let's talk about horse camping

[marta]

i did some research last fall in anticipation of doing a ride which required an overnight but we never went so here i am again worried.
i think i'm set on doing the high line. so last weekend at the horse expo i had an opportunity to get a closer look at a set up high line. it had one of those knot stoppers on it. it all seems so simple, why the heck am i so nervous?
so, when i tie my mare how short do i tie her? obviously she has to be able to reach the ground to get her hay. she's not panicky by nature, so i'm not that concerned w/ her getting her foot caught. but what's the standard?
also, what is the likelihood of me actually getting some sleep the first night? will i be even able to ride or am i going to be exhausted from the whole camping experience? i keep on telling myself that people do it, so can i but...

[chicamuxen]

Go to http://www.american-flex.com/ and check out their section hardware and rigging section in their product line. It's all about picketing with lots of good pics and answers to your questions. Personally, If I wanted to tie my horse for camping I would get a Hi-Tie installed on my trailer and use that. Much easier than getting a picket line set up. If you have several horses than you would do better with a long picket line.

chicamuxen

[Willobeasty]

Depending on how tight you ratchet the highline, the lead snap should be between 2-6" from the ground. If the overhead line has some spring to it, make the lead a bit shorter, or you'll get up in the morning and it will be way too long.

Easy alternative is to tie to the trailer, if you aren't progressively camping (packing to a new spot each day).

No, you won't sleep. Every sound will be a lion coming to eat Snookums, or Snookums suffering from a broken leg from tangling himself in the lead, etc. And Snookums will not help, he will snuffle and stomp all night, pick up his water and throw it ten feet, and break off any limb within snapping distance, and be standing in a 3 foot deep hole he carefully shaped for himself when you go out to feed him in the morning....looking innocent.

But he'll get used to it eventually, and you'll learning to sleep through anything. Don't worry, when the http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif REAL bear visits camp, Snookums will definitely let you know.

[rainechyldes]

Having being competing for more then a few years, I uhm...still barely sleep Friday night. Partially because I suffer from pre-competition nerves, partially because I'm always listening to and for my horse. He on the other hand, sleeps like a baby... some how this seems even more unfair! I can't say I've ever seen too many bad things happen with high lin e,s most horses appear to deal quite well with them,I'd suggest trying them out habitually at the barn beforehand, so he knows what's what before the big nighthttp://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[marta]

LOL!
that's funny.
i like the hi-tie but i can't afford it at this time and i also have a v. lite trailer - is that a problem?
but thanks for the link to the website. a lot of goodies there.

[mustangrider]

You can still easily tie to your trailer without a 'high tie' and the horse will be fine. I do it all the time and have yet to wake up to an injured horse. If you go with the high line you'll definitely want some tree saver straps - these go around the tree and you tie your high line rope to them. Also, you don't want your horse wandering up and down the line. Position him in the middle so as to be away from tree roots. Not that he might get hurt on them but to protect the roots from his hooves. To prevent pawing all night and to make you a happier camper, teach your horse about hobbles. Nothing is worse than laying awake in the middle of the night hearing the steady thump thump thump of snookums pawing.

Also, you'll want to use a hay bag that you attach to your high line for him to eat out of. Not a hay net, a hay bag. Putting the hay on the ground is not only unsightly for the next user of the spot (unless you clean up all uneaten hay and take it home with you for disposal as you should, along with any manure) but it limits any waste. However, when you attach it to your line, the line will sag so get yourself one of those truck ratchet tie downs. You can easily crank up your highline and keep it tight with one of these.

Bring more hay than you think you need and extra grain (if you feed it). You never know when you might get stranded and have to stay an extra day or two or a week.

Above all, have a good time, bring bug spray, and don't forget the lawn chair for campfire sitting.

