What Would you think if you saw..

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Skhosu

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A rider hacking on quiet country roads, riding and leading. Riding one in a bitless, the other lead by a bridle attachement and a cavesson attachment? Had a flourescent hat cover on?
 
Wouldn't give it too much thought, depends if it was getting dark I suppose, riding and leading in the half light is harder for drivers to see, maybe. Assuming the rider was in control I wouldn't have a problem with whatever combination was on the ponies, bits or no bits...

Why? Where you the rider and some one has had a go?
 
When I was thinking about doing my stage 3, ride and lead was one of the things that was taught. I know that it's all very well in theory, but in practice?? I've only ever seen one person doing ride & lead & they were on the road & managing quite competently... but to me the whole thing seems to be an accident just waiting to happen.

There are enough things that can go wrong with ONE horse & ONE rider... Even one extremely sensible horse & one very competent rider can have accidents out hacking...
 
Seconded, would have to be very quiet roads. I tried to 'advise' somebody on Sunday that they werent very visible on their, albeit grey horses, but dressed all in brown and got told pretty much to mind my own business. Felt a right pratt after but hey, when they try to claim off somebody's insurance............
 
When I was young and at Livery our turnout field was 2 miles away and I had 3 horses to bring in everyday, so I use to ride my pony and lead my horse on my right and lead my friends horse on the left on the pavement (my friend horse not all of us)! All in headcollars! Wouldn't do it now mind you!
 
Yup. Had 2 people have a bit of a moan, not much, and not sure one was serious but was a tad annoyed. Going out in good light, leading in cavesson as I don't need to pull him round by his mouth, but with the bit for control, on the pony in a bitless which I have the same/better control in.
The pony is good on quiet roads, horse is good in all traffic, and I ride the slower one.
Mind, one of those was dad, who doesn't understand and one was neighbour who has some different ideas to me, but is mainly used to it now.
Just wasn't sure if I was doing something completely stupid or not!
 
If they were both well behaved I don't see the problem. I don't think I'd set out on an hour road ride with two, mind you I wouldn't set out for an hour road ride on one! Providing the horses weren't all over the road, I don't really see what any has to moan about - apart from the lack of full flourescent gear
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No not at all, I keep my horse on a yard full of pony ponies, they never go out in strings less than 3
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Piece of cake....you carry on
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I did it a lot last summer. My horses were kept in a paddock up the road as Chance could only be turned out in a small area. I couldnt turn them out alone, so the best method was ride & lead. It was only a short distance, but it was a challenge!
 
No; perfectly normal thing to do. Most folks I know, and have known, ride and lead. Just tell them that they obviously have no idea what they are talking about
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. Silly people.
 
Thank goodness, I'm not so strange then!
It does help when your busy, and they are beautifully behaved, pony even better than on his own as he has 'company'.
As for flourescent, well ;p, I have a giant coat and exercise sheet, but it was far too nice a day for them...still looking for my tabard!
 
Just an aside... I tried this with my two boys. The trouble is one used to pull back and get away from me if I led him. The other used to spend the whole time trying to bite my leg if he was being led. Gave up in the end... It was too painful!!!
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lol, yes, I lead off the slow one and lead the fast one, easier than dragging one along! Used to have a great pony who kept mr speedy back with body languae, made my job dead easy.
Have to say I don't do it often as it's a lot of work but it is useful to have as a skill!
 
I used to hack polo ponies out, riding one leading one. Sometimes we led 2. That was standard practice - quiet rural roads. I don't see it as a problem.
 
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I have a giant coat and exercise sheet, but it was far too nice a day for them...still looking for my tabard!

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Are we too assume that the flourescent hat cover was all you had on then
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No! Had my johddies on you wicked person!
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And a fleece (and obviously all undergarments to go before you get any ideas!
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)
 
A year ago that would have been me, except for the hat cover, I would have had a disgustingly bright sailing jacket on instead. Much easier to exercise two at the same time. In Germany we used to canter the polo ponies riding and leading and often did road work with the race horses that way, bit unorthodox but Grafton got used to it.
 
Can't see much wrong, used to ride and lead all the time when I worked for a hunt. We regularly went out on exercise with 3 riders and 6 horses.
 
Absolutely nothing wrong with ride and lead, I do it alot with my friend's horse as she can't ride as much as me and he loves going out. My dog comes with me too, trots along under my horse when a car comes past. Wouldn't want to do it with a naughty horse though!
 
What the highway code states;

34-44: Rules about animals

Horseriders

35: Other clothing. You should wear

boots or shoes with hard soles and heels
light-coloured or fluorescent clothing in daylight
reflective clothing if you have to ride at night or in poor visibility.

36: At night. It is safer not to ride on the road at night or in poor visibility, but if you do, make sure your horse has reflective bands above the fetlock joints. Carry a light which shows white to the front and red to the rear.

Riding
37: 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 a saddle or bridle.

39: When riding on the road you should

keep to the left
keep both hands on the reins unless you are signalling
keep both feet in the stirrups
not carry another person
not carry anything which might affect your balance or get tangled up with the reins
keep a horse you are leading to your left
move in the direction of the traffic flow in a one-way street
never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file where the road narrows or on the approach to a bend.

It is important that the horses are clearly visible & under control. A few people ride & lead round our way but it is quiet rare because the lanes are not the wide & we have moronic drivers!
 
My daughter sometimes rides and leads, with a bridle on the lead pony. She does wear a fluorescent tabard cos she has a naggy mother. A friend who works at a hunt yard says you should always ride the more lively one and lead the quieter one,but daughter does the reverse because the more lively one is a bit small for her, and she finds it easier to slow down the lead pony than tow along slowcoach!
 
Totally fine by me.

Also remeber it's now silly season as psring has sprung.

Last night I did find passing a group of 2 riders, 2 cyclists , 3 loose dogs and other friends following behind them in another car, quite challanging to pass safley
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I wouldnt think anything, as long as theyre in control and not on a busy road then it doesnt matter, its better than leaving one pony in the field to get fat!
 
LOL! Second that Ali. At the weekend I saw a party of 12 riders from the local "riding school" attempting to negotiate a busy high street
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Nearly all novices and although some were wearing tabards, both the horse at the front and back weren't
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