Riding and leading or 'BOGOF' as I call it! *photo*

[Chloe_GHE]

Inspired by my polo playing days I decided to ride and lead today to get both Jack and Soap hacked out, and I forgot how fun it was!

Both neddies were very good with just one crocodile moment from Jack (he will be wearing a flash next time!) when he decided it might be quite fun to pretend to bite Soap every other stride, he's such a charmer!

They soon settled and it was fab, so I was just wondering if anyone else rides and leads their eventers?... I am quite used to it as it was common practise in polo, and also at the hunt yard I used to help out at, but you don't see so much of it elsewhere.....

It also occured to me whilst we were out that I was sitting on 'BUY ONE' and leading 'GET ONE FREE'

Pic of the terrible twosome on my blog here

Currently Jack is just led in a bridle with a length of chord looped between his bit rings, and a lead rope clipped to that, but if anyone has any inside knowledge about better set up/gear to use that would be great as a lead rope and reins is a bit of a handful, but it's the only way I have ever done it...

The end of a Toblerone, a cup of Lady Grey, and in about 20mins pasta, and meatballs if you get this far!

 

[SonnysHumanSlave]

Its good fun, i do this with my two, and even have daughter on board the one being towed now! Saves my legs lots of walking! lol

Her pony does bite my feet every now and then though lol!!

They look really happy in the pic though, must be nice for them to do something different every now and then.

 

[MandyMoo]

i ride and lead mine if i dont have time to ride all 3 seperatley

i usually take them for a nice fast trot around the roads/country lanes because the woodland bridle paths are a bit narrow/hilly for riding and leading...so i stick to the roads

however i can only pair monty and dani up...and i have to ride dani and lead monty...because if i lead dani he is SO SLOW lol, but ridden he is livley...and monty is just a star to lead...bugsy cant be ridden or lead because i need both hands on his reins to keep in control

haha...so he gets ridden on his own..

i do agree riding and leading is great fun...and a good time saver if you dont have time to exercises 2 seperatley

xxx

 

[MandyMoo]

oh, forgot to add... the horse i lead is usually just in a bridle...reins removed (safety obviously) with a lead rein through one bit ring and clipped to the other...and i always lead them on my left hand side (road safety rules and all that

)

xxx

 

[Chloe_GHE]

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They look really happy in the pic though, must be nice for them to do something different every now and then.

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I think they are concentrating on each other so pay less attention to phantom ghosts, and goolies that might be lurking in the bushes about to get them!

 

[lucemoose]

i ride and lead my two- WT and C!! they are ever so fun and its good for them for hacking so they dont have to hack on their own.
I cant help as one is led in a chain halter with thick weaver long line rope and the ridden one has draw reins 2!

 

[Chloe_GHE]

Yeah I don't think riding and Jack and leading Soap would be quite as easy, Soap is very cheeky, and would probubly take advantage!

 

[Kelpie]

yup, I'm a big fan of riding and leading..... my eventer leads my 3yo arround lots on hacks now, to get him used to traffic, etc (my ridden horse is suitably solid to do this and also the 3yo was first taken out in hand/ built up to this gradually). I think it's an absolutely super way to get a youngster out and about, and also great for fittening BOGOF style

...... I will even gallop both of mine across the farm together and do small xc jumps + water with them both

(great way to teach a youngster about water, I reckon!)

 

[monkeybum13]

When I was on lead rein my mum used to ride a friend's horse and lead me. It meant that we could do much longer canters and generally ride for longer.
Your two look very happy in the pics!

 

[Clodagh]

Kelpie, I do the same, I canter and do hunt jumps and all sorts. I have been known to let go of led one but I only push my luck when I'm on the farm. Cantering them both is great, like being in the King's Troop!!

Its a great way to get youngsters out seeing life too, as you say.

 

[Kelpie]

LOL, glad I'm not the only one that does that stuff, most people give me wierd looks out galloping with one in tow from another horse...... and if I'm really naughty I'll sometimes actually let them race - tho not too often and only at a safe venue

 

[tashpritty]

where i work we ride and lead, their driving horses and only do road work, so we ride and lead them round the roads, its a quick and easy way to get 4-6 out at once!

this is on a commericial driving yard

 

[MerryMAL]

I do do it, but I'm so hideously un-coordinated it's quite hard :\

 

[dingle12]

[ QUOTE ]
yup, I'm a big fan of riding and leading..... my eventer leads my 3yo arround lots on hacks now, to get him used to traffic, etc (my ridden horse is suitably solid to do this and also the 3yo was first taken out in hand/ built up to this gradually). I think it's an absolutely super way to get a youngster out and about, and also great for fittening BOGOF style

...... I will even gallop both of mine across the farm together and do small xc jumps + water with them both

(great way to teach a youngster about water, I reckon!)

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That sound so dangerous galloping and even jumping its an accident waiting to happen to you and your horses. Sorry.

We ride and lead our eventers but they never go out of trot or walk.

 

[chester1234]

I ride and lead my lot, and often the 14.1 is the biggest pain in the ar*e as even with a grackle that is done fairly tight he still thinks it's a good idea to bite P and T. P puts up with it, T gives him what for back.