[arten]

Don't panic, everyone gets stressed out and thinks they are doing everything wrong their first ride. Usually there are plenty of people around that will give you advice and keep you on track, don't be ashamed to say your a virgin endurance rider.
I NEVER get any sleep the night before, and when you get up after lying there for hours stressing you generally think how on earth am I going to get through this?
But gothedistance is right - lack of sleep tends to mean you are less tense, believe it or not, and by the time your an hour out, you wonder why you worried!
Don't take sleepy drugs, I tried that once and almost fell off, and still didnt get any sleep.
But I did find that taking muscle relaxants helped, I find that even on no sleep I tend to feel reasonable rested and calm. Adrenalin kicks in in the morning too, that keeps you going for a fair while - oh and lots of coffee. All in all a nice little cocktail of stimulants and depressents.

[MissBri]

Practice at home. Seriously. Start out by line tying for an hour (bring a book). Increase the duration. Plan a sleepover campout at the barn with a friend and tie out the horses. Now by the time you are ready for the ride, your horse will be used to the tie-line and you will be more relaxed knowing he 'knows all about' these things.

Good luck and above all have fun!

[patchworkpony]

Okay I don't know if this is an option for anyone, but what I would like to have someday is a portable paddock. Not the electric kind, but the PVC or plastic type. My horse is VERY respectful of fences and is much more comfortable if he can have his hay, grain and rubber water tub on the ground. Plus he can lay down if he wants, something he loves to do every night.

Problem is I haven't been able to find any affordable ones. I thought about taking some round pen panels, but I opted for the 12 footers and they are a little long for my truck bed. Also too long to hook on the side of the trailer. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif I'm still searching, though!

[MBRA518]

Originally posted by patchworkpony:
Okay I don't know if this is an option for anyone, but what I would like to have someday is a portable paddock. Not the electric kind, but the PVC or plastic type.

I use and electric portable and I love it - we have only used it with 2 of our 3 so far but it worked great and the horses were quite content... I don't expect 3 in there to be a problem (the 3rd just hasn't been on an overnight where we needed our own fence yet)

[xring]

Originally posted by patchworkpony:

Problem is I haven't been able to find any affordable ones.

Easy enough to make your own out of PVC pipe. You can get the pipe, elbows, tees, glue and anything else you would need at your local (?) home center. You could tie the panels together with bungee straps. Quick, light, cheap, and sized to order.

Edited to add: Your horse should be able to lay down while tied to a picket line, our's always do.

[rainechyldes]

I use portable electric, plus I have portable metal corral rails. The PVC , I wonder, does it crack etc given being stored in a cold climate over winter? I've never seen these used, I live in the great white north, hence the question. Cuz they do sound neat, I complain my metal ones are too heavy to setup and breakdown when I'm alone. PVC would be a lot lighter, I'm thinking?

[Cashela]

I too am interested in finding an affordable portable corral. I go on horse camping trips and I never get any sleep because I am constantly listening to my horse in the portable electric fence. Bad habit from previous horse. I would really like to have a sturdy portable corral that I could put her in at night so I could sleep.

[patchworkpony]

I use portable electric, plus I have portable metal corral rails. The PVC , I wonder, does it crack etc given being stored in a cold climate over winter? I've never seen these used, I live in the great white north, hence the question. Cuz they do sound neat, I complain my metal ones are too heavy to setup and breakdown when I'm alone. PVC would be a lot lighter, I'm thinking?

We have our whole property fenced with pvc three rail. It has never cracked and, believe me, my pony has tried everything!!

[xring]

The PVC , I wonder, does it crack etc given being stored in a cold climate over winter?

PVC is very brittle, but also flexible and tough. The pipes come in different wall thicknesses (schedules). Of course, the heaver wall thickness also means more weight. Generally, I would say the pipes are sturdy and flexible enough to survive the cold winters. However, a really sharp blow or a particularly destructive horse could break them. I've broken a few just tossing them off the truck. On the other hand, I've run them over with a truck, and not hurt them.

