipping. I have cut the hobbles off a lot of my hackamores and replaced them with a little longer string to give the hack a looser feel if I felt I needed that. Therefore most of my hacks now have baling twine or clothesline rope for hobble straps and the straps are covered in duck tape or vet wrap. You know, to keep it classy. LOL. My mare runs in an original Ugly Bit - and I had to pay up to get it! The hobble on it is baling twine. Put that on in a pinch and now it like it! Adds some character ;)
I have a new to me hack - think it's homemade - that I bought on Facebook for $15, and I think Chance is going to LOVE it to pieces. It is so loose and floppy that I may have to use an actual curb chain on it....or I could do the baling twine/vet wrap combo since that is apparently my style. lol. No one is going to steal my tack based on its looks. Sure glad to hear I'm not the only one engineering with baling twine though. :) |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 356
| BARRELHORSE USA - 2015-04-07 4:13 AM To simplify what you are asking .. On solid mouthed type curb bits the hobble is tight across the rein rings at the bottom of the shanks to avoid a rope or rein from getting between the shanks or the shank getting over something and horse jerking his mouth off. if shanks are moveable .. the hobble keeps the shanks from flipping forward and keeps them stabilized with no more movement than 90 degrees. Curb bits will also have a working curb chain on them attached behind the mouth piece .. Anything with a snaffle bit or broken 2-3 piece mouth piece is considered to be a snaffle bit whether it has rings or shanks on it. Bit hobble is used for the same reasons above including keeping the rings from flipping out and to keep the rings from sliding into or being pulled into a gaping mouth in turns etc. These type of mouth pieces should not have a curb chain on them. Having shanks on one is already severe enough without adding a nut cracker effect on the horses mouth. Keep in mind the length of shank on any bit increases the pressure on a horses mouth and if a curb bit on his jaw bone with the curb strap. For instance .. if you used light hands and applied one pound of pressure to a 3 inch shank it could increase the pressure in a horses mouth to 3 times .. long shanks are not for an amateur to use .. very easy to jerk a horse over backwards. A grazing bit shank is the best style to use... it places less pressure on the horses mouth from the riders hands and is less likely to get hung up on something .. When using a combo hack .. the bit part is a minor influence on the whole setup .. hacks are designed to put pressure on a horses poll due to the length of the purchase portion of the setup. The purchase is the portion of the shank above the bit or curb chain .. Neck reining around your turns is a horses worst enemy ... rider can un-intentially have no slack in the outside rein and turn the horses nose to the outside which throws the rear end out of gear and horse loses its rhythm in the turn which adds time to the run. Sherry Cervi is the master at shortening and lifting up on the inside rein to keep Stingray off the barrel while leaving slack in the outside rein. . Watch her switch to riding two handed to square herself and horse up, then rating the barrel while reaching down on the inside rein to shorten it up to guide around the barrel ... she does the same thing starting at the first barrel, running to 2nd and 3rd barrels and notice the slack in both reins coming off the 3rd barrel. You can play any video of Cervi and see these reining cues used very consistently on every run ... WATCH CLOSELY and how deep in the saddle and how quiet Cervi rides ... https://youtu.be/FqGi3WfY74w
What?????????? No....
Any bit with shanks is a curb bit, whether it has a broken mouthpiece or a solid mouthpiece. Any bit that does not have shanks is a snaffle, whether it has a broken mouthpiece or a solid mouthpiece. The mouthpiece does not determine if it's a curb or a snaffle!
Curb bits are designed to be used with curb chains, regardless of the mouthpiece. You can use them without a curb chain in some circumstances to achieve a certain effect, but typically you should be using a curb chain if you're using a curb bit. |
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