Ride/lead question

How many hours sleep do you get each night?

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_daisy_

_daisy_

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After my last post, ive got a quesion for you all.

Why do you all think its safer to lead in a bridle? ive always lead my horse in a halter and 12ft rope. She hates being lead in her bridle. She is always in control, plus i find it easier if Have to go down narrow tracks I have more length of rope to let them walk behind without pulling me off.
 
I think that in a situation where a horse spooked (and lets face it, there is no such thing as a bombproof horse!) you would have more control if the horse was in a bridle. I lead off a long rope too but have this attached to the bit and bridle.
Why does she hate being led in her bridle? Presumably if she is normally ridden in a bridle and doesn't pull when being led, it shouldn't cause that much upset?
 
I would but a bridle on but use a long rope, not the reins. And put the rope through one ring of the bit and attach to the other ring. You have more control this way. But if your in control anyway, it's up to you what you use.
 
Depends on the horse, to be honest. I tend to lead most of my unbroken ones in a halter but sometimes in a bridle. Doesn't make much difference to my lot as they are all so quiet and non-spooky. I always use my leather 8ft lead shank though. The horse I lead from is my best guy and they all know, and love, their "Uncle" Jet very well indeed.
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As the others have mentioned, I ride lead in a bridle and put a long rope on to use instead of the reins. I would never lead on the roads in a head collar as if anything goes wrong you have very little control. When I worked as a polo groom I would ride one and lead up to 5 other polo ponies in canter on the practise pitch, but I always had every pony in a work bridle with a lead rope and very rarely lost one!
 
I think if you were on a public road/place and only in a headcollar, then your (or anyone else's) insurance company would be thinking that you hadn't taken adequate care and protection so would have an easy loophole to not pay out or protect you.
Not only that, it is very foolhardy to put others at risk even if you don't mind doing that with your mare and yourself.
It is the same principle as wearing a hat and hi-viz; you should always take the greatest care and only using a headcollar is not; it's damn irresponsible no matter how foolproof you think your horse is, there's always something that could happen and it might not be just you that's hurt.
 
i usually ride and lead in a controller halter with a 15' long parelli rope. this has saved me losing my led horse a number of times. however, i believe it is actually the law to ride and lead with led horse in a bridle, for control.
i find led horses hate being in a bridle, if they lag behind the bit can rotate in their mouth which stops them dead occasionally... i much prefer to have them in a controller halter, best of both worlds, no mouth pressure at all.
 
I always lead in a headcollar (western rope, like a parelli but not as expensive!) I have one you can't even walk forward in a bridle from the ground as it rears, in a headcollar it's fine. I thinks it depends on the horse, we don't have one that has not been brought up without total respect for a headcollar and that doesn't not respond to the slightest of pressure. At least if I accidently drop a rope when out on lead exercise the horse wont hurt it's mouth by treading on the rope. Imagine the damage that bit can do to a horses mouth if it treads on the leadrope clipped to its bit, to me that doesn't bear thinking about. At the end of the day if you are not confident enough to never let go of your lead horse and/or can't hold it and keep it under control, you shouldn't be taking it out on lead exercise.
 
Hmm, hadnt thought of bit rotating Kerilli. But I tend to put the long rope through one side of her bit, then under her chin and through the other, before clipping it back to itself, so not sure how it could make it rotate? My two are so far being very good to ride and lead, mare stays with her head level with my knee in walk and trot - haven't braved canter yet!!
Believe the comments on insurance are correct though, I have heard that before.
 
For me having been trained in law I always have the legal implications on my mind- and seeing that horses are easier to control with a bridle - *should* anything ever happen and I was leading in a headcollar and the horse injured someone/something they may have more ammunition for a clain against me. Also i Have always been tought that the line should never be too long...
 
Roads very quiet round me, and some tracks where cars aren't even allowed!!! Always just stick headcollar and lead rope on, as thats how they have all been taught. Have lost some many times, but they always go straight to the verge to eat!!! Have let go of Flynn many times on purpose when riding Tights: once he wouldn't go past some cows so sent Flynn of and chucked rope round his neck and then Tights would follow!!!! This was very close to home and Flynn does what he wants most of the time anyway (hes a free range horsey!)
 
thanks guys for all your replies. Im very lucky where I am as there is lots and lots of off road hacking where I am. The roads are also fairly quiet - odd idiot about but not that many. my mare is actually better on the roads when being led - probably its like a security blanket for her.
totally agree with what Kerilli has to say. My mare doesnt rear however if she does get too much pressure she does stop dead, risking dragging me of my ride mare backwards. The halters I lead them in are very similar to the parelli ones
 
I am like many others, I use a bridle, but with a long rope, passed through one side of the bit and attached to the other side - you just never know when you might need that extra bit of control!
 
To ride and lead on the roads I use a rope halter with a long rope, but the led horse also wears a simple snaffle bridle with another long rope attached - this rope is kept totally slack, but it covers me for insurance purposes!
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