Leading a horse from another horse - suggestions please!

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oldhat

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Hi there! I've been riding all my life and am lucky enough to own two wonderful horses -a welsh cob cross and a haffy! Unfortunately I am finding it hard to find enough time to ride both so am thinking of leading the haffy from the cob. Please anyone out there can you give me some tips on the best way to safely do this without endangering them or me or anyone else!? Thanks for any feedback!
 
Firstly, make sur ethey both stand when mounting. And that they get on with each other! Practise in the field first, I'd say start off with a lungeline so you are still hold of the one on the ground if all goes wrong. Also, pretty obvious, but make sure the one being led is in a bridle.

I attempted this 2 xmas's ago, riding a 17.2, leading a 14hh. 17.2hh decided not to stand whilst mounting, 14hh stood stock still, reulted in me having internal bruising in my foot after being stood on, crushed against tarmac ground and still to this day have obvious bruising and pain! If only I had taken my own advice... lol

bexcy-bee x
 
My only tip would be to lead in a bridle not a headcollar. Other than that I am guessing you know your horses better than anyone. I have ridden and lead before but don't now but I would only ever ride my horse and lead my pony as opposed to the other way round. Mainly because (a) The pony was more nervy of large traffic and prone to just going into reverse (b) My horse is not the best in hand (no manners! lol) and (c) My horse walks faster than the pony and I find it easier to steady him than try kick on pony!
 
Lead off a bridle on the left hand side. Use a lunge rein (or similar) rather than a short lead rein.

Make sure both horses have hi viz (ie leg bands, tail wrap) and you have it on as well.

Defo practice off road first of all :)
 
Lead in a bridle, never a headcollar. Lead horse on the left hand side with head by ridden horse's shoulder. Never be tempted to use anything longer than reins to lead.

After you've mounted - get someone to hand you the other horse.
 
monkeybum13 said:
Lead off a bridle on the left hand side. Use a lunge rein (or similar) rather than a short lead rein.


See, I don't think I would lead in a lunge line (do you mean a lunge line or is there something shorter lunge wise I am unaware of - I am not fully clued up on this stuff! Lol) - far too much to have hold of. We always just used to lead in normal lead reins. We have now got slightly longer ones with a bit of chain at the clip end - think they're Eskadron ones? They are just a nice handy length and have a handle on the end.
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Ouch! Painful! Thanks for that! They are both pretty well behaved, cob mare is the older quieter one and they will both stand to be mounted, haffy is the follower but poor lad has lead a very quiet life and has never been out on hacks on his own so you can imagine I have had a lot of fun trying to convince him, I've managed (only had him since last summer) to get him both ways up the road but it takes an age and he fights most of the time; I thought perhaps leading him form Jas (cob) might give him a bit of confidence, only trouble is my mare had a tractor accident a couple of years ago and she herself is only just beginning to get over them - we live in very rural aberdeenshie surrounded by the monsters! Perhaps I should forget it until she and he have more confidence, once off road we are fine. Don't want to cause any more accidents!! Do you lead using a lunge line from bridle? Or is that too long?
 
lots of practice steering with one hand on the reins, and get them both very responsive to voice commands. Hopefully they are both sane, get along well and arent spooky otherwise you could find yourself in a bit of a muddle :)
 
I do this all the time ( hunt groom ), never used a lunge line, too much to hang on to and far too fiddly. I use a bridle that just a headpiece, browband and bit with a leadrope through the nearest bit ring and clipped onto the other. Always have the led horse on your left so you are in between it and the traffic. Hunt horses are used to ride and lead so are fairly good at it but often when they arrive they haven't done it before but mostly they pick it up pretty quickly. Just practice, I actually find it easier than just riding one out by themselves.
 
Used to do this every day for umpteen hunting seasons, often with another on the other side.
Always use a bridle for the led one and thread the lead rein through behind the chin so you have more leverage if anything should spook them. I know some have said use a lunge rein but they are a real handful and you can lose loops everywhere which could be dangerous. My ideal is a web lead rein about 10 foot long with a loop on the end (if not a loop, make a knot to give it a stopping point so it won't just run through your hands so you lose the horse. It's long enough to give you the chance to hang on if led horse suddenly stops or something but is not long enough to get tangled around your feet and because it is flat, it lays across your hand much easier (I've only small hands so this was important for me) if you use a round rope, it'll take up much more of your hand and be too bulky.
Once you're on board (that needs practising in a safe place as some very funny things can happen until you get it sussed) I like the led horse's head to be level with my knee always and stay there so it can't get forward to nip yours and it can't drag behind to risk giving yours a silly outside over-reach; it also gives you more control to stop it barging forward or dragging behind.
Rightly or wrongly but I found this to be the safest way to hold the lead rein is to have the end loop over your hand then feed the rein over and back across your palm towards the horse, not wound around your hand and keep your thumb on top to anchor it to your hand similar to a norm rein. That way in case of emergencies, the rein can slip across your hand but you still have the anchor stop of the loop to hang on to if it goes pear shaped.
It's great when the horses go well together a real pain in the butt if they don't or the lead horse drags back all the time so make a point of making sure it leads well from the offside before you start mounted work.
 
