Walking youngsters out in hand.

[Welshie Squisher]

Another youngster question

Who walks their youngsters out in hand?
I do with mine.
I do so in her bridle, I wear a riding hat, gloves and use an extra long and very strong lead rope.
She's quite happy if in the company of my other pony, but can still have the odd moment.

I am trying to let her see some of the wold prior to being properly backed in spring.

I do get a little worried at times, over control.

What do the rest of you do? Do you stick to the security of an arena? If getting out and about, any tips in being safe and in control?

Thanks

 

[MrVelvet]

I go everywhere with my boy I started his walks in a headcollar and will work up to longreining him round when we are better at it . It's a great idea to get them out and about seeing things.

eta - He's also booted up, on a lunge line and I carry a whip

 

[Mare Stare]

I walk my boy out in hand, minus hat though. It's never actually occured to me to wear a hat. I guess I should but he's very quiet and laidback.

I'm normally accompanied by my daughter on her pony. We only go on the road for a little bit before walking up a farm track. He's already met tractors, quad bikes, trailers, sheep, sheepdogs and cars. Nothing has phased him so far.

Oh and he's been to the pub with me. Lol.

I use a 12ft long leadrope so if he does take off I'm less likely to lose the rope. I also use a rope halter which I find gives me more control than a headcollar. I wear Hi vis too as does my daughter.

 

[Shavings]

my friend us to follow me leading her young one in hand wile i rode my cob, my cob never looked at any thing so the baby learnt nothing was scary, and if he did get scared i just turned round and came behind him (in safe distance) and we just told him its alright be brave and he would carry on. if your going to do this would say wear a hi viz with some thing like (young horse pass wide and slow)
best of luck with your little one

do thing its a good idea to get them out about and even to a show or two, even if you aint showing just so they can chill and see what is going on, less of a suprize then

 

[BeanyG]

I lead mine out in a bridle with a head collar on top as I dont like to be holding onto his mouth to much but obviously like the security that I can take the reins should I need to,
As for safety I put a hi-viz yellow exercise sheet on him under a roller when we are venturing out on the road and I always make sue I've got appropriate footwear with a really good grip should he have a silly moment, although this is unusual as he walks round like a dog,
I used to use a lunge line when we first started walking out although I now use an extra long lead rope as was getting myself tangled in the lunge line :s
N&F

 

[Welshie Squisher]

Good to see that many do the same.
We haven't got to roaads yet, just farm tracks, around fields etc.
I think she will be super with traffic, 15 months on a busy working farm has led to her not reacting at all to the biggest and noisiest of vehicles.
My daughter rides our other pony when I walk her out, and I feel roads is too much to expect of her. If there is an outburst or a fright, I know she can hold her own on a track or in a field whilst I deal with the other.

 

[Shavings]

welshie just take things at your own time, as you say she is on a busy farm seeing lots of things, dont take her on the road til you feel ready your self, as if you are scared she may be fearful her self, but good on you walking her round the track!!!

 

[katastrophykat]

Mine started out double handed so he didn't get out of hand (quietest two year old I've ever met!!) as he has a habit of jumping into me then upwards when he's worried/dicking about. It was easy to make the progression to longreins just by both of us walking further and further back on the long lines until it was just me behind him. I do still walk him out but never alone and always with hat/boots/gloves an hi viz.

 

[lovinyourwork]

I too have bridle and halter on the roads and my boy loves going out with the bigger gg's its nice to know he will be less of a scardy cat when we do ride out next year.

 

[Enfys]

Oh good grief, I don't bother with any of the bells and whistles, I am awful obviously (Although in my defence I have to say that I simply don't have the sort of roads or traffic that most of you expect a horse to cope with.)

I just pop whatever halter I have in my hand on a baby, bring it out and go for a bimble, up the road, down the road, across a couple of ditches, through a forest, over fallen branches and whatever else is in the way and back home, usually with three dogs, a couple of cats and a goat for company.

Long yearlings get led out off another horse, still in a halter, so they're all used to someone being above them and carrying a saddle.

I'm not fussed about traffic training as their pasture has roads on two sides and they are used to enormous inter galactic spaceship type farm machinery passing 10' from their noses. Tractors, quads and trucks are bringers of food and they just don't care about anything else.

