Is it HOBBLE or HOPPLE?

[Brodie]

What is the difference between hobble and hopple apart from the spelling?

Horses where hopples I always thought but then you hobble them up???

Can someone explain this silly bit of the English language or harness language?

[Chief Stipe]

Hopple.

[Brodie]

Yet they say hobble them up!

[Davis]

13 hours ago, Brodie said:

Yet they say hobble them up!

As is often the case, you are right mate!

From the OED: 

hobble | ˈhɒb(ə)l |

verb

1 [no object, with adverbial of direction] walk in an awkward way, typically because of pain from an injury: he was hobbling around on crutches.

2 [with object] tie or strap together (the legs of a horse or other animal) to prevent it from straying.

• cause (a person or animal) to limp: Johnson was still hobbled slightly by an ankle injury.

• restrict the activity or development of: the economy was hobbled by rising oil prices.

noun

1 [in singular] an awkward way of walking, typically due to pain from an injury: he finished the match almost reduced to a hobble.

2 a rope or strap used for hobbling a horse or other animal.

DERIVATIVES

hobbler noun

 

ORIGIN

Middle English: probably of Dutch or Low German origin and related to Dutch hobbelen ‘rock from side to side’.

 

hopple | ˈhɒp(ə)l | Riding

verb [with object]

another term for hobble (sense 2 of the verb).

noun

another term for hobble (sense 2 of the noun).

[TheHorseman]

bit like 'where' and 'wear', not like you to cock that up Brodie 🙂

[Brodie]

5 hours ago, TheHorseman said:

bit like 'where' and 'wear', not like you to cock that up Brodie 🙂

What you mean COCK UP??

Asked a question Horseman, so what is it?

They are hopples that go around the horses legs so is it hoppling them up or hobble them up?…..

[Gammalite]

3 hours ago, Brodie said:

They are hopples that go around the horses legs so is it hoppling them up or hobble them up?…..

It's always Hopples Brodster !!!!  you buy a set of hopples for Pacers.

Anyone hobbling along is generally a bit lame.

[Davis]

43 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

It's always Hopples Brodster !!!!  you buy a set of hopples for Pacers.

Anyone hobbling along is generally a bit lame.

No, OED and Brodie are right, hopples or hobbles same meaning.

[Brodie]

4 hours ago, Gammalite said:

It's always Hopples Brodster !!!!  you buy a set of hopples for Pacers.

Anyone hobbling along is generally a bit lame.

I have heard many people saying they had to hobble the horses lol

Just weird really!