Ride and Lead - Any Tips?

[3Beasties]

In a bid to get Millie fitter I am going to have to start leading her of Charlie, I have done this in the past but not for a long while so would like any tips to make it as safe and enjoyable as possible.

In the past Millie used to slam the breaks on for no reason resulting in me sometimes letting go of her (luckily we only use quiet roads and she never goes far) but I think (and hope) that as she is now fitter and has done far more this year that she will have 'grown' out of this issue.

I am planning on putting a fluorescent exercise sheet on her held in place by a lunging roller, boots on both horses all round and I'll have a tabard on.

Was thinking of leading her with a lunge rein but would it get in the way/be to bulky?

Any suggestions/ideas/thoughs would be great!

Thanks

 

[teddyt]

I used to use a long rope but not as long as a lunge rein. it was longer than a standard lead rope but i find lunge reins too bulky. Make sure led horse is in a bridle. Use a fillet string and also a breast girth on the exercise sheet/roller.

I dont do ride and lead anymore, after a couple of incidents with naughty horses (despite being trained and old enough to know better!).

 

[loopeepee]

I havn't ridden and lead in a while - but when I did I would ride the 'worse' horse, if that makes sense. So I would ride my naughty mare, who I wouldn't quite trust not to stop dead and spin round, and then lead another schoolmaster, who knew his job inside out.
I'd lead him in a bridle and slightly longer than normal length lead rope - lunge line would be way to long, and too likely to loose your knitting! He'd be booted, but ridden horse wouldnt (just because she never wore boots anyway). Ridden horse always to the inside.

 

[kick_On]

Put bridle(just bridle so no reins attached) on led horse and have lead rope clipped onto furtherest side of bit the fed though bit under chin and then through near side bit ring.

Lead from slowest horse

Have led horse's head by your knee and no further forward

Have a knot at end of lead rope so if it slips you slip down to knot

Wear gloves

If you need to put on rain sheet make sure you have good surcringle to top sheet flapping ( i put saddle on aswell)

 

[teddyt]

[ QUOTE ]
Ridden horse always to the inside.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would always have the led horse on the inside, otherwise you have much less control over the horse if a car overtakes. When you restrain a horse by the head it will often swing its quarters away, so if the led horse was on the outside there would be a big risk of the quarters swinging into the road.

edited for clarity- led horse should be on the left of the ridden horse

 

[3Beasties]

[ QUOTE ]

Lead from slowest horse



[/ QUOTE ]

I can't lead from Millie as she is a Section A, I will have to ride my TB and she will have to keep up, she keeps up out hacking so it shouldn't be to much of a problem!

Thanks for all the other great advise though

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
Put bridle(just bridle so no reins attached) on led horse and have lead rope clipped onto furtherest side of bit the fed though bit under chin and then through near side bit ring.

Lead from slowest horse

Have led horse's head by your knee and no further forward

Have a knot at end of lead rope so if it slips you slip down to knot

Wear gloves

If you need to put on rain sheet make sure you have good surcringle to top sheet flapping ( i put saddle on aswell)

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto.

However, don't put a rain sheet etc. on the horse being led - and absolutely make sure she's on the inside.

 

[lialls]

If possible carry a whip, so when the pony slams the breaks on you can give it a little tap - may help stop the problem. I use 2 lead ropes cliped together, so longer then just a leadrope but not as bulky as lunge line. Led horse shod be on the inside of riden horse, try and keep the ponys head up by ur knee.

 

[eoe]

I use a bridle with no reins and a newmarket leather lead rein attached to the bit and also carry a long schooling whip. I always ride the safest horse and lead the other one, if they start to slow up a gentle tap with the schooling whip does the trick. I have always done it this way, never used a leadrop as they slip through your hands with the newmarket lead it has a loop.

I even manage to ride in the school like this if time is running away with me, who said you can't ride two horses at the same time.

 

[camilla4]

[ QUOTE ]
Put bridle(just bridle so no reins attached) on led horse and have lead rope clipped onto furtherest side of bit the fed though bit under chin and then through near side bit ring.

Lead from slowest horse

Have led horse's head by your knee and no further forward

Have a knot at end of lead rope so if it slips you slip down to knot

Wear gloves

If you need to put on rain sheet make sure you have good surcringle to top sheet flapping ( i put saddle on aswell)

[/ QUOTE ]

All of this!!

 

[Natch]

Just to add if you are carrying a rope which you need to coil up, don't hold coils/loops: fold it up zig-zag style, so that if she should pull away suddenly your hand isn't squashed and dragged.