Ride and Lead...how to train

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Carlosmum

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I'm sure this has been done before but I cant find any threads!
I would like to ride & lead with my 2 boys, basically I need to get pony fitter & out & about round the farm, he bucked me off a few weeks ago so I am reluctant to ride him when no-one is around. I did take him out beside Carlo as a 2/3 yo ( he's now 6) but he was a bit bolshy & nippy. I am hoping as he is older this will have sorted itself out.
Does anyone have any suggestions of how I go about it?
My thoughts so far are:

Boots on pony as Carlo is shod,
Pony will be in briddle leading off bit with chain for control until both are settled
Practice in paddock first then head out round farm

Is there anything I have forgotten? Are there any NoNos I need to remember.

Courgette muffins ......no really (practising for Home craft at ploughing match) for all replies :D
 
Mmmmmm....I make a great spiced chocolate and courgette muffin myself.

Make sure the pony is obedient to lead, bit obvious, you will already know that. And make sure there is someone around when you try it out. Always a good idea to let someone know you are out anyway.
 
Ok, I've no experience with this type of thing so this is kind of a random thought, but could you get someone to lead the pony next to you when you are riding Carlo? So they are the same distance apart and basically exactly the same as someone leading a pony and someone riding a horse next to them... then they hand the lead rein to rider, and gradually move further and further away, until they are no longer in sight...

Hope it works out for you either way :)
 
I ride & lead my ridden horses regularly and have worked up to getting them cantering together. I now lead my mini from either of my ridden ones 4 days a week - he loves it!

Once you get going there are things you will pick up and it's honestly easier than it looks. My top top would be don't forget to wear gloves!!

Good luck.
 
Horses pick it up easy enough as long as they have some manners you should be fine. Boots are good as they can bash into each other.
Iv seen it done quite regularely with racehorses In Australia and they spend the first while in the arena before heading out to the main track with loads of other horses (as they train at racetracks with many other trainers) and take to it no problem.
Iv also done it myself with polo ponies riding one and leading 3 in headcollrs. There are always ones that get strong esp in canter but if your capable of riding with one hand and having one hand on the strong horse its usually fine!
 
Just do it. If they are turned out together that helps. Don't let the led one pass the other ones shoulder, don't let them interact with each other at all (they are working) or get into a race with each other.
 
As above...just do it. It's quite an easy thing to teach any horse, the polo ponies take to it easily- if u get a lazy one you have to be firm w
 
As above...just do it. It's quite an easy thing to teach any horse, the polo ponies take to it easily- if the leading horse is bolshy like u say be firm with it though and keep it in line with the horse your riding. Have fun! :)
 
As Ffion Winnie and Milanesa. Just do it. You don't need Masterclasses. Wear gloves, and start small - down the quiet lane and back or whatever. Your led horse will be one of 3 kinds - the hanger back, the puller, or that dream of dreams, the perfect led horses whose nose is always at your knee.

Sorry if I sound brusque, but I was taught at an early age - 8 I think - to lead several horses at once by my ex-mounted infantry father. You lead 2 horses on your right hand side, 1 on your left - it's how the army do (used to do!) in times of attack or ambush. You couldn't have each soldier trekking off with his horse, so one soldier dealt with 4 and took them to a safer place.

I used to lead the prefect horse, my friend's TB Endurance horse, which he was too busy to exercise as much as he should have. So I used to trot and canter all over the farm on his other horse, leading the TB. The two would canter side by side for ever, with never a cross look and the TB's head always just at my knee, however fast we went. A lovely feeling....
 
I start with a groom on a third horse ideally or on the ground just set away and if they drag back groom touches them with a schooling whip as I say walk on a couple of times in the field then off we go a second person behind is a help until they get it.
Walk out smartly so they are working to keep up
They enjoy it seeing the world without a rider and most get very good at it one of mine was in a team driving he's a joy to lead in fact I honestly think I don't need to lead him he would just do it for himself.
 
FfionWinnie said:
Just do it. If they are turned out together that helps. Don't let the led one pass the other ones shoulder, don't let them interact with each other at all (they are working) or get into a race with each other.
Click to expand...

What she said! We do ride and lead with the polo ponies every day, they just get used to it. Usually 3 or 4 out together, they pick it up pretty quickly!
 
FfionWinnie said:
Just do it. If they are turned out together that helps. Don't let the led one pass the other ones shoulder, don't let them interact with each other at all (they are working) or get into a race with each other.
Click to expand...

Yup. Just do it! I ride and lead at canter, now. As others say, be careful they don't race and don't let the led pony pass the shoulder. I got carried away on a ride recently and ended up chasing after the loose led pony, as she broke away having got too far in front! I was too busy thinking 'Lorenzo the Flying Frenchman' or whatever he calls himself!!
 
I just did it with both of mine. I always rode the same horse as he was the one who needed pushing along a bit more so I figured that easier.
Im trying to teach my daughters pony to ride and lead but its a bit tricky! He leads perfectly on the ground but and when ridden always stays very close with his head at my stirrup/knee however when I lead him off my horse he stops and drops in behind my horse, nothing ive tried so far has helped. Although weirdly I can lead him off the wrong side, which I do occasionally on the bridleway near me which involves no roads.
If anyone has a tip for that I'd be grateful.
 
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