Ponying two horses at the same time

[coblets]

Yet another stupid question thread from me but is ponying two horses out on hacks common? Sounds like an accident waiting to happen imo, unless you were on private property in an enclosed area, but I saw a BHS riding school job ad which had ponying two horses as 'required expertise'..?

 

[SOS]

Do you mean riding and leading? Very common on yards I worked on with one or two horses being led. It is a skill but easily learnt and safe enough with the right horses.

Polo yards can be seen exercising much more than 3 at a time per person!

 

[teapot]

It's a time efficient way of exercising horses or getting horses from A to B (am thinking Hyde Park).

Fairly sure most polo yards aren't enclosed and they'll be leading five or six at a time...

 

[coblets]

One horse I can understand as a time-saver, but two onwards exhausts my brain just thinking about it (or maybe I've ponied too many horses that despised one another).

How does it work with three + horses then - I take it you have equal numbers on both sides?

 

[ester]

I mean you wouldn't fit down our lanes but if you have access to where that isn't an issue I don't see the problem. My current ride is based on a polo yard not enclosed but will be exercising on their land/they have a canter loop area.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

We over winter polo ponies and in the spring the grooms appear to start getting them fit. One girl was so good she used to bring all 8 in opening and closing three gates on the way, tie 4 up to the line, jump on one and lead 3. Return and swap them all over and start again. I was truly in awe of her horsemanship skills. I do exercise my two together in the winter but I wouldn’t want to lead more than one.

 

[Goldenstar]

I do sometimes lead two on my own land I would never ever go into public doing that I ride one and lead another all the time , well I did when I was riding .

 

[GreyMane]

As a teenager the highlight of my week was taking the riding school ponies to their weekend grazing: this was more than 2 miles away and involved a 100 metre unlit railway tunnel full of deep puddles, a railway embankment that had to be descended in single file, and about a mile of public A and B road through a small town and over a bridge (with car escort driving behind us). On a few occasions I did this riding one large pony and leading 2 small ones. Learned a lot there. Happy days! I doubt any kids get to do stuff like that now, at least in the UK. How I wish I'd got some photos of it.

 

[Winters100]

I regularly ride one and lead 2, both in training and on hacks, and if others on the yard are short of time I will gladly help out and take 2 more. I wouldn't want to do it with very opinionated horses, but for mine it works just fine.

 

[fidleyspromise]

Both me and my friend often ride and lead. Its a time saver, is great for one pony that doesn't hack alone but great with his led buddy beside or behind him. We are straight into woods from yard.

I did it on private ground first ensuring horses are good together and know what we're doing. It also worked so thst baby pony had no fear of anyone above her when went for backing as she was used to it.

 

[Red-1]

I used to ride and lead one to get hunters fit, on the roads and in fields, including canter work. Once the horses are trained, it is simple enough.

I don't like having more than one on a lead though. My old riding school had us do two to the left and one to the right. Last time I attempted it, they went in different directions and I fell off. Age 12, lesson learned there.

 

[laura_nash]

We used to regularly pony up to 3 horses at the trekking yard I worked at. They pretty much knew what they were doing though, we were mostly leading them to stop them trying to eat and if the riders were nervous. I wouldn't want to lead more than one of my own.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

My sister and I used to ride, usually bareback and lead 4 each just to get them from the field to the yard. About a mile on the road at about 7.30 in the morning. During the winter this was in the dark. Mind you this was in the late 60's and there was a lot less traffic then. Wouldn't do it now. When taking rides out I quite often had a lead rein rider either side. Not ideal but it was the norm then.

 

[Cowpony]

My sister and I used to ride, usually bareback and lead 4 each just to get them from the field to the yard. About a mile on the road at about 7.30 in the morning. During the winter this was in the dark. Mind you this was in the late 60's and there was a lot less traffic then. Wouldn't do it now. When taking rides out I quite often had a lead rein rider either side. Not ideal but it was the norm then.

Yep, we used to do this too, but leading 2 on quiet roads through the village. Wouldn't be allowed now

 

[Sleipnir]

Although I usually pony just a single horse, I have ponied 2 a lot (on quiet woodland trails, not public roads or bridleways) and a few years ago, when I had to URGENTLY get several horses from the field to the yard, I ponied....7. That was an interesting experience, we did it at a trot and I had a fantastic, honest, quiet horse to ride.

 

[TPO]

Polo grooms ponying 3 and 4 others

I've only ever ponied two at a time. It was well away from roads so was fairly safe. My only issue was one horse that wouldnt keep up with the lead horse and that caused a bit of drama initially.

 

[splashgirl45]

i used to work p/time at a RS and regularly took 2 lead reins , once you get used to it 2 are just as easy as one

 

[SibeliusMB]

I ponied 2 at a time when I ran a hunt yard back in Virginia. Made getting through the string easier on conditioning days. We had our own property though which made it safer. That said, pairing up the right horses is important and the one you pony on the off side (your left, their right) might need some education. Most take to it just fine.

Honestly I remember the only annoying part was just mounting up and trying to hold two ponies as well, especially when everyone was fit. Thankfully one of the guys was usually around to hold the second one until I was on. ?

 

[Durhamchance]

When I was at equestrian college we were taught to hack out riding and leading another. So long as the horses get on it was fine, but coming through single width gates involved a degree of flexibility that I no longer possess!

 

[Annagain]

I've managed ponying my friend's two kids' ponies from Archie (while Monty was easier to ride he spent all the time in the field beating the ponies up so they wouldn't go near him, they adored Archie) round the farm as a practice run pretty easily but tried with just one out hacking as a first step. While the horses were brilliant, the local drivers really weren't so we abandoned the plan before we got to the two stage.

 

[Shilasdair]

Since when did people in the UK call it 'ponying'?
It's always been 'Ride and lead' here as far as I can remember.

ETA And riding and leading has always been used in the UK for exercise, or for taking novice children and adults out safely. It even forms part of BHS exams. If you don't know how to do it, don't apply for the job.