Ride and lead??

you may be surprised how easy it is, especially if your two are used to being lead together - i decided to ride and lead my 2yo from my other horse and everyone thought i was bonkers... but they were so used to doing things in a pair and walking side by side once she got over her surprise that i was so high up she was fine! It was a doodle!

Definitely do it! Good luck!
 
I ride and lead with my two most mornings. Often I fully tack up both, and then swap the ridden for the led horse half way round. Also tend to stick some side reins on the led horse so they aren't just dawdling alongside! I only have about 20m of road work before I'm on the tracks so no traffic issues. I'd struggle to keep mine fit if I couldn't do this :D
 
I have considered ride and lead with my 2, don't want to hijack the thread but the best behaved, most controllable of mine is the 14hh cob. Would it be weird to ride her and lead the 16.2hh nobby tb from her? I've only ever seen smaller horses lead from bigger ones....
 
Used to ride and lead daily with the hunters and point to pointers. Only way to get them all exercised as not enough hours in the day. They get used to it really quickly and most are very sensible about it. Also rode and led 2 on each side for the polo ponies canter work. They were pros at that.
 
I was a bit tentative when I tried it first with my two.......... and TBH to start with it was very much a case of "suck it and see" with regard to which horse I rode and which I led.

I started off by riding Welsh D mare (dominant horse) and leading Trad Cob. The problem with that was that he's a crafty monkey and as soon as he got out without a rider on his back I could see his wicked eye computing the fact that he hadn't got anyone on his back to tell him what to do (hee hee I could see him thinking), and he then started nipping at mare, who then thoroughly nipped the blighter back, hard, and serve him right. But it didn't make for an easy ride and I knew that if I took them out again in this combination, the next time he'd take advantage big-time.

So then I tried riding Trad-Lad, and leading mare (with her bridle on and a coupling under her chin which utilised both sides of the bit). Result: MUCH much better. Traddie was under saddle, therefore no-nonsense permitted, and mare was quite happy to trot on beside. Traddie DID have a little nip at her, but she swiftly retaliated and he didn't try it again.

Both my horses are regularly hacked out together at weekends when my friend can come out, and they're turned out together in the field, so well used to each other's company.

You have to know your horses VERY thoroughly IMO before riding & leading. I did the quiet roads around here when I was working the thing out; and if I am riding & leading I'd tend to stick to the routes which I hope should be quieter.

Gosh: I thoroughly admire those of you who ride & lead multiple horses!!! Donno how you do it......... I wouldn't have enough hands!

I would say though, that unless you are 101% confident; then it would be better to not do it.

Oh........ and don't forget the hi-viz either!!! Sorry, am being preachy.
 
Red1 that was a really good video :)
How long is a lunge line compared to the rope you use?

OMG I NEEDDDD an Austin the stallion, he is simply stunning! I see what you mean with ride and long rein (though am not tempted to try that!)

I think I will try ride and lead just in the yard first (The drive in and out) and then when I feel happy I will start venturing out.

Thanks everyone, this thread is really interesting ! I will let you know how I get on :)
 
I do - I have the led horse in a rope halter with a long line. I also swap sides as I think it keeps things move even, and I also teach the led horse to go behind the ridden horse for narrow bits.
 
I ride and lead a lot. I ride the liveliest and lead the most placid. If I swop round my mare always tries to overtake. I ride and lead in a bridle with a coupling and very long standard lead rein, with a few knots tied in it at various intervals.

With both my four year olds being led I found they were much better being led off a head collar, despite being ridden horses. I used to lead my stepson's section A off my event horse a lot. It worked very well. She did pull me off one day spooking at something. Thankfully the lanes are very very quiet here.
 
I would do it if my mare wasn't such a bitch on the roads.. spins and plants. -_- I am far too tall for the older boy and he'd have to be lead on the outside if I were to try which wouldn't be practical.

However, the hunt down the road rides and leads with riding one and leading one or two at a time, they are used to it however. :)
 
Hetsmum said:
I ride and lead all the time. If they get on well then why not? Always have bridle on lead horse and I use a coupling and extra long lead rein attached to that. Give you a bit more in case you have to go single file (as I do on narrow bits of bridleway only). Mine are actually happier together and a lot better behaved! :)
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This is what I used to do, means you have better control. At the yard I trained on we always rode and lead liveries as we had so many full liveries.

I actually feel safer riding and leading on the road as the wider you are the more car drivers have to behave to get past you.

One place I worked I rode one and led two, one on each side. I've found most horses work really well like this.
 
Wiz201 said:
I've seen them perform a few times, nothing worries me about them
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I had not seen either before, but I had a look at both clips......

In the one that caused Bakewell concern I think the video at 4 minutes 30 seconds onwards would cause most people concern.

