Ride & Lead

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Tern

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Whats your view on this? Gonna have to start with mine although will mainly be on bridle paths but when they move back home it will be on the road, your views on it and if you do it, then do you do with reins or leadrope on other horse - My hunt down the road does it with leadropes :)
 
When working my friends hunters we used to go out on the road (very quiet village) and wed have the one in leadrope.
 
I usually use a bridle but will use a micklem bridle without a bit it say a horse is well behaved and has a sore mouth .
I would never lead a young horse or one inexperianced at being out and about without a bridle .
I thread the rein on the near side though the bit on the offside this makes it more comfortable .
I usually teach then with a second person on a horse to assist if the lead horse stops they get the hang of it easily .
We ride and lead most days .
 
To start off with, a very long lead line off a bit with coupling for me. I have very busy roads around here, and outdoor pigs, so you never know when things might go pearshaped. I'd rather be able to play out a frightened horse than lose one. Mine all progress to canter work on the stubble, but you do need a dependable lead horse!
 
Tern said:
My village is quiet but roads very narrow so worried about oncoming cars especially with unpredictable mare with lorries, she's scarred stiff :(
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If your mare is unpredictable and scared stiff of lorries then maybe you should reconsider whether its a good idea to be riding and leading until these issues have been sorted?
 
I do a lot of 'ride and lead' in the winter and is a really good time saver.

I ride the sensible one and lead the youngster, theory being that sensible one will hold his ground and stay steady if I have any problems with the other.

I ride and lead mainly on quiet country lanes but if conditions are good will venture onto open common land, but keep them at walk in case any competition kicks in! On the lanes I do mainly walk and trot and an occasional short canter if no one is looking.....!

I have lead the youngster in a bridle, but find he is actually better in his dually control halter, with the lead horse on the inside of the ridden one.
 
I ride and lead about once a week with my two. It is a real time-saver and means that they both get to go out for a longer, more demanding hack, than a shorter one each. I ride the youngster and lead the more dependable one, as I have more control of her when ridden. They are generally both pretty good, but the youngster occasionally plants herself if she sees something she doesn't like, which is frustrating. The people on the yard thought I was mad but we did it all the time when I worked on a hunt yard, and on a polo yard I worked on we led several at a time (on the grounds). It's quite good where I am as not many roads, and can get straight out on the downs/ridgeway, so just a few dogwalkers, runners and riders. I wouldn't like to do it if there's much traffic around though. Even if your horse is good, drivers aren't always that considerate. Saying that, a lot of people seem to ride and lead around where I live, and you spot them pretty quickly from the car. I would lead one in a bridle, with coupling or with rope threaded. I use a leadrope. Some people like a longer rope for more security, but I think it's safer with a shorter one (not so likely to get tangled) - good luck!

I also practiced for a few minutes in the school before I took mine out, which was useful. The one being led (although generally forward in hand) took a little while to get used to the idea.
 
I think its great, done it plenty of times! Most fun is galloping up a grass hill whilst leading and trying to stop at the top!!! We use only headcollars but they are polo ponies so well used to it! If i do it with my own i use a bridle mainly because they arent so used to it and i stick to roads! Just make sure you get the combination of horses right!!!
 
i do loads in the winter. but i do it off my boy who is very reliable. my mare i lead is a little spooky at times, but quite relaxed with my boy as they are good friends. i don't do much road work. i always put a bridle on her, and thread a lead rope threw. only trouble i have had it when my mare suddenly stops for a poo and my boy continues walking! would only do with a safe horse to lead off, as then you can concentrate on the horse you are leading if they do misbehave. if i trot, i hold his reigns with just one hand so i can hold her at the right distance and stop her over taking. i will even canter with my two together.
 
I used to work at a polo yard where I would ride one and lead two in a headcollar. Some people can lead more! But they are trained to do this at a very young age.

Definitely take the lead horse out in a bridle, and make sure you have a safe dependable horse to lead from.

The one I lead off at the moment tends to plant himself when he spies a dog miles away and then has a napping fit every so often. It usually ends in a complete muddle!! Thankfully my horse leads very well and stays calm when this is all going on.

It is also important to boot up both horses all round. With overreach boots on the lead horse.
 
Ihave used Ride and Lead for years. Sensible old horses on head collar. With youngsters I use a bridle. It is useful for exercise and for de-spooking youngsters.

For really young horses I like to have a walker too. This walker had a camera handy.

The bay is my 35 year old gelding, the grey a 3 year old Shagya filly on her second road walk. She coped with scarey cows and the farm yard along the road. Good girl.

image_zps7bf1aecd.jpg


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Tiddlypom said:
Sorry, if you have narrow roads I would not ride and lead at all, and definitely not with a traffic shy horse.
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They are moving so no narrow roads anymore :) Infact very wide roads now, I have a 26yro who is 100 in traffic it's just the 7yro who's unpredictable but older one is 13.3hh and younger is 15.00hh :/
 
Tern said:
They are moving so no narrow roads anymore :) Infact very wide roads now, I have a 26yro who is 100 in traffic it's just the 7yro who's unpredictable but older one is 13.3hh and younger is 15.00hh :/
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Oh that's nothing! Try riding a small 15.3 and leading a very large 17.3!!!! We do get some very odd looks! The roads are 60mph ones, with Arctics on them (even met our first cement mixer on them!) We also have cows, sheep and 400+ pigs! However the 15.3 is very dependable, I utter trust him that if in a bad situation I needed to drop my reins he would know exactly what to to help get everything back under control! The 17.3 can be a little silly, but getting better! And when put in a situation where common sense is needed I know I can trust her to use hers!

I always go out in full hi vis - spats round the legs, sheet on 1/4's, neck band, and i have on a jacket. We look like London from space, but are very very visible!

I always have a bridle on the one I lead. I put on a lunge line and through the bit ring on the right and clip it to the one on the left. I do this as the large one can stop, go backwards and rear.....if she does any of this with the lunge line like this it pulls very tight and she thinks twice about doing it! Basically pressure and release!

Both picked it up very quickly and we can do all sorts together now e.g. Gates!
I am very disciplined over their manners when out.... I can get off, leave them together and they will stand there without me near them.....

It is incredibly fun though!!!
 
amymay said:
How is it going to work then??
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Look above, I think you'll find it will work.


To be honest she's not THAT bad she just needs a little tug and reassurance and she may go past it :) But she's getting better!! hadn't been out her home for 3 years as a riding school pony - Not been on the roads and only had her for 7months :)
 
I ride my 15.2 3 year old mare and can lead a recently cut 4 yr old Shetland from her, she's done it since newly broken, have even led a traffic shy Shetland off of her , she just anchors if we need to, she is 100% bombproof and I trust her entirely, I can drop reins etc and know she will get us out of trouble :) doing this means that when my daughter is older and riding more we can go out together, her Shetland is totally traffic roof, can cross roads together will wait for me to mount etc, knows when to go I to single file rather than side by side and want come past my knee or my mare bites his face :)
 
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