[rideapaso]

I built my own portable corral out of PVC pipe. It was beautiful to behold until the first night it was used. My horse clipped the legs off 3 of the panels. When each leg came off I had to get up, remove the panel, reposition the corral and go back to bed. When it appeared I wasn't going to get ANY sleep and would have NO corral left by morning, I tied him to the trailer for the rest of the weekend. He was very happy there. I have since invested in a Hi-Tie. If you are going to do portable corrals, I highly recommend you look at something metallic.

[Cashela]

If I had the money I'd buy one of these...

http://www.horse-cents.net/Pricing+Options.htm

I saw one at a trail ride and it was awesome.

This one looks interesting too

http://www.portable-horse-corral.com/pvc-portable-horse-corral.html

[dm]

Has anyone used this one? It's a lot like PVC, but it's supposed to be a lot stronger.

www.carrilitecorral.centaurfencing.com

[2DogsFarm]

marta:
Sorry to come in late, but just wanted to let you know I feel your pain : - )
I have friends who do major camping trips and are all equipped with trailers with LQ (damn them). I sleep in the back of my SUV and for 2-3 nights it is just fine. Longer than that and the picket line starts to look inviting...
I use a foam pad under a sleeping bag and sleep like a hibernating bear.

Agree with the posters who suggest a haybag for the picket line. Less mess, less wasted hay and only a minimal chance your horse will wind the line used to hang the bag around his neck like mine and stand there looking embarassed until I unwound him.

I've found experienced campers are ready to answer all my questions and show me how to do things right. Make sure you know how to tie a knot to keep horse on the picket line. My first attempt allowed horse to untie himself and go walking over to introduce himself to the next set of picketed horses who were NOT amused. This was at about 11P, I was informed of his adventure by someone banging on my window shouting "Your Horse!"
Needless to say I levitated off the mattress, into my jeans and out of the car expecting total tragedy...
Found: No Biggie, I retrieved horse, retied and went back to bed.
The "Yeller" was a less-experienced camper (even more so than me!) who panicked - friends told me he shoulda tried to recapture the loose horse first, then gone looking for the owner. What-ever\
So how did your camping trip go?

[hosspuller]

The high tie can be as complex as a nuclear power plant or simple and effective.

You do want to protect the trees. Use a couple of old western girths to prevent the rope from girdling the tree bark (killing the tree)

Stretch a 1/2 nylon rope between the girths or web straps. You could use a ratchet load binder to pull it tight. But a tall person or a short person on a rock works.

Don't buy carabiners, knot-savers, or anything for high lining. Use a loop of 1/4 nylon rope in a "Prussic Loop" to attach you lead line to the high line. The Prussic loop is adjustable on the high line for position and is a safety release in case of emergency. It'll break under extreme pressure or you can cut it with a knife quickly. Then knot the cut ends and you're ready for use again. Also, the Prussic loops don't clank together while riding on the trail.

How to describe using the Prussic loop is the hardest part.

go to this site >> http://pkrigerjr.tripod.com/highline.html

[marta]

you guys made me laugh.
i didn't send the entry in yet. i think i will. i want to do this just b/c i'm afraid of it. does that make sense? anyway, mare is a good one to practice new stuff with. she's steady. chances are she won't run off even if she's loose.
prusaic loop - i'm going to print this and take it w/ me for sure.
i intend to sleep in the trailer. i have a nice size cot, sleeping bags. trailer is a 2 horse stock trailer w/ no divider so it's really just about the size of my bedroom;)
one thing i'm still trying to figure out is how to tie a hay bag to the line without causing it to sag badly. will i really manage to get the high line that tight? and how high off the ground do i tie the hay bag? i guess high enough so she can't stick her foot into the opening would make sense.
o.k. we can do this. we're not whimps!

[hosspuller]

one thing i'm still trying to figure out is how to tie a hay bag to the line without causing it to sag badly. will i really manage to get the high line that tight? and how high off the ground do i tie the hay bag? i guess high enough so she can't stick her foot into the opening would make sense.


