March 2011: Hobble How-To’s

Train your horse to master the essential skill of wearing hobbles.

Hobbles are a liberating piece of tack; you can travel the backcountry with confidence, knowing you can restrain your horse no matter what the terrain. After all, the old standby of tying to a tree doesn’t work when there aren’t any trees around – say an alpine meadow, grassland basin, or desert landscape.

It’s never too late – or early – to train your horse to wear hobbles. Here are 10 tips that will lead you and your horse to a rope-free future in the backcountry