Ride and lead

GLEEK

GLEEK

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Today i managed to ride and lead my 2 mares both were very well behaved. We had a trot it ended up a bit of a race!!! My lead mare seemed to find it very handy as she always has a itchy nose and my knee was at a perfect height for her!

I was just wondering what the normal is for ride and lead on roads? I have just invested in a newmarket coupling strap so i can attach the leadrope to this to make life a bit easier. I have never put boots/bandages on either of my mares but am i best to? At the moment both are unfit so lots of walking and gradually trotting both are barefoot

Thanks
 
I always have the lead horse in a bridle with a lunge rope - we have 17hh+ hunters and I like the extra length of the lunge rope with them

Barefoot horses - I would assume you wouldn't need boots but have no experience of them

The eventers always had brushing boots all round
The hunters don't wear boots at all - unless the horse would wear boots anyway

I ride and lead a lot, partic the hunters in the winter - so any questions, please ask!
 
I used to ride and lead alot when i worked with hunters. I always had a bridle and a long rope on the horse being led. Sometimes i tacked both horses up fully and i used to swap horses half way round. I never put boots any of the horses as they didn't wear boots anyway. But please make shore when on the road the led horse is on the outside. (you'd think it was common sence but you would be surprised how many people ride with the lead horse in the middle of the road. It's dangorous and stupid)
Good Luck and i hope your two get the idea it's not a race. :D
 
LauraWheeler said:
I used to ride and lead alot when i worked with hunters. I always had a bridle and a long rope on the horse being led. Sometimes i tacked both horses up fully and i used to swap horses half way round. I never put boots any of the horses as they didn't wear boots anyway. But please make shore when on the road the led horse is on the outside. (you'd think it was common sence but you would be surprised how many people ride with the lead horse in the middle of the road. It's dangorous and stupid)
Good Luck and i hope your two get the idea it's not a race. :D
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Did you actually mean what you wrote? Surely the led horse should be on the side furthest from the traffic, i.e. the inside, as you have less control over it and could end up with IT in the middle of the road.
 
Yes sorry i ment the outside of the road Not the middle of the road. Sorry if i confused you i confuse myself most of the time :confused: :rolleyes: but i do know what i'm doing realy honest. I do get cross when the horse being led swings into oncoming traffic. I have had a go at a few riders for this as it gives the rest of us who do it correctly a bad name.
 
I regularly ride & lead both on the road & across the moors and as already stated the horses you are leading should be away from the traffic ie. on your left at all times.

I only lead mine from a headcollar & normal lead rope and I never put brushing boots on them but they don't wear them normally anyway.

One top tip is to always wear gloves - it helps if the one being led suddenly slams the brakes on (which one of mine often does for a pooh!!).
 
Lead horse on the inside, and always in a bridle and reins. Boot if you usually do, if not don't bother.
 
Amymay why do you say always in a bridle & reins? I'm not saying you are wrong at all but I'm interested in the thought process as I only ever lead in a headcollar.

I can see some reasons for and against each method so would be interested in your reply.

Thank you.
 
Amymay why do you say always in a bridle & reins? I'm not saying you are wrong at all but I'm interested in the thought process as I only ever lead in a headcollar.
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Well, it's the correct way to ride and lead for starters :), but also important to ensure that you have proper control at all times of both horses. Reins are important because they are safer to use than a leadrope, and of course give you more control. You should never use a lunge line, for obvious reasons.

Any horse that is on the road for any reason should always be in a bridle.
 
Ok, thank you for that. I don't use a bridle because my worry is if there was some sort of accident/problem and the led horse had to be let go or got away then I wouldn't want reins trailing.

I never use a lunge rope - I wouldn't want mine to have that much freedom as I like them to be kept very close & in tight and I just think I would get it in a complete tangle!
 
I ride & lead in a bridle, but recently come up with a problem lead horse has got into the habit of stopping dead result bit pulled the wrong way in the mouth :eek: I have tried putting a leadrope through bit rings to stop this but end up having to hold two things.
 
Interesting. If I'm on the road I lead from a bridle with a longish lead rope through the bit rings, it gives me more control if I need it but I'm always more inclined to ride a mad one and lead a sensible one in any case. If I'm doing canter laps I'll use a headcollar.
 
for those of you who would never use a lunge rope..... you are lucky to have small, well behaved horses!

We have large hunters, who in the main, are immaculately behaved. However, on the odd occasion, something startles them and they bounce about (being big, fit boys), I wouldn't have a hope in hell of keeping hold of them on a few feet of lead rope. I would either have to let go or be pulled off my ride horse - neither attractive options.

I am very well used to riding with 2 sets of reins - hunting in doubles and pelhams - and am quite capable of holding onto a neatly rolled lunge ROPE not the thick nylon abominations available nowadays.

In my eventing days, I had an advanced horse who used to lead off a leather headcollar and leadrope - he never moved from his position by my knee (apart from when he pulled my stirrup off my foot when he was bored). If you have small, easy horses to ride and lead, then be happy and enjoy them!
 
We have large hunters, who in the main, are immaculately behaved. However, on the odd occasion, something startles them and they bounce about (being big, fit boys), I wouldn't have a hope in hell of keeping hold of them on a few feet of lead rope.
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This is my experience to - in as much as I have only ridden and lead big, fit hunters. And yes, I too have had the odd whoopsie. Thankfully bridle and reins meant that both were very quickly brought under control. I can only imagine the potential disaster of being out of control with one horse at the end of a long rope or lunge line.

Keep them close, and keep yourself and them safe.

At the end of the day it's all down to our personal preferences and what we feel is the right approach. However, with most 'traditional' ways of doing things - they usually end up being the way things are done, because they work best......
 
I have to say i really enjoyed it. Felt better in myself for both getting exercised and not only concentrating on one and the other getting left.
Both my mares are very different. I have a standardbred and a irish draught. The ID is as solid as a rock doesnt move unless she is asked to and would never put a foot wrong. The other is spooky not overly confident in things. I decided to ride my safe one because so long as im asking her to go she will go. Where as if i was on miss spooky i waould be worrying about both of them and she is also a pain to get on most of the time. They seemed to thrive off of eachother i think spooky will learn some good habits off of the old faithful one!!
Thanks everyone
 
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