Marta.. You'll be able to tie the hay bag right at the high line. The weight of the hay will pull the line down to a nice horse head height. You do want to tie the hay bag so the horse on the lead line has to reach for it. WIth too much slack, the horse can get the hay bag tangled in the lead line and you'll have a huge mess or a hay bag tangled right to his halter. (this is the voice of experiance)

[Mtn trails]

And snap your lead rope to the upper ring on his halter. When they reach in and out of their hay bag, the snap under the chin sometimes gets caught and releases so horse is free to roam camp area.

[gabz]

Rope ratchets are the latest and greatest thing for picket lines. Take a step stool, mounting block, whatever, so that you can start the picket line up high enough. Use a tree saver at one end, at least. I use the 1/2 inch ratchet with 1/2 inch mountain rope. I bought 80 feet of it. http://www.roperatchet.com/500ratchet.shtml
The first time some other horse campers, who knew me, saw me use this - they all began chanting "cheater, cheater, cheater..." and wanted to know where I got mine. It's WAY easier than the tie-down ratchets ... WAY easier. You simply pull the rope to make it tight, or squeeze the release to loosen. I use an orange plastic thing that is usually used to wind electric cords around to wind up my rope, and put everything in an inexpensive ($8) backpack. Outer pockets hold double-ended snaps, extra panic snaps, brass rings, knot eliminators, spare rope, tie-safe line, baling twine, etc.

I use the knot eliminator on my picket line. Then, I have a length of soft braided rope that I can tie panic snaps on BOTH ends. One panic snap goes on the halter, one panic snap clips on the knot eliminator. you can buy large eyed panic snaps from Country Supply. Be sure to get the ones with the big eye in them.

I have also used the Tie-safe, cross tie (which I like the best now) as my lead line to attach the horse to the picket line. KV Vet, SmartPak, and a few other catalogs sell them. What I do is attach the Tie-safe line to the knot eliminator and adjust it so that it's 4 inches from the ground. That line STAYS on the picket line. When I have to move my horse to the trailer for tacking up, I grab a regular rope lead and leave the Tie-safe on the picket line.

If you tie the horse to your trailer, you will get no sleep because of them moving around, rubbing, etc. I've also heard a very funny story about a horse biting the valve stem of the spare tire on the side of a trailer. You have to worry about them scraping a leg on the fenders, or back edge of the trailer, etc. If you DO have a spare tire on the side of the trailer - do not tie a horse there unless under constant supervision. (Lead line gets caught behind the tire).

If I have the space on the picket line, I will put a knot eliminator at either end - about 10 feet from each tree, then use a welded brass ring that slides, on the picket line. I put the water bucket IN a milk crate (the REAL ones, not the $2 ones from discount stores - they are too flimsy) at one end, and the hay net at the other end. I attach the hay net, both ends of it, to the picket line, so that it cannot sag. I use the hay nets that have metal rings at the bottom and around the top opening. I gather all the rings on a snap. Or, I feed from the ground if it's clean. Another way to feed from the ground is to use a clean muck bucket. This is actually recommended to avoid your horse picking up salmonella from the ground.

COndition your horse to a flashlight!! The first night out, I took a flashlight to check on my horse and spooked him somewhat because I looked weird!!

Take a mini-manure fork and a small leaf rake... like the ones for kids. I find I can be more accurate with the smaller fork.
HAVE FUN... (drink a large glass of wine or equivalent before going to sleep. lol...

[Mtn trails]

Don't forget to pick up all of your horse's manure and any left over hay off the ground and dispose of properly by either taking it home with you or if there's a disposal site at your camping location. Leaving it on the ground is not an option. The same goes for sweeping out your trailer at the trailhead. It's not going to kill you (using the hypothetical "you") or your horse to take manure home. I don't think they'll contract thrush or some other horrible disease from standing in their poop for the ride home. It just annoys the heck out of me when I see the condition some trailheads are left. Hay laying around, manure everywhere, trees girdled, tree roots damaged, etc. etc. This is why horse and stock users are being banned right and left from public lands and will only get worse if we don't smarten up and project a positive image to the general population.

