Ride & Lead - which way round?

[lizziebell]

If the horses have different speeds, which do you ride - the slower or the faster, or as a friend of mine does, she leads the one she would feel happiest about letting go of in an emergency !

Just deliberating as I have new horsey who walks out a lot quicker than the other.

 

[Sparkles]

Depends, if it's a fitness thing, I'll ride the faster one and keep the other jogging or trotting to keep up.

Normally...I'd probably ride the slower one and keep it forwards, as there's nothing worse than leading a horse which lags behind I find!

 

[pinklilly]

I normally find it easier to ride the slower, it's awful when the lead horse won't keep up. Been a hunt groom so I have done plenty ride and lead!

 

[tinkandlily]

I'd proberly ride the one you feel most safe on, if anything spooked them you need to be able to stay safe one handed. i.e if one rears when spooked then ride the other one. at least if the other one bolts the one your leading will follow.

 

[sonjafoers]

I agree with pinklilly & would ride the slower. However you may find the 'competition' of riding & leading actually speeds the slower one up. My two used to think it was a game in the early days & thought it was a great opportunity to race each other

 

[MontyandZoom]

Zoom is a super fast ex-polo pony and Monty was a very lazy 25year old man. I would always ride Monty since i found that Zoom would just chill out beside.

The one time I rode Zoom and led Monty it was a disaster, leading a horse that won't move faster than a shuffle is like being on a rack!