Hobbling hinds instead of fronts

[floyd]

Anyone hobble hinds instead of fronts when you want to keep horse close by & not picket them?

[Ranchy]

Not me.......I did know a guy though, that had to hobble the hind legs of one of their horses, in order to put shoes on the front.......

He's the only one I ever heard of hobbling the hind legs, though.

[k_ranch]

I've never hobbled hinds either usually can find a good tree to tie to in the country I ride in. I usually carry a halter if I plan tie up much ie. when hunting horseback or fixing fence ect. Hate to see horses jerk bits through their teeth, break reins what ever.

Walking home and/or finding horse sucks

I sometimes tie to a stout post in fence line but some horses can be impatient and paw, get foot in barbed wire or sratch saddle on wire. I hobble fronts at brandings to get away from the chain reaction of horses pulling back when everybody ties to a line of panels or fence line. Although last weekend my hobbled horse found some corn in the back of a pickup, luckly a tiny amount, maybe it's sometimes best to put in horse trailer if close especially if little ones running around.

I read an article in Western Horsemen once about a horse trainer giving a clinic at a NM ranch where front and back hobbling was mentioned and encouraged. Probably be useful to anchor a horse in open treeless country. The exact method wasn't covered but maybe on his web site there's info. I'll link it below. or you can copy the website and type it in

www.twisterheller.com

[RoperAB]

Most colts are not hobble broke right in the first place. So if you put hobbles on the front legs they wont stay put.
I have never heard tell of just using hobbles on the back legs.
Like there is a very rough method of hobble breaking a spoiled colt by hobbling the front legs and also the back legs with sacks. Then tie a rope from the front hobbles to the back hobbles.
Make sure the colt is striped of his saddle and wearing nothing but the hobbles!!
Step back and give him a darn good scare. He will jump- out and when he does the hobbles will take his feet away from him and he will go down.
The first thing to hit the ground will be his nose and chances are he will loose a front tooth which isnt a good thing.
Like this is a pretty rough hobble method that would only be a last resort on a rough, spoiled horse that wasnt hobble broke right in the first place.

[RoperAB]

[k_ranch]

Forgot to mention above I have outfitter/guide friends who have seen front hobbled horses get away and travel dozens of miles down mountain sides back to base camp. They can go over and through some amazing trails and steep terain in what seems like short order when you're trying to hunt em up before dark. Its hell on their legs though, get pretty bloody and sore footed. Most only tie their horses for this reason.

[k_ranch]

Gosh please dont ever tie a horse to any barb wire fence ever!
If you just double hobble a horse without hobble breaking them they will soon learn to travel with double hobbles about as good as they could travel with just one pair of hobbles.[/quote]

RoperAB, Good theory but sometimes in the real world it might be the only option.

I'd have to see a horse travel Hobbled front and back to believe it.

Please enlighten us to your correct/humane hobble breaking methods

[RoperAB]

There are many ways to hobble break a colt.
The main thing is that the colt does not learn to buck jump.
One way is to sack hobble the front legs with the colt wearing a hackamore with the reins tied short around the poll of his head.
When the hobbles are first put on if the colt fights them the more the better.
After he finds out he cant pull his feet out of the hobbles this is when he will try to buck jump. This is when you have to be ready for him.
The horse should be in a hackamore so you can pull his nose around quickly.
Standing slightly behind and to the side of the colt you double the colt when he tries to buck jump. You do this everytime the colt tries to lunge ahead with both of his front feet at the same time.
You must do this everytime he tries to buck jump and pull him short<double> him everytime.
After a while he wont try it anymore and you just kept him from learning things that are not good for him to learn.
Thats just one way and I dont know if you were being sarcastic about the real world or not? Never tie to a wire fence. I cant believe you would do that. Why? There is always another way. Give me an example of when you would have to do this kind of a thing? I wont have time to reply to you tonight because im going to bed but im sure I can think of an alternative to tieing to a barbwire fence.

[Jinglebob]

I've taken my mecate and tied it in a bowline around the horses neck and then down to his hobbles, while leaving enough room for him to hold his head up, comfortably. If he tries to leap/lope he will give his head/neck a pretty good jerk. Seem to stay pretty good.

This time of the year if they are hobbled and on good grass, they don't seem to go too far.

Keep them hungry and on good grass and they will usually stick around.

I hate to tie to a barbwire fence, but I've done it in a pinch when I needed to hurry and do something and not leave them for very long. But I sure wouldn't advise it.

You can make anything work, if you go about it right.

[floyd]

All of mine are introduced to front hobbles early on as well as being picketed by a front on an 1" cotton rope. At different times. Duh!

Had a cayuse/welsh from a sheep rancher over Riggens ID way. She could go 3/4 speed hobbled & sidelined.Watched her go thru a fence right in front of the schoolbus. Bus driver saw her coming & stopped.

The trip I got that horse on was funny. 1st night we were on the bench trail in Hell's Canyon we hobbled the bell mare, picketed 2 & left 2 loose. That damn bell mare tip-toed bout 3 mi down the trail towards home with the 2 loose 1's following her like puppy dogs. Guy I was packing with went & got em.

Thanks for replies.

[Jinglebob]

[k_ranch]

RoperAB, Sorry not being sarcastic communicating isn't my strong suit I guess.

I agree tying to barbedwire fence is reckless but there are reasons/times stupid or other wise. I'm guilty Although I usually just flop my riens around a post unless using halter and tying to solid box corner. Your posts have been informative as have JBs Thanks. Never to late to learn new or better ways of doing things.