Re: RC: Re: Hobbles

[Teddy Lancaster <Teddy@runningbear.com>]

Well explained, April.  You'll love this one.  I had a horse who wanted to bury
himself in his stall at night, so I pt hobbles on him, he figured it out quite
sanely, but I forgot I had put them on in the AM...surprising how fast they can
move in hobbles!!!!

A few months later, when I had stopped using them for awhile, I put leg wraps on
him to ship him and he thought they were hobbles!!!  He started "hopping" around
like his two front feet were tied together.

No end to what these horses teach me!!!!

teddy

April Lee wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Sarah Roxanne Zawacki <zawackis@pilot.msu.edu>
>
> >     Does anyone know how to train a horse to hobble on your own?
>
> Sarah,
>
>   I have trained my horse to hobbles and I know one of my friends that has
> trained her horse to hobbles.  There was really nothing to it in our
> experience.  I bought nylon hobbles.  I don't remember what kind my friend
> had.  I had to train Apache to hobbles to work on a spot on his back leg
> without getting kicked.  My friend trained her 2 year old quarter horse just
> as part of his training.
>
> A few things to remember.  Your horse must stand still long enough to get
> hobbles on him and he must allow you to pick up his feet and/or place them
> where you want them.  It's quite frustrating to get one leg in the hobble
> and realize that the other leg is too far away to buckle the hobble in
> place!  Also, I wouldn't try training a horse to hobbles a horse that
> doesn't already know you and trust you.  I can see how they would think you
> are trying to "beat" them into submission if they don't trust that you know
> what you're doing.  I had been working with Apache for about 6 months before
> I hobbled him.  My friend had been working with her colt for almost a year
> before introducing him to hobbles.
>
> The first time I put hobbles on Apache, he freaked.  Not too bad, though.
> He jumped around because he didn't realize that the hobbles were going to
> restrict his movement.  He half-reared several times.  I would advise using
> an enclosed area like a paddock (a stall is too small, a pasture is too
> large).  I also suggest getting out of the way.  If you only hobble the
> front feet to start, your horse might kick with his back legs.  Or hit you
> when trying to rear.  When your horse calms down to where you're safe, go
> talk to him.  Give him a carrot or just pet him.  Then remove the hobbles
> and lead him around.  He might pick up his feet weird because he's still
> expecting the hobbles.  Then try it again.  I didn't try again right away.
> I waited until the next day or the next training session, but I don't see
> why you couldn't do it right away.  It only took that once to convince my
> horse to stand still with something around his legs.  The next time I did
> it, he stood still after trying to lift his feet to walk.  He will shuffle
> around to get grass, but  mostly he stands still.
>
> He went to sleep once.  We were waiting for the vet and I'd hobbled him
> outside our pasture because I had two other horses to take care of and there
> were about 6 other horses out being led around and I didn't want him trying
> to cozy up to his "girlfriend" while I was otherwise occupied.  He literally
> stood still and went to sleep.
>
> Anyway, the first time I hobbled all four feet was really scary.  I thought
> he was going to fall over, but he didn't.  He finally stood still...glaring
> at me, but still.  Now when I hobble him, I yank once or twice on the
> hobbles after putting them on to let him know that they are there.  He
> hobbles nicely when I use them.  I don't have to use them much, but it IS
> nice when he gets vines wrapped around his feet for him to stand still.
>
> Now that you mention it, we need to refresh hobble training!
>
> Good luck,
> April & Apache (the "A" team)
> Chattanooga, TN
>
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Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=