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 Regular
Posts: 96
Location: Rocky Mountains | I'm going on a trip on the continental divide for a few weeks this summer and have absolutly no experience with hobbles or hobble training. What's the best type and brand? Iv been told that hobbles that go on the cannon bone rather than the Pastern is best. Is this true? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| Craig Cameron covers hobbles i. His light to dark DVD or try YouTube |
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  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| We use hobbles a lot. We spend lots of time on the mountain during the summer and fall. Every horse should be broke to hobbles. The best type is the figure 8 leather strap. In my opinion it doesn't matter if its on the cannon or pastern, chances are it will fall down to the pasterns anyway. When we start a horse with hobbles, we usually put them in the pasture without anything they can fall on, put the hobble on and turn them loose for a bit. Sometimes they will fall down the first time but most catch on really fast. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
 
| I have a cotton figure 8 hobble I used for my old pole gelding when we had to stall him. He was a notorious striker and stall climber, so he was tied and hobbled anytime he was stalled. I put it around his pastern but usually they would move down whenever they move. It doesn't really matter that I've noticed. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| We use the leather ones or just tie their head to their foot. We break one to them by first starting with a rope around the pastern and pull until they give then release. Pull forward, back and to the side. Once they figure that out, about 30 minutes, we tie them up and put the hobbles on, tie them to something that they can't hurt themselves on(no trailer, no panels, no fence), we have a hitching post with a rubber inner tube, tie above their head. Let them soak for a good long while and then end the day. The next day, refresh the yielding of each leg, and then put hobbles on and turn them loose in a big open area. Don't encourage them to move, let them graze and move at their own pace. If you startle one that doesn't know anything about hobbles, you'll find him miles from home and wrapped up in something.
If you are going for an extended period of time, make sure you get them used to standing on a picket line. You'd be amazed at how fast a horse can travel with hobbles on.
Edited by FlyingJT 2016-02-10 11:18 AM
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 Straight Shooter
Posts: 5725
Location: SW North Dakota | Whenever possible, I like to hobble break mine as yearlings. In a perfect world, I'd start with a single leg hobble and get them to yield to the pressure and understand they aren't gonna get away from it. I'll start with a plain cotton rope and just handle their legs. It really doesn't take long for them to figure it out.
I agree with starting in a round pen or somewhere they are less likely to get hurt. PLus, if they struggle, deep ground will wear them out faster.
I like the leather hobbles too- I usually start them in a wide, lined set. As soon as they "get it," I use a lighter, leather pair that is made from a single strap because those are easy to hang through my back cinch dee. |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | FlyingJT - 2016-02-10 11:16 AM We use the leather ones or just tie their head to their foot. We break one to them by first starting with a rope around the pastern and pull until they give then release. Pull forward, back and to the side. Once they figure that out, about 30 minutes, we tie them up and put the hobbles on, tie them to something that they can't hurt themselves on(no trailer, no panels, no fence), we have a hitching post with a rubber inner tube, tie above their head. Let them soak for a good long while and then end the day. The next day, refresh the yielding of each leg, and then put hobbles on and turn them loose in a big open area. Don't encourage them to move, let them graze and move at their own pace. If you startle one that doesn't know anything about hobbles, you'll find him miles from home and wrapped up in something. If you are going for an extended period of time, make sure you get them used to standing on a picket line. You'd be amazed at how fast a horse can travel with hobbles on.
^^Exactly!
My mare is very used to hobbles and doesn't fight them....but she can cover some ground in a hurry with a pair on. The first time I saw her do it I almost had heart failure.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 464
| I like the wide band kind with wool on them. Be advised if you are using them to let the horse run loose, yu may be in for a shock how far, and how fast a horse can travel with them on. |
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 Friendly horse swapper
Posts: 4122
Location: Buffalo, TX | All my horses get hobble broke. I use the Craig Cameron soft cotton rope hobbles that slip on and off real easy.
