Riding & Leading, tips for best results please.

[legaldancer]

As I don't always have time to ride both my horses & one can be naughty to hack out alone, I thought I would ride & lead, although I haven't a great deal of experience with this.
Both are TB's but both relatively quiet. I regularly lead my son on his pony from one, & have lead it unmounted too.
I will put a bridle on the lead horse too, but have heard its best to lead the unmounted horse on the left, ie away from traffic. I can see this makes sense, although I find it easier to use my right arm. Neither horse is particularly stronger than the other.
Can anyone give me any tips to do this successfully please, planning to get out there later today.

 

[Rana]

I think you have the basics there

Definitely use a bridle, and I would use a long leadrope rather than reins. Keep your lead horse away from traffic. Keep your leadrope short - and definitely don't let it slip under your foot! Ideally you want your lead horse to walk with its head by your ride horses shoulder, so they don't nip each other.

I'd advise practicing in an enclosed area first (school or field), to make sure the horses will both be sensible about it (ie not race each other!). Make sure your ride horse is used to being ridden with one hand on the reins and you can turn with your legs.

Have fun

 

[oofadoofa]

Yes, definitely best to lead in a bridle and make sure the lead horse is on the left. I always use a lead rope attached through the bit rather than reins and I normally manage to hold the lead rope and the reins of the horse I'm riding with both hands (if you see what I mean) rather than riding with one hand and leading with the other.

 

[Woody78]

Definitely a bridle and a long lead rope on the horse being led. I found that it was quite easy to have the lead rope feeding through both hands and the reins of the ridden horse in both hands too! It sounds a bit odd but is easier than it sounds!

Do have a good practice first though, with transitions etc just to be on the safe side.

I found it quite fun and used to do it every day with the girls' hunting ponies when they were at school.

 

[pgwynnc99c2]

Left is by far the safest using the horse you are riding as a body block to stop the lead swinging into the road. Also wear gloves. Ride the spookier of the two because you have relatively more control. and if you have one/ can find one use a half length lunge line or really long leadrope so you don't have to lean out of the saddle if you have to put the horses single file. Also make sure the lead horses head doesnt get infront of your horses shoulder or it might turn into a race. And depending how you feel about it over-reach boots allround especially on the lead horse if you are trotting. even though you look like a nube with over-rech boots on the back.
I know loads of people will probably come on and say its dangerous but I've been doing it on the roads for as long as I can remember and never had a problem.
(and sprung gates take some practice if you don't want to get off) Enjoy!

 

[Doormouse]

Never wrap the lead rope around your hand in case the led horse stops very suddenly (which can happen). It is really better to let go than end up with a broken finger! I ride and lead down a main road everyday (no choice) and even with quite sharp horses I don't have a problem. I think in a way the fact that there are 2 of them means they give each other confidence.

 

[AmyMay]

You must have the lead horse on the left. And I would use reins rather than a lead rope off the bridle as it gives you more control.

Agree that the sharper or spookier horse should probably be the one to be ridden - failing that that bigger of the two horses.

 

[Lolo]

i do this with my daughters horses (in my role of unpaid groom) and really like the fact you can get both excercised at the same time

my 'top-tip' would be to use a snaffle bridle on the led horse. i then have a pelham rounding on the bit and clip the lead rope to the rounding.

also try to use a long 'flat' lead rope so its not so bulky in your hand if you are holding reins and lead rope in one hand

enjoy!

 

[kerilli]

i clip a leadrope to the reins of the led horse and have the rope looped across front of saddle and hanging down right hand side of ridden horse, under my right knee.
just occasionally led horse will stop dead, ridden horse will carry on, or there's a bit of high jinks or something, and this extra 8' of play has meant the difference between letting go, and not.
it's easy tbh, just make sure led horse does not get ahead of you, i like to keep its head by my knee or ridden horse's shoulder, no further ahead (cos they can cross in front and get you in a right pickle!) if it lags behind, a bit of a poke in the ribs with the toe of your left foot works well... otherwise it might tread on the ridden horse's heels.

 

[stencilface]

Pick horses that are evenly matched, I tried leading a energetic TB (who needed the unridden road work to get him back to fitness) off a very lazy pony and it was not fun!

 

[Tnavas]

I've always ridden and lead with the lead horse on my left. Lead horse wearing a bridle with the far rein threadded through the bit ring - means you have some more degree of control.

At one hunting yard I worked at had them all so sorted that I would ride one and lead two - one on each side. Not recommended in general - however they were all so well behaved and the roads were very quiet.

It was a great way to give them the quantity of work they needed in the time I had. Work three each day and one having day off - I had four to look after. These guys were so good that I could even canter all three together - no racing just lovely good boys!

 

[GermanyJo]

all of the above - if you have not done this before and you have the opportunity, it is useful to go out the first time with a second person so that they can ride behind you .. gives a bit of help if you do start getting into difficulties

If you think the lead horse may be a bit awkward I have found using a bridle with a half length lunge line attached to the left bit ring - over the horses poll and then through the right hand bit ring gives you a bit more control if you need it .

 

[legaldancer]

Well folks, I read all your answers & digested them & yay! I did it!

I put boots on both & an overreach boot on near hind of my riding horse, found my longest rope which I used with a coupling & set off round the field, but forgot my gloves.
All was well, so we ventured off on our shortest route which is half roads & half tracks. My main problem was hauling the very lazy (ex race horse) along behind me as he wouldn't keep up in walk, but did in trot. I was worried that he would clip the ridden horse's heels, so I was pleased I'd stuck the overreach boot on. (Thanks Miss Pitstop

)
Lazy horse is usually ridden in spurs & barely got up front enough to poke in the ribs with my left toe! Which meant that it wasn't easy to hold rope & reins together as I kept having to pull him along with my left hand.

I'm pleased to have given it a shot with this combo as it will help enormously timewise, especially in the winter. However, it wasn't the best day to have chosen as the village has had a change to bin day & as well as wheelie bins, every house had a transparent bag of recycling too outside their gates! Ridden horse was a pit of a pratt, but lazy one told him it was ok!

 

[Tnavas]

Well done. Next time take a schooling whip with you and reach behind and give lazy boy a tap on the butt! Nothing worse than having your arm hauled out of it's socket trying to get the lead horse to keep up.

I usually hold it in my right hand until needed then quietly swap reins and stick over to use it.