Hobbles
Posted by John Brand on
Hobbles are connected loops made from sturdy material, such as leather, that loosely connect a horse's front legs together. Now, I'm sure that can seem quite horrifying and barbaric to people, but let's take a look at where and why they are used.
A good horse must know how to tie and all horses must be able to be contained in some fashion. Ground tie, tie to a tree, outside a bar, pseudo tie (that's a fancy word for "fake tying"), cross tie, tie to the side of a trailer, etc. In this day and age it seems we have more than a few ways to tie or contain a horse, from the Hi-Tie systems you see on trailers, portable panels, blocker tie rings and more. However, some still work horses out in the wilderness where they don't have those options, and need their horses to stay put til morning. This is where a hobble comes in. If done correctly, hobbles can prevent the horse from wandering off too far. Hobbles are a way of letting your horse graze next to camp and not having to worry about finding something to tie them to or worry about a lead rope being too long or short, or the horse getting tangled.
Training for hobbles and wearing hobbles can also help a horse learn to not panic and struggle when his legs are restrained, which can transfer over to if he gets caught in a fence. As are all things horse, training for hobbles must be done right. If you don't have experience doing so, please ask for help from a trainer! It can easily go from bad to worse if you rush the process.
Buckaroo Leather has a few different styles of hobbles to choose from that will best suit your needs. Head on over to our website to browse our selection!