 

[GemBav]

Both my youngsters are led with a rope halter and a 12ft line or lunge line. I wear hi-vis as do the horses although it never crossed my mind to wear my hat - oops
I tend to walk out with them on their own to build their confidence up that way and they've only walked out in company a handful of times.
I agree on taking them out everywhere and getting them used to everything you can think of and more whilst they are this age so by the time you back them they are concentrating on you and not the 100 scary things around them lol

Good luck and most of all have fun doing it, I built up a great bond with mine and learnt a lot about them just through this stage of their training x

 

[Ellies_mum2]

I walked my youngster out on the roads from about a year old. Just in a head collar and lead rope to begin with then progressed to bridle after she was bitted. Another one that doesn't wear a hat unless I am actually riding but do wear hi-viz though. She is now very laid back about meeting traffic as so far she has met buses, lorries of varying sizes, motorbikes, push bikes, those motorised invalid thingies, tractor and trailer, sheep, cows and even pigs.

 

[Clodagh]

Do any of you take them out on their own? I don't have anyone to help me or to take the friend. I do lead Piper around the farm yard but he threw a paddy last time when he realised he was alone. (I had to slowly take him back to the stable without him realising he was winning!).
He is a yearling. I won't be doing much with him now until the spring anyway. Farm machinery is not a problem, in fact he is unpopular with a contractor as he chewed the back of his huge hole digging thing while they were putting a new gate post in for me.

 

[Pauli]

When my horses were youngsters I always took them for walks. Most of the time I did not have anyone who could go with us, so I took them out alone. I found the most important thing is to establish leadership with the youngster, this way you can be sure he does not jump into you when he gets scared and he respects you as a partner. Worked well with all my youngsters I trained

 

[Tinypony]

I used to take out my youngsters all over the place in hand, using a rope halter and 12ft line. I'll take any of mine out in hand, even though they are now grown up. The oldie likes to get out and see life when he's not 100% sound for riding, and if I've had a break from riding I might well take a horse out for a wander or two before riding. I'm afraid I'm very casual about it. When I was getting my mare back out again I'd take her out in her halter ready to ride, walking at first, then if the mood felt right, tie up my reins* and get on.
As Paul says, this shouldn't be an issue if the basic training is in place. Any horse needs to learn how to lead well and give the leader proper space without jumping on them. In my case, I can also "lead" mine from any position, even following them, which can come in handy if we find ourselves squeezing through tight spaces!
It's fun going walkies sometimes.

*Just to reassure - I'm specifically insured to ride bitless.

 

[Ellies_mum2]

Do any of you take them out on their own? I don't have anyone to help me or to take the friend.

Take youngster out on her own and in company so she is used to it as won't always have someone to hack out with. When we are in company we take turns in going first or last or if enough of us in the middle too. This applies whether in hand or ridden

 

[RubysGold]

I need to start walking my 3yo out in traffic. We moved yards on Wednesday so he's having a week to settle first. He did walk out with previous owner through a quiet village so should be ok.
I Will use hivis my hat whip and lunge line. Probably bridle under headcollar.

 

[caramel]

me and a friend took her 3 yr Welsh A out this morning, he just went in a headcollar and lead rope. Only thing we found was that he likes to turn to face the traffic, but that's ok. Will get him in his bridle sometime...

 

[TallulahBright]

I've walked mine out in hand since she was a yearling, initially with a pony then alone. We've now worked up to long reining and she's as steady as can be in traffic..

 

[Cocorules]

If you are concerned about control, you could try a stronger headcollar like a Monty Roberts dually or something similar. It gives you better control than a headcollar and personally I prefer it to a bridle where you can potentially be pulling on a young mouth.

 

[lottie940]

I take my boy out in hand on the Dually head collar. He's only been on the lane that leads to a livery yard so far so he has met a bit of traffic and a horse trailer and all was ok. He was more scared of the sheep on the National trust land!! Next year I plan to walk him out with my older one in the village and get him used to traffic etc. He enjoys getting out and about though.

 

[ShadowFlame]

I use a bridle with a headcollar on underneath. Leadrope is clipped to the headcollar to avoid holding onto his mouth, but it gives him time to get used to the bit while his mind is occupied by everything around him. I found it worked pretty well.

 

[Zimzim]

I walk my youngsters out in a headcollar to begin with until they are bitted, then they wear a bridle. I use a lunge line/ or lead rope (depends on youngster), hard hat, gloves and hi-vis!

 

[rascal]

My welsh cob Nico goes out both alone and in company. Hes very good so he goes in a headcollar, we are on a quiet lane but i can walk to places with more traffic. Now i know how good he is im more than happy take him out on my own.
My daughters young horse being a bit more unpredictable goes out in a dually halter or briidle, it really depends on the horse.