Does anybody ride and lead?

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NellRosk

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Tried it last night as I was short of time, rode the schoolmaster and lead the 4 year old. Mostly went okay, apart from when the youngster decided to be terrified of cows and swapped sides and we got in a bit of a tangle! Does anybody ride and lead regularly or is it deemed too unsafe? Must say I got a few very strange looks!

ETA - we even had a little trot! :D
 
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I used to do this all the time on the hunt yard I worked on and when I was short of time with my own horses. Personally think it's fab but I know many people don't like it but think it's good for their education and can be invaluable in a disaster! I do think it is quite an art bit like long reining and lunging well! :)
 
Yep used to do it daily, not a problem in my opinion improved my balance and gave the horses something to think about. Could be interesting if the one being led had a hissy fit at anything but would never lead anything I didn't think would behave rationally.
 
Yes I do. With a youngster though I would always start off in a field (or a school) and get someone to walk with them until they know what they are doing. They need to walk on well and have their head by your leg, then they shouldn't be able to swap sides. Not saying it never happens anyway! Can you do it off road for a bit until they are used to it?
 
Yeah did this with my mare and youngster, good to get them moving forward and out with a sensible second horse.

Polo yards normally have at least 2 lead whilst riding!
 
NellRosk said:
Tried it last night as I was short of time, rode the schoolmaster and lead the 4 year old. Mostly went okay, apart from when the youngster decided to be terrified of cows and swapped sides and we got in a bit of a tangle! Does anybody ride and lead regularly or is it deemed too unsafe? Must say I got a few very strange looks!
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Yes I do quite bit, often just round the fields near me or when I know the traffic is quiet round the lanes. Best thing to do is practice and practice in a safe envinroment like one of your paddocks first so they learn what is expected and if you get in a muddle they can't go too far. always ride on the right so the one being lead is on the inside (on the left) - whichever one of mine is being lead i put in their bridle, a roller and side reins. A friend of mine has perfected the technique to a T and regularly goes out on the roads or canters down the bridleways with them. To be honest from an insurance point of view I wouldn't know where you'd stand if you had a accident, but like i say i only tend to do it round one of my farmers fields opp my yard so the likeihood of their being much mayhem is lessened and both mine are quite used to doing it now.
 
Well this is encouraging, thanks :) Clodagh - she was fine until she saw some terrifying cows and then stopped and tried to swap sides! Don't think anything could have prepared us for that!
 
I do, it has been great for getting my youngster out and about hacking with another horse without me constantly having to beg someone else to come out with me. I only lead from my older mare though, as i know her inside out and she is always calm and predictable hacking. Youngster is a bit silly, but always very polite to be led, and i always lead her in a bridle. I only ever do routes i know very well, but these all involve lanes, and i have never had a problem while doing it. I'm based on a polo yard though so they think nothing of it, and i look like the one taking the easy option leading only one at a time!!
 
Yes, with the polo ponies we lead 2 at a time, they all get used to it! Here is our awesome groom on a set with some of ours, they usually canter around the track and are good as gold :)

Ponies_zps2af0a3a5.jpg
 
A lady who hacks past our yard does it and her horses are beautifully behaved. There is also a couple of polo ponies who go round a large field behind the yard and that rider leads one and they canter all the way round it ... Gizmo loves watching them from his stable :)

Not sure I would be confident to do it myself although Im confident to lead a rider/ pony should we have to but thats obviously different as each animal has a rider.

Love that pic btw :)
 
I used to ride one lead three in my season as a polo groom. Take it slow until they learn what's expected of them, then you can pretty much do anything! I was in Australia for my season, once I got the hang of it I took three out cattle mustering on the mountains :) great fun, cantering up mountains/through creeks with a set of three is definitely a unique experience. I used to ride the naughty/ difficult one and lead the good until they got the hang of it.
 
Oh forgot to say, that is how i got my youngster used to going out and about and meeting traffic. Being shielded on the inside gave her the confidence when i rode her on her own.

I think its a great learning/training aid which seems to be forgotten in this day.
 
I used to lead our companion pony from my late gelding as although the companion is a naughty little thing who used to canter alongside us bucking and being a terrible influence, my horse was fairly sensible on the whole so it was easy to do - I only took them up on the hills and along quiet roads though.
I don't do it from my mare as she's too much of a handful and I couldn't cope with both at once!
 
