In a crisis. On or off?

Does your horse have a passport?

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Ranyhyn

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Ok your horse starts mucking about while out hacking - are you the type of person who feel s safest on or off?

Eg. I lead my horse out in hand after enforced box rest, he started playing up and the first thing I did was GET ON, I have always been brought up to believe you have a lot more strength and safety while on board, but how about you?
 
I'm the same - have more control when on board - even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes!!
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Once upon a time it would have been off, but now it is always on on on!

Taz was mucking about once when I was walking him out in hand after box rest and he actually lifted me off the ground pratting about and nearly sent us both under a car (after which we turned around and went home!)
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But riding him I never had any trouble, we could go past anything
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Jazzy walks sooooo quickly (even when he's asleep!) so when he's on a mission I would stand NO chance leading him, so always better off on board than not.

Having said that, I hacked out with a friend (was babysitting) and her horse bronced on the way home, and she hit the road hard. I jumped straight off Jazz to see if my friend was OK, and she was fine but shaken and didn't want to get back on, so we led both the horses (about a mile) back to the yard. Jazz was surprisingly good and went at my pace, even though we were going home.
 
Either. We have ponies (except OH's 17.1h, neither of ours are over 14.2h) so that does make things easier.

When leading my older girl out after box rest she was just in a headcollar, or if very naughty a pressure halter.
 
If messing about and being a prat, I stay on. If he's just worried about the bogeyman in the bush, I'll get off and show it to him, lead him past and get back on.
 
I've never jumped off before, but I would now consider it if I was on the road and thought there was a good chance of me being unseated. A short time ago, a dog came up to us on the road and started snapping at his legs. My horse went loopy and I eventually hit the deck. My horse then galloped off up the road out of sight and heading for a busy A road. Obviously it was one of the most terrifying 10 mins of my life while I ran after him, expecting to find a terrible scene. It was a miracle that no one was injured. When I think back, I wish I had jumped off, as I would have had a better chance of keeping hold of him from the ground than of staying on. It makes me shiver to think what might have happened!
 
Fudge - I stay on 100% of the time. Lady - in certain situations when she's frightened of a dog or is scared when on the road I would get off as she's done so much in-hand work I calm her down instantly just by being next to her. If it's napping or naughiness I ride through it.
 
It depends on the circumstance really- Mini is really good- generally on the odd occasion that he starts mucking about its because he isn't in the mood for a hack so will start spooking at silly things or try to nap.
With this then I'll stay on and growl at him and he'll grudgingly do as he's told but has a major cob on and refuses to speak to me when we get home. (Anyone else own a horse who can sulk for Britain?
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I'd imagine though that if he did spook in a way that was dangerous then I would get off and lead as he is ultra secure if I'm by his side and has never tried to take off away from me.

e.g. We were at an agricultural show a couple of years ago and on leading them to load at the end of the day, the horses spooked at the tanoy and he ended up quite fizzed up and trampled on his travel boots so I had to take them off. I asked a guy I know to hold his rope while I flung the boots next to the car and he dragged the poor guy to follow me! (Stupid set up in that you had to lead the horses through the rest of the showground to load them
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I've only got off twice, both times for a fisherman that she was convinced was going to eat her. After half an hour of trying to get her past i accepted that she was genuinely scared and needed me to take her past. The vast majority of the time she is much easier onboard.
 
Generally on for the usual squirming about, but there have been times I've gotten off, to lead him past something exceptionally scary. He seems to be calmer that way.
 
I would usually stay on top - agree with other people here that it's generally safer! However on my first ride out on my new share horse (a 10 minute walk up the lane after a schooling session) we came across a burnt-out car. He spun round then kept going backwards - normally I'd growl and keep my legs on, but apparently he went up and over with a previous sharer and the "warning sign" is going backwards. I got off and led him past, stood next to it having a natter with someone and now he's good as gold. Next time I'll persevere a bit more, he's such a genuine horse usually that I can't imagine him going up.
 
