TYING AND HOBBLING

105 W hether on a pack trip into the mountains or on a weekend trail ride during which you return to your trailer at night, it is important that your trail horse has been taught to stand quietly when tied, hobbled, or tethered by one foot to a picket pin. As you start your horse on a training routine, you might ask him to stand tied for only a short period. Tie the horse to a hitching rail or a wooden fence, groom him, and then leave him for a little while before proceeding with the training session. Do the same at the end TYING AND HOBBLING Keeping Them Where We Want Them 8 A trail horse must learn to stand quietly while tied. CH08.qx 9/13/04 11:42 AM Page 105 of the session. Cool down and groom the trainee, and then let him stand tied for a bit. Do not reward the horse with grain or other treats after the end of a session of being tied. If you do, the horse will associate the end of the session with the treat and will learn impa- tience rather than patience with being tied. As the training progresses, gradually lengthen the periods the horse must stand tied. You might start with five minutes and progress to an hour or more of the horses standing unattended. The goal is to get the horse gradually used to being confined to one spot and to accept this as a routine part of life. The important thing, especially with young horses, is to tie them in a location and in such a manner that they dont get into trouble. If the horse is tied to a post along a barbed-wire or woven-wire fence and begins pawing and extending a foreleg, for example, you are asking for a disaster that can end the horses career before it begins. Tying Correctly When you are tying a horse, the key is do it securely but not so securely that you cant free him if need be. There are two basic knots for this: the simple bow knot and the bolen. Each has advantages and disadvantages. The bow knot is designed for quick release but can become wedged if a horse pulls back, requiring a mighty jerk from a powerful arm to free it. The bolen is really the best solution. It takes an extra moment to tie and untie, but it cant be pulled so tightly that it is impossible to free. Make sure you tie your horse to something solid. If the horse should become frightened and pull back, you dont want a hitching rail or fence board to 106 Chapter 8 Tie securely, but allow for release. CH08.qx 9/13/04 11:42 AM Page 106 pull free. It doesnt take much to imagine the wreck that would ensue. If possible, tie the horse where there is activity, such as other hors- es coming and going or vehicles being started and driven on and off the yard. If this practice is started when the horse is young, the ani- mal will become desensitized to the type of activity that occurs at campgrounds and trailheads. In addition, the busy surroundings give the horse something to concentrate on. The manner in which the horse is tied is also important. The tie rope should be long enough so that the horse doesnt feel overly con- fined, but not so long that he can get a front leg over the rope. A good rule of thumb is to have the tie area higher than the horses head whenever possible. As the horses training program continues, and he is being tied for longer periods, try tying him near other horses. Again, this can be gradual. Begin by tying another horse nearby, but far enough away to avoid physical contact, and progress to the point where the two are tied side by side. If the companion is a horse that shared a pas- ture or corral, this usually is not traumatic. However, you should always be aware of pecking order. A young horse at the bottom of the pecking order might be intimidated and frightened if the dominant horse in the band is tied beside him. When tethering your horses on a trail ride, always make certain that compatible horses are tied next to each other. This not only is good injury prevention, but also saves the timid horse from being terror- ized all night long and unable to rest. Picket Line Eventually, trail horses should be taught to stand when tied to an overhead picket line, a rope that is stretched between two solid objects, such as trees. When horses are tied to a picket line rather than to a wooden fence or hitching rail, they have 360-degree move- ment. If the horse has never been so tethered at home, the first time he is picketed this way on a trail ride can be upsetting. The impor- 107 Tying and Hobbling Keeping Them Where We Want Them CH08.qx 9/13/04 11:42 AM Page 107 tant thing is that the picket line be high and that it be tight. The reason for using a picket line instead of tying to trees is basic to save the trees. Tying a horse to a tree can result in the trees demise. First, the rope can cut into the bark. Second, the walking and paw- ing of the tied horse can expose and damage the tree roots. Using a picket line cuts down on environmental dam- age. To further protect the tree, tie a wide band around the tree to which you can attach the picket line. Hobbling Once you have arrived at the point at which your trail horse stands quietly when tied to a solid object or to a picket line, it is time to teach him to be hobbled. Hobbles are placed around the front legs of the horse to restrict his movement. Any of the many hobbles available will work, as long as they dont chafe the horses legs. To pre- vent chafing, especially in wet conditions, we use hobbles lined with fleece or a soft fleece-like synthetic material. Some