That's it, We're definitely the local laughing stock

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Before you take a horse on to a road, you should

ensure all tack fits well and is in good condition
make sure you can control the horse.
Always ride with other, less nervous horses if you think that your horse will be nervous of traffic. Never ride a horse without both a saddle and bridle.

That's taken from the Highway Code.

After an unpleasant incident involving my horse jumping onto a car, I would have been in serious brown stuff had I been using a rope halter. Well over £2k worth of brown stuff actually.:eek: I was using a bridle, so my insurance company had no reason not to pay out. Phew!

I believe there is an insurance company who will cover 'natural horsemanship' (I hate that term!) people. Bitless, bareback and stuff.
 
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Same as Satan's little helper here...is it legal to ride on the road in a halter? It's illegal to ride bareback I think but not so sure about head gear.

Tbh, I'm not fussed about how people keep their horses, as long as the horse is happy! I certainly did enough things with my old pony that people were horrified by...such as riding her in a bridle with no cavrsson
 
SatansLittleHelper said:
Im not bothered if you ride in a rope halter but isnt it against the law on the roads..??
If you had/caused an accident wouldnt it invalidate your insurance..???
Im not trying to be funny...genuinely curious.
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It's not against the law and you can be insured, depends on the insurance. Mine states specifically that I am insured, even when my horse is wearing a rope halter.

Some people start young horses quite safely in rope halters, and it really is possible to have just as much control as in a bit. Just not very "British" maybe. I ride my Arab bitted and bitless, but my pony has always been bitless in a halter. To be honest, when I've really had a dodgy moment (pursued by small screaming children dragging a broom and yelling "Horsieeee!" I am a lot more comfortable in myself taking a strong 1-rein stop if he has a halter on his head, than if the contact is on a bit of metal in his mouth. That to me makes the difference between taking for control and causing pain to do it. Neither option being ideal, but needs must sometimes. As for swinging horses quickly around, there are plenty of people who can't manage that with a bit it, it's a matter of schooling, not headgear.

I'm not speaking for Op, I've not seen her ride, but I know it makes no difference to my control or safety if I'm using a bridle with a bit, a rope halter or a bosal. I do agree though on the point about judgy posts. Riding without a bit doesn't make someone superior, just different. And there are good and bad riders all over.

p.s. I've had public liability from NFU and SEI to ride bitless in the past. I really do think that if you think that a horse and rider who are properly trained bitless are any less safe than a bitted combination you probably just don't know much about the subject. :-)
 
The question has always been - what constitutes a bridle and a saddle......

There was uproar and mutterings of doom many years ago when treeless saddles became more popular.

Then uproar and more doom when bitless bridles became more popular.

AFAIK no one has yet been prosecuted for riding in either piece of tack?

You can buy a 'rope halter' from one seller and buy the same thing sold as a 'rope bridle' from another seller.......

An accident on the road can happen to a rider with a rope halter, the same as a rider with a pelham with draw reins......control of the horse is subjective to each case.

It's the freaking ROADS that aren't safe :p.
 
Is it illegal, or just a strict guideline? My friend had no saddle for her horse and she needed to move him. It was a couple of miles away from her field, so she didn't want to hire a trailer. So, she rode him and me and a few friends walked with her! We even past police and they said nothing.

OP, I've been a laughing stock a few times too :P my yard can be rather traditional, so riding in a red bridle is a bit 'shock horror!'
 
I think I might have seen you out on a hack!! If it was you, can I just say what a lovely, mannerly horse you have! :D

I would happily ride my ex racer out in a rope halter! I don't know why people think they're nutters, pretty much every ott-tb I've ridden has been a big dope! I've sat on scarier welsh section As!
 
ImmyS said:
and I am trying to say that I can do those things just as easily if not better in a rope halter.

Like I said in my OP i have nothing against people who hold a more traditional view of managing and owning horses. I don't think I'm above anything.. it was supposed to be a light hearted thread but as always someone has to draaaag it down.
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Hmmm, I thought it was intended as a light hearted thread too.
 
Actually I find most experienced horse people know that its not unusual for ex race TBs to live out, be chilled etc.
people riding in rope halters is becoming more the norm with the several types of natural horsemanship, I say whatever floats your boat. I wouldn't comment or be judgemental if it looks safe. However I find 'natural horsemanship' people tend to be judgemental of people who don't ride in rope halters, no bit, 'play' with the horse before riding etc....

