Ouchie ouchie.... I mean when do YOU let go?

Fools Motto

Fools Motto

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Firstly - I WAS wearing gloves, albeit, thin gloves. Moral of this would be wear better equiptment!!

Currently I am part of a small team walking yearling TB's in preparation for the Newmarket sales in early October. Most are total sweeties 99.9% of the time, but where there is that 0.1% they can sure make a quick turn around!! Today was one of those days.
The boss has always said to us, to try are damn hardest to hold on if they muck about. This is so they learn not to get away. I can honestly say I tried damn hard. The first 'yeeehaaa' I managed to hold on, I held on to rearing, leaping, bucking and squealing. The second 'yeeehaaa', was not so sucessful. There is only so much you can hold on to, particually if they spin, you at one end of the lunge line, their bum at the other end, with the line now wrapped around their necks and pissing off away from you!!
My hands are now blistered and sore, but I will be ok, slightly dented pride as I am the first who has let go this year. Caught said filly soon after and she was good after that.
My boss then had an explosive moment with her yearling, and how the hell she held on, with her hands in one peice is anyones guess. She was not wearing gloves!! She is a tiny size 8 at best, and I thought my slightly bigger frame of 14 may have an advantage, but nope, not today.

So, when is it best to hold on? or do you let go soon as if they play about?

PS, all yearlings are walked with lines attached to their breaking bits.
 
Slightly different but I have a 6year old tb mare not a yearling she did race but not anymore and she can be very "fresh" lets say .. last week or the week before i got her out of the field, it was windy she was on her toes a lot and we have to go down a hill that leads down to the stables ..

Mare decides that she doesnt want to walk so she started spinning around going up in the air bucking and pratting around .. I had her in a head collar and lead rope shes 15.2 and im 5ft1 size 8 clothes i struggled to hold onto her but luckily I had a knot in the end of my lead rope because my rope slipped through my hand giving me rope burn. I did think that I was going to have to let go she was so difficult to hold onto but I knew I couldnt because there was kids on the yard and didnt want them to get knocked over ..

It was SO hard though and the lady that works there watched me and she said she would have let go but I didnt.

She then carried on trotting sideways down the hill with me holding onto her head collar and rope .. I was inches from going into the farms electric fencing aswell grr bloody tb's aye!
 
I dont seem to have the ability to let go, no matter what.:D My yearling can be a sod at times and she is so strong.

In spring I was walking her up through the field when a pigeon flew out of the bush flapping and making a horrible noise. Dix set off across the field with me in tow. I ended up being pulled over and had burns on my hips, arms and chin, all because I just cant let go.:D
 
often its best to use a long lead rope so if you need to you can let them have enough rope to mess around, but you still have hold of them

Just don't do what I did once and just couldn't let go, got dragged across the car park OUCH bruises and gravel rash everywhere, I was off on holiday to Florida the day after.
What was funny was the looks other guys gave my OH, they must have thought he beat me up :p
 
I'd normally hold on for dear life and/or use a long lead rope to give them room to muck about and get over themselves. That said, I was bringing two of mine in a few months ago and lost them both! We had to come down a steep stubble field from the grazing they were in then, it was chucking it down and windy, and my 12 year old (normally angelic) completely lost the plot at a ghostie in the hedge. She literally tore the rope out of my hand spinning around, cannoned into the back of my 2 year old, who freaked out in shock, and the next thing I know they're both flying flat out down the field with the ropes around their legs. I, of course, am standing there with rope burn on both hands, still seeing the flash of my baby's forefeet missing my skull by inches.

It took me forever to catch them again, as they were well and truly wound up. Needless to say it was hat and gloves to bring in for a few weeks after that! Though to give them their due they've been saintly ever since...
 
Ive posted on here before about my experience of not letting go so forgive me for boring you but...leading my fully tacked up boy past a grain crushing machine that he wouldnt be ridden past, cue panic and him cantering past it with me "not letting go"! I eventually did, in canter, hit the tarmac (had hat on thank god) and got my arm stood on. Resulted in three days in hospital and I was told I couldve lost my hand because of the crush injury :O Its so hard to go against your instincts but Ive learnt my lesson!
 
I'm another to say "let them go", although this was a riding rather than leading incident. My new horse and I were happily walking up on the common, not long after I'd got him. A dog came out of nowhere and startled us both with the result that I ended up sitting on the floor having whacked my back and head against a tree and holding on for dear life. The common is over 600 acres of pasture and woodland and the thought of my lovely horse disappearing into the distance persuaded me that I shouldn't let go.

However, the damage I did to my shoulder by holding on was definitely not worth it - 2 operations and 8 years later it is still only about 70% recovered. I have poor mobility in it, it never stops hurting, although the level depends on what I've been doing and I've been promised arthritis as I get older, with the only option being a shoulder replacement (however they do that!). Next time I'm afraid I shall make an effort to hold on for a short time, but not at all costs!
 
