Ride and lead...

[Michen]

I'd just try both combinations to be honest. Usually I ride the most sensible and lead the idiot/baby as this tends to give the idiot/baby more of a clue. However with the two I have at the moment, the smaller who I always used to lead, behaves like a moron when led with my other horse. No problems with other horses in the past but she just wants to be in front and race the whole time (and she is submissive to her in the field). She does the same when ridden out with this particular mare. Yet you can ride her and lead the other no problem. She is normally a super sensible ride and drive sort, so you just never know.

The idiot is not the baby in this case it’s the one double the age of the other ?

 

[Rosie'smum]

I ride my semi sensible mare, who i know will move off my leg and i can put her wherever i need her to be. I lead the baby. Although the baby is the leader over my much older mare. Walk work is fine with them both, Trot is fine too apart from the baby gets a little in front. Canter the baby understands now and today was trying to get in front in which my sensible mare likes to then race and also be in front so got a bit disorganised! also doesn't help i ride with 2 reins and i have a really long lead rope in case of anything happening so have to also hold that in both hands. It certainly a lot to hold and makes it harder to ride with 1 hand if needed. Think next time i will ride with roundings!

Ride the 1 you feel you would have more control over if anything happens.

 

[SEL]

At least you're are matching heights! My plan was to lead my 15h tank off the incredibly sane 13h pony - but I'm not sure my arms will appreciate it.

Thought being that if the idiot does her usual teleporting, eyes on stalks business the pony won't budge. If i was on the silly one then I've got to deal with all that whilst not dropping a lead rope.

 

[Red-1]

I have usually sat on the sensible one as that way I am in as much control over the not so sensible, as if I were on foot. Also, I ride out on the roads, so it means the sensible one is the one in traffic to protect and block the other.

Also, I agree with others that it is easier to restrain a forward one on a lead rope than it is to gee them up. Nothing worse than if they fall behind your knee.

I always do them in the arena first, making sure I can walk and at least trot, plus let them fall single file and back to double without any bad manners.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Good idea to have a wingman who could help sort out your knitting the first few times you try it if the neds get in a muddle. Also to have both ponies prepped for riding so that you can swap over part way round if need be.

Good luck, we will need pics (taken by a third party, you will already have your hands full!).

 

[Michen]

Good idea to have a wingman who could help sort out your knitting the first few times you try it if the neds get in a muddle. Also to have both ponies prepped for riding so that you can swap over part way round if need be.

Good luck, we will need pics (taken by a third party, you will already have your hands full!).

I was going to take them out alone this am but managed to regain some sensibility, so my friend is coming on foot tomorrow am and she can hop on one of them half way around.

I wouldn’t particularly want to put Bog behind Bear single file as he will bite Bears bum, but that would only be necessary for roads, which I don’t intend to venture on to for the moment if ever.

 

[Michen]

I have usually sat on the sensible one as that way I am in as much control over the not so sensible, as if I were on foot. Also, I ride out on the roads, so it means the sensible one is the one in traffic to protect and block the other.

Also, I agree with others that it is easier to restrain a forward one on a lead rope than it is to gee them up. Nothing worse than if they fall behind your knee.

I always do them in the arena first, making sure I can walk and at least trot, plus let them fall single file and back to double without any bad manners.

Tbf Bog is sensible in traffic. Well not tractors etc but always have to find a lay by for them anyway. Issue would be single file, Bog behind Bears bum doesn’t feel like a good idea because he’s such a hassler. But We won’t be doing this on the roads certainly for the foreseeable and maybe not ever, I can do a double loop of big field to hack them for longer- boring but safer and only when needed to get both worked.

 

[be positive]

I would normally want to be on the sensible one, that way you can forget it and concentrate on the silly one if it has a moment but I am not sure a green 4 year old can be that reliable so would probably ride Bog and lead Bear first time.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I am in the camp of ride the good one and lead the twit!

 

[Auslander]

I've always ridden the sensible/slower one, and towed anything that's likely to be silly, on the basis that if things go wrong, I prefer to have a solid anchor underneath me, rather than attached to me.

 

[mini-eventer]

Ride the slower one. If you are on the naughty one and it plays up, it makes it twice as hard if you are a attached to a lump of wood....

 

[Tarragon]

I ride and lead my two a lot. It goes both exercised at the same time and I love looking down on to the back of the led one.
In my case though, it looks like I am going against the normal advice. I ride the naughty/faster/dominant one and lead the steady/slower one. I have done it the other way around before, but I do remember actually being kicked in the leg as the naughty one ran past me and kicked out as he went! I also have the advantage that I know if I have a problem with the naughty one, and end up having to let go of the other, that he will just put his head down and eat!
As it has been so long since I rode the older one and led the naughty one, I might try it out to see how it goes.

 

[Polos Mum]

I ride the sillier one as I personally feel I have more control on top than leading.

Other tips - have a good think about getting on, maybe first few times get someone you pass you the leading one once your mounted. I've sat on the lead rope more than once! because you want the lead horse on the inside which is also where you want to be to get on.

I do carry a stick - although there's lots in my hands I find it useful to have something to poke the one being led (encourage them to keep up or stop them biting the ridden one!)