One horse rearing up and coming down tangled in a lunge line, and behind it another horse rearing, kicking out and kicking the whip clean out of the handler's hand. No one in hats. In fact just before that part where the horse with the bright blue lunge line is being encouraged to launch the handler on the opposite side looks rather scared.

Both horses being worked rather close to each other, and if one has just tangled in a lunge rein and the other kicked the whip out of the trainer's hand I would not say they are totally in control.

Don't get me wrong, the horses look fit and well, and the trainers are obviously skilled, but the video does worry me too if given as a blueprint as to helping someone prepare to exercise horses out on the road.
 
RubysGold said:
Red1 that was a really good video :)
How long is a lunge line compared to the rope you use?
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The rope is about 12ft, where a lunge line is generally very approximately 26 ft. I find 12 ft is long enough to give and take some without dropping the rope, whereas 26 ft is an invitation to get my foot caught in the spare loops.
 
RubysGold said:
Does anyone ever do ride and lead? Do you go on roads ?

My two are very good calm horses, they are led everywhere together, in and out of the field daily and if no turnout I take them in hand grazing together. So there should be no arguments amongst them.

I am considering doing ride and lead this winter, it would be on days when they cant be turned out so they could stretch their legs as there isn't enough daylight in a day to ride both so i tend to ride neither as i feel mean on the other.

we have a housing estate directly opposite our yard which always has lots of horses riding through it, its pretty quiet. Would you do it?? I have considered it in the past but never been quite brave enough, but if I do it I will get mum to follow me on foot or in car the first few times until I feel confident.

just as an add on, I have been taught how to do ride and lead and have done it a few times in the past but only at the yard
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I have done ride and lead for years, first with my old horse now with my sons pony. Then with the larger ones, practice in the school first but yes I would do it, but have an extra rider with you on the ground or other horse for any emergencies.
 
I wouldn't like to do it on the road, but then I hate riding on the road anyway!
I used to have a spooky, nappy, rather silly horse who was so much better if I led my pony from him, we used to go out round the fields and woods for a good canter no problem, both had a whale of a time.
We were very lucky in that it was all off road tracks that were wide enough for two abreast though!
 
I ride and lead with my two sometimes. Did it in the summer sometimes when I wanted to exercise both, but was short of time and I plan to do the same over the winter. I also took them for a walk in hand with bridles and turn-out rugs on round the village when the weather was awful one day and they stayed in all day. Can only do ride and lead one way round though as unfortunately one of my ISH's quirks is that he doesn't like horses in his left hand side. Tried it this way round and it didn't go well so I always have to ride my Appy and lead my ISH.
 
Have always ponied out (Ride one Lead one) for years. Always got the Hunters fit that way. Now with 5 Endurance horses on the yard to get and keep fit I find it easier to pony. We will go miles that way. We have some lovely wide forestry tracks and we can trot for miles. I have one lovely sandy track that I often will canter along and also up the hills.

I will alternate which horse is to be ridden and which ones are to be lead. It also allows me to exercise without extra weight on their back.

I have been known to ride one and lead two ,just like the polo ponies.
 
annagain said:
If your roads are wide enough and quiet enough and the horses are used to each other, then go for it. Unfortunately the roads around me are too narrow and busy and the horses would be a nightmare. A is better in traffic so I'd have to ride him and lead M on the inside, but that would leave M's head in the perfect place to bite and generally terrorise A!

PS - your yard looks lovely Red-1, and - genuine question - why do you dismount with your foot still in the stirrup? I've not seen that before.
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It's a western dismount, usually used when rider has hip problems, speaking from experience here.
 
If you think you need some more practice, why not work on it in the school for a couple of weeks. You can work on your control and steering and work up to trotting and cantering, figure 8s, serpentines.... Bonus is both horses get dome exercise even if it is going round and round a school
 
I ride and lead. I did polo sets throughout this summer (normally to take 3 or four a time!).

Landladys pony is ex polo and although hadn't done anything for two years went straight out with my mare. I'm lucky have a few routes where I literally just have to cross over the roads so was able to experiment first. Found she is much happier in head collar so that's what we do. I do road work too now with them.
 
Fawaz, I don't have an arena, and the grass is getting slippy, but I do plan to have a go just around the yard before I venture out :)
I only want to be able to do it in walk, no need to trot or canter :)
 
You could always give it a try and see how it goes.
Firstly try it in am inclined space, like an arena or field.
Then when you are confident they will behave get someone or a couple of people to go with you for help incase you get in a tangle!

I do it with my daughters pony with her riding too.
By my TB is very silly sometimes so I have to insure he is in a good mood, the weather won't upset him, like when it's windy and we have just moved from Somerset to the new forest so currently I can't trust him, he is forever leaping around at the new sights!

When I did it, it was on busy roads, narrow lanes and through housing estates aswell aaa open fields meeting cow and other horses etc!
 
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