Im stubborn as a mule for letting go to the point of being dragged on my stomach over two fields by my young cob at the time because he spooked a massive cut from belly to chest black and blue broken arm still wouldnt let go god knows why. wouldnt do it again dont think but i think its drummed into me early age dont let go whatever.
 
I'm a 'don't let go'! Fortunatly when mine used to have 'moments', she could still be brought onto a circle fairly easily. I wear roekls, so hardly heavy duty stuff. If you are doing this as a job, then it is pretty likely you will have more of the same to come, how about getting some tough gloves, maybe like this? http://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/...adies Small T Ctgl105S 5020358001059 Tgl105S
Tecnique with also play a big part, unless you are heavier than a yearling, just hanging on like grim death won't get you too far. Better to make a pulling/yanking movement to bring the head round back towards you. Gives you much more control than a braced neck on a flightly yearling belting off! Letting them have a little rein helps so they can have little bounces by you without you getting bothered by it, and they should settle better too.
 
I'm afraid I am another who doesn't seem to be able to let go.

I have been dragged numerous times when I have fallen off as I won't let go and also broken 2 x fingers (2 different incidents) while leading- not my own horses I will add! ;)

However, it is pretty much a lost cause when leading if they get their shoulder past you as you are too far back to maintain any sort of control and you are in danger of being booted when the bum passes you.
 
I also don't seem to be able to let go... not always a good thing is it! I've worked alot on studs and with stallions and the implications if you do let go can be a little more complicated. Foals can also be lil b*ggers! I wear leather cotton backed fairly tough gloves now though.
I remember when i did let go, leading a 2 yr old tb out to his field, said horse was normally placid and tbh, i wasn't concentrating. He spooked and i just dropped his lead rope out of surprise! He couldn't believe his luck bless him!
 
Reading through this has made me realise we really are a bunch of tough nuts!
However, although I don't want horses to get away with being let go, the thought of being hurt, while having a young family just isn't worth it. Maybe I'm classed as a wuss, but I'd rather be ok, than kicked, dragged and black and blue from one crazy animal!!

My pride was dented further today, when my boss said I was only the fourth 'let goer' in something like 12 years! Big whoops me thinks!! But, on my side she had said naughty filly today, and she still played bad girl. Boss didn't let go of her, but how the hell above she wasn't kicked when filly hind leg came shooting out sideways as she was leaping I'll never know.. filly even tried it several times too!! I'll do my best to avoid leading her again perhaps?? lol
 
I use a long lead rope just to get safe space when my boy is having a stupid moment on turn out. If he really wanted to go, unfortunately I would have to let go, thankfully he is just a prat at times and full of beans, so a long lead rope enables me to get out of harms way until he get's it out his system and I can regain control, and he realises his pratting around is not actually helping him get to the field any quicker. A piece of apple or carrot often helps to keep their attention too to enable them to stand still until the headcollar is off - then he is off, bucking and farting round the field to his hearts content! :D :rolleyes:
 
cool mix said:
Reading through this has made me realise we really are a bunch of tough nuts!
However, although I don't want horses to get away with being let go, the thought of being hurt, while having a young family just isn't worth it. Maybe I'm classed as a wuss, but I'd rather be ok, than kicked, dragged and black and blue from one crazy animal!!

My pride was dented further today, when my boss said I was only the fourth 'let goer' in something like 12 years! Big whoops me thinks!! But, on my side she had said naughty filly today, and she still played bad girl. Boss didn't let go of her, but how the hell above she wasn't kicked when filly hind leg came shooting out sideways as she was leaping I'll never know.. filly even tried it several times too!! I'll do my best to avoid leading her again perhaps?? lol
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At the end of a day it is a job, no reason you should risk your neck for it! Can your boss offer some advice on avoiding the 'let go or not' issue, rather than just telling you that others don't let go?!
 
ThePony said:
At the end of a day it is a job, no reason you should risk your neck for it! Can your boss offer some advice on avoiding the 'let go or not' issue, rather than just telling you that others don't let go?!
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Agree, it is just a job. I would have loved some advice, but it hasn't come yet!! My other fellow walker S is on my side - she said she would have let go to - thankgod!
 
I obviously dont let go soon enough....as I found out Monday night! Bringing Leo in from the paddock he spooked big time and bolted off. Didn't let go, got dragged along the ground and have massive rope burn blisters on my hand..ouch! By the time I dragged myself up off the ground, Leo was stood a few meters away happily munching the grass!
 
Bertolie said:
I obviously dont let go soon enough....as I found out Monday night! Bringing Leo in from the paddock he spooked big time and bolted off. Didn't let go, got dragged along the ground and have massive rope burn blisters on my hand..ouch! By the time I dragged myself up off the ground, Leo was stood a few meters away happily munching the grass!
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Hand blisters really hurt don't they?? I sympethise (sp?)
 
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