Re: RC: Re: Hobbles

[Linda Cowles <lindac@gilroy.com>]

Sarah Roxanne Zawacki <zawackis@pilot.msu.edu
>   Does anyone know how to train a horse to hobble on your own?
>

I've seen a horse flip over and break her withers when cold-started on
hobbles... it usually doesn't happen, but there is a chance your horse
could get hurt if he panics.

I hobble trained all of my horses by teaching them to yield to pressure
on their legs.

Using a soft cotton rope, run it between your horses legs and holding
both ends pull slightly, keeping the pressure constant. The instant the
horse yields at all, drop all pressure on the rope (that's the reward!). 

Try again, and ask for more movement this time, verbally encouraging him
and rewarding him for each better effort until you can lead by that
foot. Do all four feet. 

I then put Hobble bracelets on with 1 foot ropes tied to the rings (the
horse is haltered with a lead), and I have the horse place a foot on the
rope so that he's staked himself to the ground... I do this so that the
horse learns to think and try and figure the restraint out rather than
panic and fight. 

As soon as the horse is used to foot restraint, I run a rope through the
hobble rings and hold both ends, and teach them to rope walk if they
accept that level of restraint. "Rope walking" is walking as if on a
tightrope, with on foot place in front of the other.

When the horse is okay with that, I hobble him and while he's still on a
lead, reassure him he's okay and lead him around.

THEN I hobble a back leg to the front legs!!! All of my horses quickly
learn to canter in two leg hobbles, so I've just folded and gone
straight to three legs!

Teaching a horse to calmly accept this stuff is the easiest and safest
way... and it takes about 25 to 30 minutes once you learn to do it
right.

Good luck!! Linda (who is off to bribe her great shoer into teaching her
to trim feet in a 4 point balance!)

P.S. This is more of that Natural Horsemanship hooey, so take it with a
grain of salt, okay? <heh!heh!heh!>

-- 


  Linda Cowles                        408.847.3531 - Office
  Lion Oaks Ranch                     408.390.0728 - Cell
  5355 Hecker Pass                    kadence@ix.netcom.com
  Gilroy CA 95020



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