Those who hobble--the inexpensive nylon hobbles from
Stateline, etc. make great neck collars. It's a good idea to teach a
horse to hobble anyway--gets'em to stand still when saddling,
mounting, etc. and you can go back to remedial training and put the
hobbles on if you're having trouble saddling an excited, squirming
horse at a ride. If you ever hobble train, you'll be a believer. When
I go camping, I take the hobbles along to graze the horses at the
lunch stop, and they carry them around their necks unless we're in
heavy timber(I worry that they might snag a branch through.) They're
easy to get at around the neck. Of course, I have one knothead that
can run faster WITH hobbles than without, but three legged works for
him ;) Hobble training has saved my horses when caught in wire as well
as preventing a runaway when the rope wrapped around a leg; it saved
my bacon (and Zinger's) when he caught his legs in a sand covered
cable while I was riding. Instead of panicking and thrashing around,
he stood till I could get the heavy cable off. After watching a
friend's horse go nutso and fall on her while wrapped in wire, I
BELIEVE!
