One woman. One horse. 48 states for Domestic Violence Awareness

Check back often for the latest updates and stories from Meredith and Apollo as they journey 10,000 miles on a four year ride around the USA.






Training Apollo to Wear Hobbles


Hobbling a horse is a necessary skill for long riding.  There will be times when there is simply nothing to tie the horse to!  Hobbles are also good for allowing the horse to graze without a rope to get tangled in. 

They do have limitations, especially for smart horses like Apollo who figure out how to move fast while wearing them.  They are not normally left on overnight for this reason - a hobbled horse can travel a great distance when left unattended that long!

There are many good videos on youtube about how to train a horse to wear hobbles.  Basically, you start in an arena with soft footing so the horse's knees don't get injured when he falls.  And he will fall while he figures it out.  Just stay out of the way and he'll get his balance back quickly.

After the initial surprise of having the feet tied together, the horse must learn to move in hobbles.  They can shuffle around and graze comfortably once they figure it out.  Apollo prefers to hop.  But he has only practiced with them a handful of times, so maybe he will learn to shuffle some day too.

There are many types of hobbles.  Apollo's are nylon with padded cuffs and a nice quick release buckle on each cuff. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

You are invited to join the conversation!
Please keep the following in mind when posting your comments:
- You do not need to register to comment
- You may comment anonymously
- You may post questions, and I will do my best to respond in a timely fashion.
- You may disagree. But please do so respectfully.
- I reserve the right to delete inappropriate or rude comments.
- You are the sole owner of your comments.
- You grant me license to publish your comments in another venue, royalty free and without limitations, including in a blog, book, video, or presentation.