A genuine question to the op is, if you need to put hoof boots on to ride why go barefoot in the first place? Not a criticism, a genuine scratch head moment!
 
MillyMoomie said:
Actually I find most experienced horse people know that its not unusual for ex race TBs to live out, be chilled etc.
people riding in rope halters is becoming more the norm with the several types of natural horsemanship, I say whatever floats your boat. I wouldn't comment or be judgemental if it looks safe. However I find 'natural horsemanship' people tend to be judgemental of people who don't ride in rope halters, no bit, 'play' with the horse before riding etc....

A genuine question to the op is, if you need to put hoof boots on to ride why go barefoot in the first place? Not a criticism, a genuine scratch head moment!
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Hoof boots (normally only used when ground is more challenging than normal or there is a sharp stony section) are used instead of shoeing cos when you get home the boots can come off and your horses hooves can be barefoot, allowing the frog to perform the function it is intented to, shock absorption and blood circulation in the hoof for all the time the boots are off. Shod horses never get that natural essential functioning of the frog cos it never touches the ground and shrivels.

Some barefoot peeps only use their boots for esp bad sections of endurance rides, and some never at all. But they are useful kit to maximise the horse comfort plus hoof health equation.
 
MillyMoomie said:
Actually I find most experienced horse people know that its not unusual for ex race TBs to live out, be chilled etc.
people riding in rope halters is becoming more the norm with the several types of natural horsemanship, I say whatever floats your boat. I wouldn't comment or be judgemental if it looks safe. However I find 'natural horsemanship' people tend to be judgemental of people who don't ride in rope halters, no bit, 'play' with the horse before riding etc....

A genuine question to the op is, if you need to put hoof boots on to ride why go barefoot in the first place? Not a criticism, a genuine scratch head moment!
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lachlanandmarcus has answered your barefoot/hoof boot question pretty well. I've taken my girl barefoot because she has bad feet that are deteriorating in shoes. She has only been barefoot 2 weeks hence the need for boots when ridden at the moment.
 
Whether traditionally tacked up, or in a rope halter, it is a well trained horse which makes a safe ride.

I suspect that riding in a rope halter can't be viewed as strictly illegal - just watch the cobs on the way to Appleby every year - plenty are ridden on the road bareback with traditional type rope halters right past the police who don't seem to mind; I suspect they'd be kept pretty busy if they did stop every horse ridden like that there!

My horse is barefoot, and there is a chap who lives in my village who stewards for a local show, he therefore knows everything about the breed that I ride and insists that my mare needs shoes. Even as we're trotting happily past his house, he can't get his head round the fact that the horse isn't crippled, and I must be being cruel making her go on the roads even though the evidence that she is fine is right in front of him.

If what a rider does with their horse works for them and both are safe, comfortable and happy I've no issues either way, I didn't view the OP as getting at 'traditionalists', simply pointing out the differences in how we all do things.
 
OP I'd just have a quick check with your insurance provider (specifically third pary liability) to ensure you are covered with a rope halter - get something in writing. You don;t want to find out after an accident that they don't consider it legal. I'm sure the police have bigger and better things to deal with !
 
touchstone said:
Whether traditionally tacked up, or in a rope halter, it is a well trained horse which makes a safe ride.

I suspect that riding in a rope halter can't be viewed as strictly illegal - just watch the cobs on the way to Appleby every year - plenty are ridden on the road bareback with traditional type rope halters right past the police who don't seem to mind; I suspect they'd be kept pretty busy if they did stop every horse ridden like that there!

My horse is barefoot, and there is a chap who lives in my village who stewards for a local show, he therefore knows everything about the breed that I ride and insists that my mare needs shoes. Even as we're trotting happily past his house, he can't get his head round the fact that the horse isn't crippled, and I must be being cruel making her go on the roads even though the evidence that she is fine is right in front of him.

If what a rider does with their horse works for them and both are safe, comfortable and happy I've no issues either way, I didn't view the OP as getting at 'traditionalists', simply pointing out the differences in how we all do things.
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i know every horse is different but I don't understand that some people absolutely insist on horses needing shoes when they are patently sound and happy without. I know a girl who bought a pony who came to her barefoot and sound, welshie type, farrier came and said that the pony had extremely sensitive feet and must be shod at all times, so on went 4 shoes for no real reason, shame really.
 