Rant over. Now back to our regularly scheduled thread.

[sam6974]

I would like to go back to what was asked before, about Portable corrals. I've been doing some research on the cost of getting one (part of my wish list for my trailer) and I've been finding some ranging in price for a metal one for 400.00 + shipping to 700.00 plus shipping. Are they worth it? Or should I look into a PVC type of one?

[birdsong]

They are extremely light weight and managable and fit on the side of the trailer with brackets that he also made. I originally saw these at a huge organized camping ride (502 horses) and was impressed as were others. I paid about $35 per panel 4 years ago. I also use one side of the trailer as one side of the corral so with 4 panels I get a bit larger enclosure.
Most recently I have used tie lines as portables weren't allowed at some places. This works well for me...but was really looking at the electric braid portables .
The draw back to the panels are that you have to drill into the side of the trailer for the brackets...and they rattle while traveling. I may sell my 2000 4-star with these panels since it has the brackets and not use them with my newer one I just got.
Just though I would offer my experience.

[LMH]

what do you think of this product?

http://www.horse.com/products/gift-0__sku-BXA21.html

It is an electric corral that operates off D batteries.

[Mtn trails]

LMH - that looks really cool. I wouldn't mind having one. Some of those portable corrals look so flimsy and have barely enough room for the horse to turn around.

[gabz]

I am intrigued by that setup... I like how everything is attached to the fence posts and the fact that it doesn't need a grounding rod. I just don't know about the guy wires.. or whatever they are called, to stabilize the corners - I know I'd be tripping over them everytime I went potty or to check on the horses. It looks like it's only a single strand. ??

http://www.horse.com/products/gift-0__sku-BXA20.html

I bought this charger (or fencer) for about $75 at my nearby TSC. It is a great fencer. It actually can be mounted directly onto a grounding rod to ground it, OR, a separate lead to a grounding rod can be used. It has thumb-nuts so that you can easily make the connections.

This will operate on either D batteries, on 12-volt car battery, or a 6-volt battery (like a tractor, motorcyle, etc., battery). I was brand new to electric fencing and the instructions and brochure were fantastic. The charger stayed out all winter.

I used several of the step-in, temporary posts, and 1 1/2 inch Bayguard white electric tape to section off a part of the pasture to keep the horses away from the apple trees. (too many apples). I love the high / low setting. It's been helpful as my QH only needed the low setting, but when I added a Belgian to the pasture, I boosted it to high.

For a temp corral using panels when camping, I always chuckle :lol: at the photos used. Nice large, flat, green spaces. Well... I gotta tell you, when I go, there's usually trees, picnic tables, fire pits, more trees, picket line posts, and uneven ground. LOL I've seen a set up where the panels were hinged to the trailer and sort of floated... There were drop down legs at the corners. This made the most sense to me as the drop down legs could be any length to support the weight of the corral panels. The EZ Corral link that LMH posted, looks like it can be modified to go around stuff though.

The friends I have that use elec when camping, will use T-posts at the corners, which gives them the ground and place to attach a gate and the charger, and then the step-in posts in between the corners to support the wire. They use 2 strands of plain wire and buy a wind-up spool (about $25 - $35) to wind up the wire when they leave. They take a post driver with them for the T-posts - and their fence tester. : )

[LMH]

I actually found the same battery fence on another site for somewhat cheaper...now I can't find the site.:mad:

[gabz]

I just googled and froogled...
Found it for ... :eek: $745!!! (New Zealand)... http://www.redsnapr.co.nz/corral.html


Anyway... it showed Country Supply at $249 and two others at $329, and one at 299.95 ...
Oh, there's one for $364.49 (BarnStocker.com)

Good Luck finding one for less...

