Hobbles are often associated with cowboys and pack strings. Out on the range or on the mountain trail, riders need a method for allowing their horse to graze at camp without running away. The invention of hobbles predates the American west by thousands of years. An American Cowboy article once reported that two ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics depicted a horse wearing hobbles.

“They are designed to allow a horse to ease over to greener grass, but not leave the country,” said Charles Cannizzaro of CAC Show Horses in Purcell, Oklahoma. “They were often used when there wasn’t the option of tying a horse.”

Hobbles certainly aren’t foolproof. Some horses can figure out how to slip them off, break them or lope despite them. However, most horses submit to the mild restraint. The tool that was developed so long ago out of necessity, has as much relevance in training today’s show horse as it did in keeping a horse contained. Champion trainer and colt starter Rob Foster believes that hobble broke horses are safer horses.

“It really helps them learn not to fight against being restrained,” he said. “If they get tangled in a fence or stuck in a stall they’re not going to fight,” said the Texas trainer.

The best part is, the horse is working against his own pressure, not yours and you can be the reward when he gives and relaxes. Learning patience is a critical lesson for any show horse.

“It’s like a mediation period, they learn to appreciate standing still,” Cannizzaro said.

Not only do hobbles teach the horse to quietly stand at the trailer or in the barn, it’s a lesson that carries over to other situations like the mounting block.

“The simple thing of standing next to a mounting block can be very dangerous,” said Texas breeder and trainer Dale Livingston. “The rider is in a vulnerable position if the horse isn’t standing still. Hobbles teaches them that before a person goes to get on.”

Like any training device, hobbles are a tool to achieving a steady show partner. However, Cannizzaro, Foster and Livingston cautioned that they are not to be taken for granted and recommend seeking the advice of an experienced professional before trying it on your own.

“The lay person may use hobbles as a crutch,” Cannizzaro said. “It’s like when a bit is used as a crutch they tend to use a bigger and bigger bit. If you use stronger and stronger hobbles then what do you do next? You need to back up and learn to use your hands and feet.”

Livingston adds that he has seen horses get hurt when used improperly. When used correctly and part of a larger training program, hobbles are an important lesson.

Types of hobbles

Hobbles are straps that are placed around the horse’s pastern to restrain its movement. They should not be placed on a joint or tightened to the point that they restrict blood flow. The straps are buckled around the horse’s legs and a length of rope or a snap connects the two together.

Leather, rawhide and cotton braided rope are among the most common types of hobbles, but they may also be made of neoprene, fleece lined synthetics and other materials. The “best” choice often boils down to personal preference.

Foster and Cannizzaro both use leather hobbles. Foster chooses leather hobbles with a cotton rope connector because they will hold their size rather than tightening with pressure.                            Since these adjust to a specific size they don’t become “stuck.”

That limits the risk of injury to the horse or put the person who is trying to remove them in danger. Livingston prefers soft cotton rope hobbles that are one-and-a-half to two inches in diameter so that if the horse struggles he doesn’t get a rope burn.

Regardless of the material the hobbles are made of, they are most commonly used as standard or straight hobbles. This means the device is placed on the horse’s front legs. A scotch hobble is one that connects three legs. Australian and Sideline hobbles use different methods to hobble all four.

“The 4-way hobble is inhumane and I never recommend it,” Livingston said.

Introducing hobbles

In the show world, it’s atypical to see a 7-year-old gelding standing in hobbles. That’s because horses are creatures of habit and they quickly become comfortable with standing tied when it’s done regularly, early in the training process.

Livingston introduces horses to front hobbles after they’ve been weaned. He does so a 12-by-12-foot stall so they can’t flee or hurt themselves and he leaves them on for 24-hours. They are able to eat and drink and it’s an area where they know their boundaries.

“Even if they get riled up they can’t go anywhere,” he said.

At Cannizzaro’s barn, he gets a horse in a long yearling or 2-year old. Before hobbling a horse, he makes sure the horse knows its ABC’s like handling its feet.

“I would never let a horse wear hobbles if I didn’t think he could handle it. It should be a next step in the training, not a surprise,” he said. “It can create a precarious position if you’re not prepared.”

The first time Cannizzaro introduces a horse to hobbles, he does so in the middle of the arena while the horse is wearing a halter and lead. A handler holds the lead. The initial sessions only last for 15-20 minutes. There are exceptions to every rule, but that’s generally the case, he said.

When Foster teaches young colts to hobble, he takes them into his sandy cutting pen. There aren’t any obstacles to get tangled up in if the horse jumps around a few steps and if they go to a knee the footing is soft.

“For most horses wearing hobbles is just part of the routine, they don’t care to move,” Foster said. “For 90 percent of them it’s just a very short phase in their training.”

Each horse is an individual. Some need a little more time, others a little less. When Foster started It’s A Pretty Thing for Aaron Moses he said she was one horse that needed a bit more time than others.

Foster estimates that of the 30 horses he starts each year, less than five fight or struggle with hobbles the first few times. It’s A Pretty Thing, the horse Aaron Moses won several futurities with, was one of those horses that fought it at first. Once she learned there was a release she submitted to the resistance.

Foster prefers the method over tying to teach a young horse the patience needed to stand.

“Nothing against those who tie, but a ‘bad one’ can pull back and really hurt itself,” he said. “Hobbling teaches them not to do that.”

Recently, he had one yearling that was scared of being tied. A few days of hobbling and he learned to give to resistance without strain on his body or neck. The next time Foster tied him, he stood like a seasoned saddle horse. Foster even finds hobbling useful to help horses overcome their fear of “traffic.” In these situations, he has hobbled a horse in the middle of the arena while schooling other horses around it to overcome the horse’s insecurity.

“Once the horse accepts being hobbled, I move on,” he said. “It’s not something that is done repeatedly just for the sake of doing it.”

In all three scenarios, the horses are introduced to hobbles in a relaxed environment.  Livingston has seen some individuals put a yearling on a longe line until it is puffing and then four-way hobble it.

“A horse will not learn when it is in pain, in fear or out of air,” Livingston said. “The horse may not fight, but he certainly is not learning anything.”

Ask for professional help

It’s easy to take for granted a quiet 7-year-old gelding that patiently stands tied to the stall wall or side of the trailer. It’s because the horse has done it 1,000 times.

“Hobbles break down resistance,” Livingston said. “They teach horses not to paw and to be patient,” Cannizzaro said.

But all three trainers agreed that it’s not a tool for inexperienced hands.

“I’ve seen horses get hurt because they were used by people who didn’t know what they were doing,” he said. “Even though it looks simple, there is an art to using them.”

Working with someone who has the experience working with hobbles is not just for the horse’s safety. The handler needs to understand the basics so he/she is not hurt either. An experienced horseperson can demonstrate the proper position for putting on or removing hobbles.

“A lay person may bend over and wrap the hobble on while they’re standing in front of the horse’s leg,” Cannizzaro said. “Even if the horse is only snapping it’s leg up at a fly, you’ll get the leg in the nose.

When used correctly, Foster said that hobble training is one of the best things a horse can be taught, even if the horse is only a trail riding horse and not a show horse.

“When you can get control of their feet that’s a major deal for everything down the road,” Foster said.

And remember that each horse has the potential to react differently. It’s not a one-size-fits all training tool.

“Just watch each horse on an individual basis,” Foster said. “Some horses once you put a loop on the horse’s foot, they wouldn’t even have to be connected and the horse would never even move. But they are all individuals.”