Polos Mum said:
OP I'd just have a quick check with your insurance provider (specifically third pary liability) to ensure you are covered with a rope halter - get something in writing. You don;t want to find out after an accident that they don't consider it legal. I'm sure the police have bigger and better things to deal with !
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thanks, will do. generally I use a dr cooks bridle if on the roads and will just use her rope halter for bridle path hacks because of insurance issues etc..
 
Now I wouldn't think it out of the ordinary to be riding bareback with a headcollar and without shoes.
Isn't that how we all used to ride our ponies years ago ?
Perhaps the difference now is that with the various NH schools of training, specialist equipment and training video's, people think they're doing something new.

Like many people, I can ride my lot bareback and biteless and also with a saddle and a bit. Some of mine have never been shod, but I don't recall anyone ever noticing or commenting. Perhaps they would if we used orange hoof boots, but we don't, as they're quite a new concept.

But, even then, people have made leather boots for ponies and sacking on horses hooves on icy roads for years. Nothing with horses is new, it's all been done before without the price tag.

Sometimes there's a bit of inverted snobbery with NH.
 
Hear hear horserider!

I ride in hoof boots and recently went out with a new person, an hour in when she looked over her shoulder because she thought she'd got too far ahead she was surprised to see me trotting quietly behind her. It was only then that she realised my horse was bare and booted and she was interested not negative.

In fact the only negative comment I have had about my hoof boots was my totally non-horsey mum who laughed at the "orthopaedic shoes" and askdd if the other horses would make fun of my horse :rolleyes:

I have had a few comments about my westropp knee brushing boots, but not really negative just small children (and my mum) asking why the horse is wearing shin pads.

I do hate this inverted snobbery that goes with NH though. As though people who don't do it are something akin to creationists or believe the earth is flat. I don't have a long line or rope halter, I don't feel the need to spend £££ on extra gear when I can happily and safely do everything I want and need to with a snaffle bridle or a headcollar and lead rope. It doesn't make me a dinosaur.
 
How times have changed. When I was in college I used to collect the local riding school ponies from their distant mid week grazing. I rode one, bridled but bareback and led upto four others all in headcollars. It was miles and one long section was beside a busy dual carriageway. No one batted an eyelid.

Re the rope head collar - I agree a well trained horse with nothing on their heads is just as manoeuvreable as a bitted one if the rider is also well trained. I've had two horses that could be easily guided just through weight and they were largely self taught.
 
Some posters must live in some strange places with odd neighbours.

Here we have a lot of people with small pockets of their own land and a few small/mid-sized DIY livery yards, out hacking we often meet; a cob being driven in a home-built traditional gypsy caravan, Standard-bred trotters being driven, Standard-bred ridden stallion, children on ponies, teenagers on ex-racers, adults on natives, hunters, cobs, sjers, eventers, Trec-ers, edurance riders. The only ones I ever comment on, to my companions, are the riders without hats and over/underweight hores/ponies and very well-ridden/well-behaved animals.

We have had comments from non-mounted passers-by on 'nice socks' (hi-viz boots) and my beautiful and very noticeable Draft horse, who is also commented upon by the drivers.
Most people just mind their own business.
 
I've looked a bit wierd riding out for years. I've only ever had one negative comment from another rider, to tell me that I wasn't insured. I was able to assure her that I was. I've had people pause to chat and ask about my tack, but not really in a negative way, and I like chatting. :-)
 
I dont practice NH in anyform, have seen enough 'demos' to be put off personally but as long as your not impacting me with it im a live and let live kinda person, doesnt bother me what others do as long as no harm comes to them others or the horse with their methods :)

However I will say that no matter what people say about riding in rope halters on a road i think its reckless no matter how chilled or well trained your horse, $h!t£ happens and your riding an animal will a perfect flight response.
 
Black Beastie said:
However I will say that no matter what people say about riding in rope halters on a road i think its reckless no matter how chilled or well trained your horse, $h!t£ happens and your riding an animal will a perfect flight response.
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True, but when that perfect flight response kicks in then a bit probably won't be much help in stopping them either. Some horses including mine are very sensitive to nose pressure, and while I always ride mine bitted I'm not sure that the control afforded by a bit is any more or less effective than a correctly used halter, especially with a horse that resists bits.

I'm not an N/H person either, but my grandad who was tiny and stick thin always managed his young huge working cobs in just a halter on the roads when moving them to new fields or even walking them to sales. My other grandad managed to walk a huge horse through the local towns market place for a bet with no halter at all.
 
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