[KCFoxy]

I know there is going to be something this wed 7ish at the LOMH grounds...maybe after that, more information will be available. I know I am going for the same reason.
We bought a round pen and the distributor stated we could take come panels..WHOA:eek: ...after putting that baby up...FORGET IT:no: !

[gabz]

KCFOxy - yeah... those round pen panels are usually 5' tall... WAY more than you should need for a temp corral. And, if your round pen panels are 12' long... even more heavy!!

The temp corral things are usually only 3 horizontal bars and are about wither high, max. The electric corral things only need to go up to the mid chest...

[marta]

i agree with you.
last week when we hauled to a local wildlife preservation, the parking lot (ironically home to the environmental center!) had areas that were just covered w/ mountains of shavings and manure. i picked my stuff up but felt like a jerk leaving all the other old stuff behind. had this feeling that people would think i was the irresponsible party. but there was just soo much of it, no way i could pick it all up. looked like there must've been a number of trailers that were stripped right there:(

i saw one of those hi-tie's on a trailer at a ride 2 weeks ago. seems simple enough to install. and the horse is able to lay down when attached to it.

[xring]

I've considered getting a couple of the hi-tie's, but am just afraid one of the horses might get cast under the trailer in the middle of the night. Of course I could put something there to prevent it, but for the trouble I might as well use a high-line picket. Our horses are comfortable with these and lay down at night, so why not?
I'll never understand why some people don't see any reason to clean up after themselves. We do trail maintenance at Alum Creek State Park in Ohio. That's a pretty big job when you consider 52 miles of wooded trail, that rarely ever dries up. The park boundaries are close to the lake, so the trail has to go up and down some steep ravines, requiring lots of maintenance. Then, there are usually less than a dozen of us that show up to work. Cleaning up the camping area is something we shouldn't have to spend much time on :mad:, but takes up most of our time. Hence, the trails suffer. We even put in manure bins so that no campsite was more than 75 feet from a bin. That didn't even help :mad: :mad:.

[ArabianDreams]

I have done and do both, I prefer the corrals (metal piping, not electric) personally,.....but anyway.
When tying, I chose to give each horse their own line, seperating them. This way, no fights, no tangles, etc. I also, like someone said, put water at one end and hay at the other end of the line, tying my hay hay to the tree as to not get it tangled in the line. I prefer to put the hay on the ground moreso if it is clean grounds. (I will usually put it in a bucket if not; a 1/4 of a large plastic barrel that has been cut into 1/4ths works well for both hay in one and water in the other end of the cut barrel ).

[Nancy!]

I often put up an electric fence when I'm at an event. I just bought temporary fence posts $4 each (plastic with steel rod in them to keep them straight and easier to push into ground) http://electric-deer-fence.com/electricdeerfences/electricfenceposts/ (go down the page to where it shows the black/white & yellow posts), electric tape about $40 a roll and a portable fencer $100 that works on 2 D cell batteries. I also have a metal ground rod that is a metal temporary fence post. So, total cost (about $200). I have configured it to make at least 3 pens for 3 different horses. I haven't had anybody break out of it as they all respect electric fence.

Nancy!

[MayS]

I know there is going to be something this wed 7ish at the LOMH grounds...

They had a nice setup there! I went and found several different set-ups on display: portable electric pen, several picket lines set up, many trailers to tour, and a wonderful table where they discused first-aid supples & procedures.

I wasn't sure I'd like horse-camping but now that I saw the LOMH set-up, I can't wait. Now if I could only get my horse to love trailering... :lol:

[goodhors]

I prefer using a high line to tie horses to for overnight picketing. I use the rachet straps with the brassy crank down handle. The rating is much higher than the weight of even a fighting horse, and the rachet allows me to get them VERY tight. I use the rachet straps with tree saving western girths only at the ends of the rope.

