Placement of hobbles

I had a customer ask me the other day where I preferred to attach my hobbles; high or low. To some extent, this is a matter of personal preference. I like to put my hobbles just above the fetlock (ankle joint), rather than down on the pastern. I haven't seen a lot of chafing when I put them here, not to mention the fact that I don't have to bend over quite as far to put them on! There are some hobbles, especially figure eight and rope hobbles that don't cinch up tightly enough to stay above the joint; just make sure that if you are using these, that they do not chafe or interfere with the flexing at the joint.

On a side note, I also like to have the hobbles up above the fetlock because I can attach both ends of the hobble to one leg while the horse is highlined or tied in camp. Then, should I want to turn the animal out to graze or stop it from pawing, I know exactly where the hobbles are and can hobble quickly. Of course, you should never leave the hobbles attached like this if you are moving down the trail or if you leave the horse unattended.

You can also read my article on training horses and mules to hobble. Just keep in mind that this article assumes that you have a gentle, willing animal to work with. Hobbling a horse or mule before it is mentally ready could be disastrous for both you and the animal.

How To Start a Pack Horse or Mule

I'm following up on a question from Steve on an earlier post. In my experience, most good horses and mules take to packing very easily. Let's assume the animal is broke, or at the very least has had a lot of ground work, been sacked out, etc. First, saddle him with a pack saddle and let him get used to the breeching around his rump. Lunge him or run him around in a round pen until he seems comfortable. Then, tie a couple of empty Clorox bottles to the saddle, one on each side, with some string or rope. Put some small rocks in them so they make lots of noise while you trot him around. This will help your pack animal get used to odd sounds emanating from the packs. If your prospective pack animal is on the calm side, this should not take long.

Next, I like to put a set of Ralide-West panniers on with tin cans and rocks in them and go through the same exercise. Then, I like to do a couple of rides up my “training trail.” This trail starts off by crossing a short wooden bridge. I figure I might as well find out immediately where the problems might crop up. Then there is a creek crossing followed by some turns through a boggy area. I prefer the Ralide-West boxes because they are virtually indestructible. The quality of panniers enters into play because there are a couple of places where an inexperienced pack animal will whack a tree with the boxes. Usually, after two times they learn that they have to move out away from a tree to keep from getting that hard pannier jabbed in their ribs.

By the end of that 14-mile round trip, I usually have a pretty good idea if there are any problems that need special attention. It’s hard to make a good pack animal by merely practicing at home. If you have gotten this far without serious trouble, it’s time to just do it.

One last thought: don’t try to make a pack animal out of a horse or mule that didn’t make it as a saddle horse. A calm disposition and willingness to work are very important.