trainers use hobbles as a form of restraint during vari- ous training procedures, such as the horses being saddling or 108 Chapter 8 Placing hobbles on the front legs. Tying to a picket line. CH08.qx 9/13/04 11:42 AM Page 108 mounting the first time. I dont. I want my trail horses to accept the hobbles as a limitation to movement, not as something that forces them to stand in one spot. If they refuse to move while hobbled in a mountain meadow, they will quickly exhaust the grass supply at hand and go hungry. Accepting Hobbles When teaching a horse to accept hobbles, I prefer to be in a round corral that has soft dirt or sand for good footing. If a round pen isnt available, use a large grassy area devoid of rocks, trees, and brush. By the time I introduce the horse to hobbles, he has already learned to work on a longe line and, more importantly, has devel- oped confidence in me as the trainer and head of the pecking order. I will lead the horse to the center of the training pen and quietly buckle on the hobbles. If the horse is a bit apprehensive, have a sec- ond person assist by holding the animal. The person putting on the hobbles is in a vulnerable position when kneeling at the horses front end. 109 Tying and Hobbling Keeping Them Where We Want Them Learning to accept the hobbles. CH08.qx 9/13/04 11:42 AM Page 109 The hobbles are attached around the fetlocks, or just above them on the cannon bones. Once the hobbles are in place, I stand at the horses head, reassuring it while the helper steps out of the way. Most horses will move of their own volition, and they should be given every opportunity to do so. If they refuse, have a longe whip handy and gently encourage them by flicking the whip toward their hocks. The purpose is to get the horse to move forward with the hobbles on. You want him to realize that hobbles restrict forward movement but dont prevent it. Reactions Vary Horses react differently to being hobbled. Some rear and lunge until they figure out they cant free themselves; others mince along quietly, unperturbed. The reason for fleece-lined hobbles becomes quickly evident if the horse struggles. The goal is to teach the horse 110 Chapter 8 Learning how to move with hobbles. CH08.qx 9/13/04 11:42 AM Page 110 to accept something that inhibits freedom of movement but does not inflict pain. The longe line can be used to bring the horse under control if he becomes unduly frightened by the hobbles, which rarely happens. After an attempt or two to get free, most horses will accept the hob- bles and learn how to move with them. The moment I sense the horse is relaxing and gaining confidence, I unsnap the longe line and leave the training pen to let the horse learn how to cope with the hobbles on his own. The horse may require a few sessions to become comfortable with being hobbled, but quite soon he will learn to move about with rel- ative ease. Some Limitations of Hobbles The bad news about this form of restraint is that some horses learn to travel easily with them on. Early in our mountain riding adventures, we thought it was per- fectly safe to hobble our horses overnight in a meadow and leave them there until time to saddle up the next morning. After all, they could graze at their leisure all night long. Not a good idea. During one trip in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming, a thun- derstorm came up during the night not an unusual occurrence when camping in the high country. We crawled from our tents the next morning and looked out at an empty meadow. Every one of our hobbled horses had disappeared. And, worst of all, the rain had washed out their tracks. Had they gone into heavy timber or had they returned to the trail- head several long hiking hours away? We got lucky. We searched the timber first and, sure enough, there they were. We had searched an hour or more before finding them, but it sure beat walking all the way to the trailhead. That experience, and a few more like it, taught us to put up a pick- et line shortly after arriving at camp. When dusk arrives now, every horse is tied to the picket line. 111 Tying and Hobbling Keeping Them Where We Want Them CH08.qx 9/13/04 11:42 AM Page 111 Picket Pin The fact that many horses travel easily and rapidly in hobbles led me to try something that I had avoided for years tethering the horse to a picket pin. I had always been concerned that this was a sure avenue to injury if a horse became tangled in the twenty- or thirty-foot picket rope. I am indebted to a Kentucky friend, Leonie Ommundson, a mountain outfitter turned Thoroughbred trainer, for a solution. If you picket the horse by one back foot, she said, it wont become tangled in the picket rope. I wasnt so sure until I tried it myself. However, this is not something that should be done without a lot of preparation. Simply picketing a horse by the back foot with the other end of the picket rope attached to an immovable object is ask- ing for injury, at least until the horse becomes accustomed to this form of restraint. To begin the training session, I lead the horse into an open area and attach a cuff containing a ring to one rear foot. The picket line is then attached to the ring. For some reason I choose the left rear, but it 112 Chapter 8 A horse tethered to a picket pin. CH08.qx 9/13/04 11:42 AM Page 112 doesnt matter which rear foot is used. The cuffs that we use were cut away from a set of hobbles. They will not chafe the pasterns. At