I use big welded steel rings, 4", purchased at the tack store for tying the horse to. I run the rope thru the ring twice, to keep ring in place on the rope. Then rachet line tight. I usually put 1-2 horses on the picket lines with this method, rings stay put. I don't get any kinks in the picket rope when the rings come out.

This snap is what I snap onto that ring anchor.

http://store.ryansproducts.com/1eyebrpasn.html

This snap is a quick release when you twist the barrel of snap. It will ONLY release when you twist it. WILL ALWAYS twist, even if horse is putting all their weight against the snap. It is a little expensive, needs a drop of oil occasionally to turn smoothly, but snap lasts for YEARS.
I run my tie rope thru the snap's swivel eye where rope would usually be anchored. Then I fasten the quick release part on the picket line ring. I always tie my horses with heavy cotton neck ropes, so if they pull or rub, halter doesn't come off or pull on head/neck connection, delicate place. I have seen some horses injure them selves with pulling on halter only. Neck rope pulls further back on mucled part of neck, safer area.

I have had a couple horses who lliked to circle, always seem to go in one direction. Tying them with the fixed ring got the cotton ropes all twisted up, unwound over the nighttime. The snap above allows rope to swivel with horse, no gnarly ropes!

I tend to put my hay bag at the tree/post end of picket rope. This keeps horse from thinking someone else will get his food, protects tree a bit more, keeps weight of hay up closer to anchor of tree. Less sag in picket rope. With my using nylon rope for picket line, it always sags a bit with use. I use a short ladder to get it high. My horses are large, all over 16.2h, so I want a lot of clearance for heads, walking under the line.

Mine don't mind picketing, it is all in the homework done before you leave. Practice, use stuff so horse is familiar with the equipment, expectations. I offer water every couple hours, just no place to leave it when they are picketed. I think it unsafe to leave a bucket on the ground. Mine just walked thru the tubs, wasted the water. I use nosebags for grain.

Hobbling can be a nice skill for the busy horse to learn. I REALLY got tired of filling in holes they dig. Hobbling is not a hard lesson to learn. I use homemade burlap hobbles. Have not had any burns or injuries with them. Purchased hobbles have never fit any horses I know, not sized to be comfortable. Too narrow, pulls the legs together, makes horses sore. VERY HARD to undo quickly if horse gets in trouble! While my burlap hobbles are knotted around legs, I CAN CUT them quickly if needed. Price of burlap is cheap at the store, easy to replace, comes in COLORS now. I have pink, makes them easy to locate in the barn, hanging in the "stuff".

Just make sure you do the lessons steps needed before you just "tie on" the hobbles. Mine never fight, bounce, get upset, but we do ALL the steps, prepare ahead. I am using 1/2 TB horses, so it is not a 'Breed' issue, but a training issue.

Hope the snaps are helpful, we really like them, use them in everyday life. I have them on the cross tie ropes, stall ropes, neckropes. They have held up well even with the large horse who might argue when learning to tie up. Lets you get horse out of rope quickly if there is a need to.

The sites people posted were interesting. Some very helpful details shown well. I just don't think the Prussic knot would hold my twirling horses. She would twist it so tight rope would snap with a pull. Swivels worked better for her in a neckrope, was never an issue again.

[Maria Wachter]

The first time I did it, I was worrie to death something was going to happen to my horse. Absolutely nothing happened and we had a great week camping. Everyone from my farm goes 2 times a year. Make sure you have the leadline long enough for the horse to drink water, but not too long that they could get tangled up in it. I have mine probably around 6 inches from the ground. My horse actually can lay down, and he lays down and sleeps every night he's on the picket line. The nice thing about it, is, if the horse spooks, the picket line has a little bit of leeway so the horse doesn't have all that restriction like being tied to a trailer would be like, and they seem to calm down a lot easier. Don't worry, and If you do, just put a bell on the picket line, so if the horse does somehow get in a bad situation, you will be alerted. Also, get a milk crate to put your water bucket in. It prevents the water bucket from being tipped over easily.
Maria