I use a showing chain [like you see clipped on to the bits of first riddens and lead reins ] and either a thin lead rope or a leather lead [like you see on the first riddens and lead reins...can you tell I used to show and I dug it all out?!] Works really well, and if you use a leather lead it's like riding on two reins really, can't tell much difference.

ETA that this is two 16.3's and a 14.1, will usually lead 14.1 and ride one of 16.3's, but P will lead as well [with T in draw reins as per usual.] All happy to walk, trot, and canter together, inc 14.1 which has raced. I event them all.

 

[vic07]

I sometimes do this. Its fun!

I use a set of draw reins, as I've found it harder to drop them and they are slim in your hands! If using a lead rope I tie a knot in the end.

 

[Kelpie]

but Dingle, surely everything is relative. So if someone doesn't ride & lead at all, they'll probably think doing so is dangerous...... however, for you, you're comfortable doing that at walk and trot, which is fine. I just happen to be comfortable doing it at faster paces also.

Bear in mind also that the horses I do it with are well trained and know their job while doing it. Also, if I do any jumps together, they're only small and it would only ever be in an area where if something went pear shaped I could let go and the horse that was led would be safe and in an enclosed area - thus, no more unsafe then eventing itself where you might fall off and your horse be left on its own.

 

[Fanatical]

Ride an lead is very useful when lots of horses to exercise and little time. I've worked in many event yards and so have expereince of doing ride and lead but only ever with the hunters...I was sent out once with the lead horse just in a headcollar and leadrope - think I was too shocked/ young to say anything but it wasn't the best feeling!

All I would say is that you should always have the lead horse in your left hand (closest to the verge) for safety reasons as you (hopefully!) have more control over the ridden horse should he want to swing his quarters out into the traffic or anything.

 

[Chloe_GHE]

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All I would say is that you should always have the lead horse in your left hand (closest to the verge) for safety reasons as you (hopefully!) have more control over the ridden horse should he want to swing his quarters out into the traffic or anything.

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Yes good tip for if I venture onto the highways, we don't have much roadwork round here most hacking is on the farm so traffic consists of pheasents, annd farmers!

 

[MillbrookSong]

I havnt done it for ages but when i has younger i used to do a bit of helping out for our local hunt and got quite good and riding and leading at speed!

 

[tashpritty]

Eeek i wouldn't recommend galloping whilst riding and leading. we only walk and trot. but then again we only go on the roads

 

[Thistle]

now we have moved the house is at the junction of 3 wide track bridleways. The horses go out ride and lead all the time (they did before on the roads too)

We also used to hunt with a small pony and rider being led.

 

[alwaysbroke]

QR OH does this quite often with his lot, the best is when he leads our 6 yr old son on his 11hh pony from a 17hher, poor pony has to trot most of the time, but son loves it and keeps up even on the longest hack. Makes me wonder if anyone else has an "event fit" section A!

 

[Vickijay]

Do it all the time too, only in walk and trot out though, but will have a canter on the farm, if horses feel level headed enough!

 

[Lolo]

We used it to make a little pony canter- point blank refusal- I went everywhere at a stonking trot with pony on the lead rein on the verge ith sister kicking madly- it worked beautifully, although we didn't tell the owners about the rapid 'coming round'! We were only young though so wasn't too horrendous!

 

[kerilli]

i used to do it a lot. best way i found was pair of reins on led horse over head as if ridden, and then a long leadrope clipped to the end of them, draped across my lap and hanging down rhs of ridden horse. i hold the normal reins but if anything dramatic happens i have an extra 8' of rope before i have to let go.... never lost 1 like this!
i'm another who wouldn't canter/gallop or jump riding and leading either. tried it once years ago (with my 2 eventers, both well trained, similar size and stride length) and they both got ridiculously excited and tried to race, i had the devil's own job to pull them up. it would have been nice to take them up the gallops together but sanity won...!
btw, if you have a horse who has 'tied up' in the past, leading them is contra-indicated, no idea why, was told it by a vet...

 

[Chloe_GHE]

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btw, if you have a horse who has 'tied up' in the past, leading them is contra-indicated, no idea why, was told it by a vet...

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huh?.... please explain that's a big word for my little brain

ETS just looked it up that's very wierd I can't see the logic there.....wonder if someone more veterinary minded might know...

 

[kerilli]

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btw, if you have a horse who has 'tied up' in the past, leading them is contra-indicated, no idea why, was told it by a vet...

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huh?.... please explain that's a big word for my little brain

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oops, sorry... it's not a great idea, can cause them to tie-up again, apparently, so best avoided.

 

[Chloe_GHE]

afaik Jack has never had Azoturia, and Soap has only had one slight episode of tying up due to a virus. I'm really scratching my head and cannot work out how it could be bad.....surely it's very similar to them just trotting/walking about the field loose?..... may have to investigate this further....

 

[kerilli]

no idea why, i did question the vet about it. he said that they've done a lot of studies and apparently horses that are led (and those that go on horsewalkers) are more prone to it, so it's worth avoiding if you have a horse that has had an attack.
seems bizarre to me, i would have thought that the horse would move more freely without saddle and rider on... most odd.
this was quite a few years ago though, a new study might have found the opposite i guess...!