I would definitely give the mare a bit more time to get over tractors before trying to take them both out as the youngster sounds like he would take her lead and if she faffs about - so will he.
Also, taking them out together, may give him confidence or you may struggle more to get him out by himself as he may start napping more if you then try to take him out by himself.

I'm in the same dilemma as you. I started to ride and lead yesterday. I used a halter and a lead rope - simply because I'm still getting F used to the bridle and also as I wasn't going on a road. I made sure she stood still, then got on T. It took a little getting used to for both of them but they were both really good.

I think a lunge line would be too long as you want your lead horse as your ridden horses shoulder - so effectively beside you - so you would end up with a few curls of line plus your ridden horse's reins and if like me you'd also have a whip.

Good luck and I would start off trying it out in a field - see how they get on and how you cope and then gradually aim for the roads etc. :)
 
I have to ride and lead at work- I ride a 16.2 and lead a 10.2! (yes motorists laugh at me!) I also spent all last winter leading my daughters pony with a much closer height gap.

Practice in the field to see which is best to ride and which to lead- some horses are a nightmare to lead. I had no choice which way to do my own two as my own horse behaved like loon on the lead but was fab to lead off.

I find a lunge line FAR too long, it will get you all tangled up and in mess. Even for the first 2 i mentioned at work i only use a lead rope- they are perfect together and i know there will be no problem.
You can get links/couplings to clip to each side of the bit- they are worth every penny. I find that my back hurts when the pony is on the left so off road i swap him over for a break not really practical if the rope is connected to the bit!
Ride and lead is such a lifesaver! give it a go
 
Hmm! Lots of food for thought! Thanks all! The haffie is actually 13 this year which is why I think he is finding hacking out so scary, but I do think he would follow Jas - all that remains is to have a go! Think I might wait until all the planting and spraying is done first though! Good idea to use a rein shorter than a lunge one, they are bad enough when just tryin to lunge - I also have small hands. I would so like him to get out and enjoy the countryside, he was an RDA horse for 4 years in his youth but I can tell he is very intrigued by 'outside'! Nobody ever has any probs with the lead horse getting narked and jealous? I've ridden Jas out on her own for 15 years! She can be quite possessive of me - I'll give it a whirl though, it obviously does work for others!! Don't know til you try... :-)
 
Another tip would be to get the lead horse used to a rope going around her back, under her tail, neck etc. in case the horse being led turns in front or behind the lead horse.
 
I prefer to use the reins on the led horses bridle. You can take the offside rein under the chin, and through the nearside bit ring if you wish, but I don't. You then have a closed end to hold, and contact on both bit rings if necessary. Reins this way are a good length as well - I've been doing it for twenty years, and despite a few OMG moments, I've never lost one yet.
I also carry a shortish schooling whip on the leading side - stops the led horse getting too close and standing on the ridden horse, and can be flicked outwards to remind the led horse that he's supposed to keep up.Make sure the led horse doesn't get his nose behind your leg, or his shoulders in front of your knee if he's the forward going sort.

Boot up well, and don't lead in a single jointed snaffle - the nutcracker action can be very severe when you're leading off a bridle. My personal fave is a full cheek french link for steering and kind action
 
ladyt25 said:
monkeybum13 said:
Lead off a bridle on the left hand side. Use a lunge rein (or similar) rather than a short lead rein.


See, I don't think I would lead in a lunge line (do you mean a lunge line or is there something shorter lunge wise I am unaware of - I am not fully clued up on this stuff! Lol) - far too much to have hold of. We always just used to lead in normal lead reins. We have now got slightly longer ones with a bit of chain at the clip end - think they're Eskadron ones? They are just a nice handy length and have a handle on the end.
Click to expand...

Ideally I would use a rope halfway between a lead rein and a lunge line.
A lunge line can be lots to carry but then I don't think a lead rein is long enough.
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I have such fun with this and have loads of film clips if you scroll down a little on my facebook page (see link below). I used it for starting a youngster and he's turning out just fabulous and safe - plus goes out on his own easily as well. I think it could get addictive - like more fun than just taking one horse out at a time!
Have fun!
 
Have a bog std lunge line, chop it down to about 10ft long (max).
You've got length to play with but not too long to become tangled.
(or shell out for nice long leadline).

Obviously wear gloves & high vis!

I've led out with one on each side yrs ago using old shortened (broken!) lunge lines. Its more easy to keep a small pony up with you as there will be no length on a std rope or pony reins. (worse if leading a tiny off a big'n - try hunting a large tanky cob & towing the boss's 6 yr old on her 11hh cos the boss couldn't cope!;) )

Always lead off the bit & from the off side - like others above, I've always put the line through the bit ring on the lead horse on the off side & clip it to the nr side.

Good luck - and try to get a mate to be 'on hand' the 1st time you try, the 1st time mounting & also dismounting can be fun :)
 
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