I said 'on' but then that is based on my horse and to be honest I doubt I'd ever be in that situation with him but he has more manners when you're on him than when you're handling for the ground so I'd choose on!

However, if said horse was say rearing etc etc and was likely to fall then i'd probably choose to be on the ground. I also have a pony who, if v scared by something will NOT listen to a leg, will get too stressed if a whip is used and will just go into reverse. With him, if you get off and lead him past said terrifying object then he will do as he's told. He, unlike my horse has much better manners when you're on the ground!
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I'd get off. I haven't got the confidence to insist on things from the saddle, but I have alot of experience leading stoppy strong and bargy horses that like to leap at you, on you and rear over you - very odd but none of that scares me enough to worry me.
 
Usually try and stay on but my fella is a lot more trusting when Im on the ground. I have now tackled this problem though by making the OH walk out with us so I can stay on and he can lead him past
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I'd get off. I haven't got the confidence to insist on things from the saddle, but I have alot of experience leading stoppy strong and bargy horses that like to leap at you, on you and rear over you - very odd but none of that scares me enough to worry me.

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I also have a reasonably amount of experience handling bargy horses; I've owned stallions, worked in TB & sports horse studs, and handled a lot of tricky horses, but for me, personally, I would stay on.

I am a shorty, and my girls are both a fair size, but, I have 100% confidence on board them, and no fear of losing control. On the ground however, I've been doubled barrelled in the face trying to lead a normally well behaved, but lively horse after she'd been on boxrest
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I would never put myself in that situation again!
 
Depends on the horse. When my horse starts gets very upset she starts bouncing, then rearing, then doing Spanish riding school type things in the air. The only way to get her to chill and start thinking again is to jump off. Normally I prefer to stay on, but as she is reassured about whatever has set her off by me being on the ground, it solves the problem, so I do it without thinking about it now.
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I would normally stay on board but I had a pony that would jump huge hedges to avoid tractors/combines/lorries and she was better if I got off. Plus if she went over the hedge she went alone!
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Which she did do on the odd occasion!
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But with the rest I have always preferred to be onboard.
 
I've never understood this hopping off thing at all. Surely it just teaches the horse to misbehave? And I really don't fancy trying to control a messing around horse from the ground, at least from the saddle you've got a chance!
 
Depends - I usually stay on through most things, but have hopped off on two occasions - one when we were attacked by low flying fighter jets - i would have been dead if i had not got off and once when I could not get horse past a VERY VERY VERY BIG ANGRY BULL - the horse had more sense than me that day and said NO WAY but it was the only way home except for a 7 mile detour. It was not as dangerous as it sounds we were the other side of the fence but... bull was making his presence well know and his little piggy eyes will live with me forever - he frightened the bloody life out of me.
 
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I'd get off. I haven't got the confidence to insist on things from the saddle, but I have alot of experience leading stoppy strong and bargy horses that like to leap at you, on you and rear over you - very odd but none of that scares me enough to worry me.

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I also have a reasonably amount of experience handling bargy horses; I've owned stallions, worked in TB & sports horse studs, and handled a lot of tricky horses, but for me, personally, I would stay on.

I am a shorty, and my girls are both a fair size, but, I have 100% confidence on board them, and no fear of losing control. On the ground however, I've been doubled barrelled in the face trying to lead a normally well behaved, but lively horse after she'd been on boxrest
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I would never put myself in that situation again!

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Your terrible experience seems to me to demostrate exactly why it is better to stay on.

I would stay on, anyway, as I trust my wee mare not to do anything really stupid, so if I can stick with her we will be OK. On the ground, I am not confident I could hold her if she was really panicking - even a pony is far stronger than any person.
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Taz can be really spooky while leading him so i'd much rather be on him so that if he goes to dissapear at least im on him, it was like when he got his stiches in winter i got told to lead him out in hand instead i rode him wasnt brave enough to lead him
 
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