 (3868QuickLight_Hobble_300.jpg)
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 3868QuickLight_Hobble_300.jpg (6KB - 181 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 1857
| MS2011 - 2016-02-10 1:02 PM
FlyingJT - 2016-02-10 11:16 AM We use the leather ones or just tie their head to their foot. We break one to them by first starting with a rope around the pastern and pull until they give then release. Pull forward, back and to the side. Once they figure that out, about 30 minutes, we tie them up and put the hobbles on, tie them to something that they can't hurt themselves on(no trailer, no panels, no fence), we have a hitching post with a rubber inner tube, tie above their head. Let them soak for a good long while and then end the day. The next day, refresh the yielding of each leg, and then put hobbles on and turn them loose in a big open area. Don't encourage them to move, let them graze and move at their own pace. If you startle one that doesn't know anything about hobbles, you'll find him miles from home and wrapped up in something. If you are going for an extended period of time, make sure you get them used to standing on a picket line. You'd be amazed at how fast a horse can travel with hobbles on.
^^Exactly!
My mare is very used to hobbles and doesn't fight them....but she can cover some ground in a hurry with a pair on. The first time I saw her do it I almost had heart failure.
We have a seasoned pack horse that we have to hobble and then tie his head to the hobble, he can only raise his head knee high, otherwise he's miles from camp before you can catch him....
I've gotten lazy as I've gotten older and anymore I just tie a horses head to one of his front feet and call it good, works about the same but I don't have to travel very far to get them.... |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | MS2011 - 2016-02-10 1:02 PM
FlyingJT - 2016-02-10 11:16 AM We use the leather ones or just tie their head to their foot. We break one to them by first starting with a rope around the pastern and pull until they give then release. Pull forward, back and to the side. Once they figure that out, about 30 minutes, we tie them up and put the hobbles on, tie them to something that they can't hurt themselves on(no trailer, no panels, no fence), we have a hitching post with a rubber inner tube, tie above their head. Let them soak for a good long while and then end the day. The next day, refresh the yielding of each leg, and then put hobbles on and turn them loose in a big open area. Don't encourage them to move, let them graze and move at their own pace. If you startle one that doesn't know anything about hobbles, you'll find him miles from home and wrapped up in something. If you are going for an extended period of time, make sure you get them used to standing on a picket line. You'd be amazed at how fast a horse can travel with hobbles on.
^^Exactly!
My mare is very used to hobbles and doesn't fight them....but she can cover some ground in a hurry with a pair on. The first time I saw her do it I almost had heart failure.
Yep, we have a colt that quickly learned how to run by moving both front feet in sync.
It's great to teach though, just yesterday my husbands gelding stuck his leg through a fence. It was a pipe chute they had added wooden boards to to work calves, and his leg went between a pipe and board somehow. He could've easily broken something. Instead he just hung out til we found him and freed his foot. |
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That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| We have one TB gelding that will take off on occasion. He covered a couple of miles before we cought up to him one time. And its always during dinner lol. The rest of them dont even try to leave. |
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 Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | my experience with the figure 8's is that my mare can very deliberately work her feet out of them. So, make sure they have the flat area in the middle!
Like this:
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hobbles1.jpg (8KB - 170 downloads)
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Member
Posts: 35
| My gelding was hobble broke when I got him as a 4 year old. I don't hobble often but I try to put them on at least once or twice a year just to keep him remembering. The first time I put boots on him though it took me about 15-20 minutes to get him to move off. He was loose in the roundpen and I put the boots on and kinda shooed him off, nope nothing doing. He stayed planted like a statue, he was so sure he knew what was going on!
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Expert
Posts: 2122
Location: The Great Northwest | Teaching to hobble could save your horse! Take the end of a lariat rope and put over the foot around the pastern. You will have a halter and lead on the horse for the lessons. Pull on the rope tell the horse lifts leg and hold. You want the horse to give and bring his weight over onto that foot and release the pressure immediately. All you do is hold don't pull. You will eventually lead by the foot. Train both sides and you can do this 5 minutes and come back another day. If the horse trained like this gets a foot hung up, they usually won't panic. When horse gives leg and comes over the foot good both front legs, the horse can be hobbled. I put boots on to protect just in case. They all repsond differently but most will remember the lessons. Don't just walk away! Show the horse he is hobbled by shoving over where he will take a step. When the horse finds that he is hobbled, then hold a hand up and say whoa and take a step away. You should eventually be able to walk from side to side. Your horse is hobble broke gently. |
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