this point you should have an assistant hold the horse with a lead rope attached to the halter. When I do it on my own, I attach a longe line to the halter and hold it in one hand and the picket rope in the other. It is important that the horse doesnt bolt and get free. If he tries to move away, I simply drop the picket line attached to the leg and pull the horses head around with the longe line. In the beginning I never secure the free end of the picket rope but hold it in my hand. 113 Tying and Hobbling Keeping Them Where We Want Them Holding the longe line in one hand and the picket rope in the other. The horse learns to relax with the picket rope. CH08.qx 9/13/04 11:42 AM Page 113 Do this early training in a grassy spot because the horse will want to graze, mimicking what will happen when he is ground picketed on a trail ride. As the horse moves about, I pick my moment and apply pres- sure on the rope, preventing the one rear leg from moving forward. Expect some disagreement from the horse at this point. Usually, the horses head will come up, and he will kick out with the confined leg in an effort to free it. When this happens, ease off on the pres- sure, but do not completely release it. We dont want the horse to be firmly anchored at this point, but we do want him to know that he cant do as he chooses with the confined leg, such as walk off. If the horse insists on going forward through the pressure, walk with him, but never completely release the pressure until he stops to graze again. When he lowers his head to eat, relax all pressure until he seeks to move forward once more. Again, we are using pressure in the training process. The pressure on the picketed leg tells the horse to stop. The moment he does, the horse is rewarded with a release of pressure. Continue this pressure and release by hand until the horse stops fighting it and begins graz- ing in a circle around you rather than walking straight away. This training procedure should be done over several daily sessions. The second step, once the horse is yielding to the pressure on his back leg, is to introduce him to an object that cant be moved. Either a tree or a picket pin can be used at this point, but, in the beginning do not securely attach the end of the picket rope to the immovable object. Instead, run the rope around the base of a tree or stake, or through the ring of the picket pin, and grip the other end. Now, when the horse reaches the end of the line, exert a bit more pressure to let him know that a limit has been reached. If the horse struggles, you can quickly free him by easing your grip on the rope. Before long the horse will stop moving forward the moment he feels pressure. He will then back up or change course to relieve the pressure. When he is doing this with no consternation, it is time to picket hard and fast. 114 Chapter 8 CH08.qx 9/13/04 11:42 AM Page 114 However, do not picket the horse and leave him to his own devices. Instead, shorten the picket rope to the point where you can tie a gen- tle bow knot and keep a grip on the free end. If the horse should begin to struggle, one quick pull releases the knot and the horse is free. Double check that the area is free of stumps, other trees, and rocks. You dont want the picket rope becoming caught on another object as the horse moves about. I use an area in our front yard with a small tree as the anchor, but an open meadow and a picket pin would be better for the training sessions. When you feel comfortable that the horse respects the pressure and is not frightened, fasten the rope to the immovable object and walk away. The first time you do this, be prepared for the horse to follow, as you have been his security blanket. If this happens, walk slowly and stop before the horse reaches the end of the picket rope. Pet him and give him reassurance that all is well. Then, step slowly forward so that if the horse follows, he feels easy pressure on the tethered leg rather than walking into it in full stride. If the previous lessons have gone well, the horse will instantly rec- ognize that he is unable to continue walking forward and will step back to ease the pressure. This is the point where having the horse tethered in a grassy area is an advantage. In a few moments the horse will forget about you and the picket ropes limitations and will return to grazing. Unhurried Process This training process should not be hurried. Take all the time in the world until the horse becomes relaxed and comfortable with being ground picketed. If the horse is excitable and you are worried about him becoming frightened when left alone, use a light, breakable cord to attach to the immovable object in the beginning. Certainly, we dont want the horse to learn that he can get free if he bolts, but, on the other hand, that is better than his being injured. 115 Tying and Hobbling Keeping Them Where We Want Them CH08.qx 9/13/04 11:42 AM Page 115 So far, I have yet to find a horse that didnt quickly yield to being picketed by a rear foot, and I have never had one get its other three legs tangled in the rope. There are some limitations when tethering in this manner. The main one involves space. If you tether several horses at one time, you must make certain that they cant cross each others tether rope. If that happens, you can wind up with a dangerous entanglement. 116 Chapter 8 CH08.qx 9/13/04 11:42 AM Page 116

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