I do it when my back is up to it! We've done up to canter, but as already said, it can turn into a bit of a race, so you need to be firm with the led horse and keep them back.
 
Yes, it's really useful for fittening a horse that needs in hand exercise after injury, or getting unbacked horses out and about.
I find a good trot gets them working well together particularly when one is a slow walker. Did come unstuck one day when the diva mare objected to being seen out with a gelding who was beneath her beautifulness.
She got crosser and crosser and the boy thought, 'oh-er, hormones, best keep a distance from her.'
She had a major strop and I ended getting tipped off onto tarmac. Fortunately, after a growl from me, I got back on and rode the two, now sorry, horses back home without further tantrums.
 
as long as they get on... only started doing it this summer, after 3 years of having 2 horses (who are best buddies). brilliant to save time when you want to get both exercised. will happily walk and trot and have tried a few canters, but they seem to want to go at different speeds! my girl prefers to be led and boy prefers to be ridden, as he seems to get bored and grumpy being led for some reason. i have led youngsters off him as well.
only problem is if my mare suddenly stops for a poo!
 
Very useful technique when short of time, wanting to give a horse confidence or for exercising a horse that can't take a saddle/rider. I always use a bridle on the led horse. Horses seem to pick up the idea very quickly.

I've never been comfortable cantering, though. Any tips from anyone?
 
I do it all the time, with my guys, also used to do it on my old mare when current horse was a baby, (now 12 years old!) regularly lead out my daughters mare with mine to keep both fit, especially in winter, when time is short. they are fine with it, usually less spooky than if I ride alone at times! I too can canter with them both but, am always careful where I stop and start in case it turns into a race !! they do accasionally try to nip at each other if mare tries to overtake, but mostly good natured and a growl from me sorts them out. oh and I always use a bridle too, otherwise would have no control !! enjoy, it is good fun!
 
Yes all the time with and without a rider on the led one. Couple of times I've let go/got tangled but no problems. Don't let the led one over take the ridden ones shoulder.

Cantering they do tend to try and race so need to be strict. Don't let them interact with each other, work not play.
 
I used to lead my youngster from mare, getting him out and about on the trails and fit before he had to lug a rider around. I also lead my QH mare from my Shire-X mare a few times (on one trail ride, my QH was being ridden by my mother and intimidated Mom into bailing out and walking. Whoops. I had to lead QH back to the barn. Luckily I had lead QH from the Shire-X quite a few times so both girls knew the score). I regularly exercised a friend's thoroughbred gelding when she was out of town and if short of time, would lead him from the QH and then later, the Shire-X.

I practiced with everyone in the arena before hitting the trails, so everyone knew what their job was.
 
Yup all the time. Gets the youngster out and about, seeing the world, and easier than hacking the middle one alone. Wouldn't do it if I didn't think I had sufficient control...

And we do have a hooley on the track too...

baby pony:
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Funny story about riding and leading!!!! I was working as a polo groom when i was at uni, i had 4 out so riding one, leading 3 the boss had tied 2 together so i only had one rope in each hand plus my reins, we were going round the canter track in the paddock which had a telegraph pole on the edge of the track... We were cantering and the 2 tied together were on the inside of the track and yup you guessed it the outside pony decided to nip the other side of the telegraph pole!!! Needless to say it didnt end well, 2 lose ponies tied to each other racing across the paddock... Boss thought it was hilarious i on the other hand failed to see the funny side as it nearly dislocated my shoulder... Funny when i think about it now thou!! Thank god the paddock gate was shut!!!

Riding and leading is great fun when the horses behave!!! :)
 
Polo! Different world....
I did it with my two, with varying results. One way round, horse A (being led) nips and pokes at horse B, who's dominant in the field. It's like "Get your own back time" and I spend all my time fending him off and growling at him. The other way round, horse A (now being led) likes to put in the odd dead stop, probably because he doesn't approve of being led from his subordinate horse. This had the effect of ripping my arm backwards, occasionally losing the leadrope altogether, and causing painful muscle pulls in my shoulder. This behaviour was vastly improved when I got a decent western saddle and took a turn round the horn with the lead rope. Next couple of times he stopped, he was yanked along anyway by his bigger, heavier subordinate.
It has to be said that when they behaved, it was lovely having them both out together, and we sometimes went for miles.
Only got one now, so those days are past.
 
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