I keep the led horse on a pretty short lead and close to my foot - to there's no silly fuss over who's in front and no lagging behind. Once you've had 5 mins arguing over where they go - they get the hang of it and settle pretty nicely in my experience. I had fun once with 2 17hh's that decided to race each other across a stubble field (probably my fault trying to have a nice ride and lead canter!)

 

[alexomahony]

I ride and lead my two regularly and always lead off Maldwyn... though he is the sharper of the two, he is also the boss and the braver one too. it's rare he reacts to something, but when he does, it's ridiculous. I also know I can catch Sky if I drop him!

I tried it off Sky once and Maldwyn was absolutely furious, he was miserable the whole hack! He *is* the chosen one after all and absolutely believes he is!

 

[MasterBenedict]

I’m doing this atm with my two. Bit different though as Ben is 9 and completely rocksteady with anything and Bonnie is 3 and only been sat on a handful of times so which one to ride/lead is an easy decision for me! Finding it a brilliant training tool for both.

 

[gunnergundog]

If either or both of them are likely to play 'bitey bitey' then shove a drop noseband on them whilst doing ride and lead. There's pros and cons to both variants of ride the sane and lead the twit or vice versa; I think you just have to work our what suits your boys and the environment you ride in. If I am leading a plod I also carry a schooling whip in my left hand to tickle him along.

 

[MissTyc]

I ride the sharp one and lead the sensible one ... the sharp one is also less sharp when she's leading another horse than normal. Who would have thunk it.

 

[splashgirl45]

i would ride the sharp one with the reasoning that if i dropped the led one it would likely just stop . the sharp one would buzz off. i also used to have both tacked up and put the reins under the stirrup leathers on the led one so he couldnt put his head down to graze and yank me off. as bog is the broken one (mending hopefully) it would be better if he didnt get loose.....

 

[FlyingCircus]

Tbf Bog is sensible in traffic. Well not tractors etc but always have to find a lay by for them anyway. Issue would be single file, Bog behind Bears bum doesn’t feel like a good idea because he’s such a hassler. But We won’t be doing this on the roads certainly for the foreseeable and maybe not ever, I can do a double loop of big field to hack them for longer- boring but safer and only when needed to get both worked.

I wouldnt ever do either of mine single file on the road. Just not enough control that way incase the led one spooks.

Instead, I keep the horse being led with their head at my leg, so if they spook they will be blocked by my sensible ones bum! This has saved my bacon on a few occasions when there have been particularly energetic horses the other side of the fence line by the road.

It also means the led horse cant try and come up the wrong side of your ridden one, which is not only very annoying but also quite dangerous when you're not prepared as you end up in a tangle.

 

[J&S]

I love to lead and ride. In the past I always believed in riding the slower one and leading the faster, I rode for miles over the New Forest like this. Its like having your family with you! When I broke in the coloured mare I lead her from my Newfie all around the Devon lanes. With the two I have now my intention was to ride the smaller quirkier (companion) pony and lead the retired mare but the small one tried to kick the sh## out of the big one when I tried that so mare came out of retirement and we do it that way quite happily. Funny things. I have planned a Lead and Ride Trec class for my club, all one handed around obstacles!

 

[Michen]

So I decided to practice this down to the field (5 min walk), bareback in headcollars whilst wearing a dress- seemed sensible last night. Bear was annoying and ducking behind Bog so wasn’t feeling hopeful for the real thing this morning.

actually it worked great. Dropped him once where he span at a horse coming the other way (party trick of his that he hasn’t done since March) but tbh a longer rope and gloves and it wouldn’t have happened so lesson learned. He walked exactly where he should and no bickering. Actually bog pretended he wasn’t there! Went through some small hedge gaps and he dropped behind no prob. Thanks for the advice all!


pics as promised.

 

[Northern]

So I decided to practice this down to the field (5 min walk), bareback in headcollars whilst wearing a dress- seemed sensible last night. Bear was annoying and ducking behind Bog so wasn’t feeling hopeful for the real thing this morning.

actually it worked great. Dropped him once where he span at a horse coming the other way (party trick of his that he hasn’t done since March) but tbh a longer rope and gloves and it wouldn’t have happened so lesson learned. He walked exactly where he should and no bickering. Actually bog pretended he wasn’t there! Went through some small hedge gaps and he dropped behind no prob. Thanks for the advice all!

That's the only way to do it! I ponied my young WB off my Haflinger for the first time, bareback and both in rope halters. Very low key and worked very well! My pony is great to pony off as she is relatively forward and steady. Can't pony her off my TB, TB is too slow and pony forges ahead regardless resulting in long arms Glad it worked out well for you!

 

[rara007]

You really need to get these 2 driving

 

[huskydamage]

I ride and lead mine once a week great time saver, I lead my 15.3 off my 14hh pony no problem. The pony is definitely more silly of the two but also easier to neck rein and ride one handed. I can't do it the other way round anyway as although my horse isn't fussy, pony throws a strop if she is the led horse and lags behind, tries to jog/spin and generally rips my arm out the socket!

 

[Michen]

You really need to get these 2 driving

Ha! I did try and get Bog to pull me in a tyre in the snow once... ?

 

[rara007]

Ha! I did try and get Bog to pull me in a tyre in the snow once... ?

1/2 way there then