# Riding with Halter & Leadrope?



## pintophile (May 18, 2011)

Horses will respond to being rode in a halter if they have been properly trained to respond first and foremost to seat and legs, and the rider is not dependent on the bit and reins for control. If a horse will give to pressure and knows how to neck rein as well, I see no reason why they couldn't be handled like you described above. 

I can and do on my horses. My older mare is broke enough that she needs little contact on the halter/lead, and though I can on my younger mare, I still don't like to ride with just one lead rope on her quite yet. It doesn't give me enough control over the situation if something were to possibly happen, and I want to try to make every ride a good one and set myself up for success every time.


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

Or you can just flip the leadrope around and tie it so you've got a continuous rein.


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## Almond Joy (Dec 4, 2011)

Thanks! 

Love the vid by the way, the horse looks like it's "having a ball"


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## QHriderKE (Aug 3, 2011)

I do it all the time! lol. When I get a couple horses in to ride for the day, I normally have to walk halfway down the darn pasture to catch the beasts, so I'll just hop on one with the halter and leadrope and lead the other. Depending on the horse, I might tie the lead around like a normal rein, or, for example, on my rope horse, where she operates 100% with just a the rope around her neck if need be. 

We actually try and start all of our horses in a halter... except the past two... but they were a different story...

If a horse can neckrein and/or understands pressure, you should be able to ride it in a halter.


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## SarahAnn (Oct 22, 2011)

I do it all the time too. When I go out to visit my horses I will hop on and ride around. I especially like doing this with my gelding- he loves the bareback contact and he responds by leg pressure alone, so actually I don't even need the lead rope, I just have it in case I need it. I will ride him around and then hug around his neck while on his back- he thinks its heaven.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I also ride mine up from pasture in halter & lead. I don't bother tying it, those that neck rein already also understand leg so I don't need it, those who aren't to that point I just flip the rope around their head when I need to switch sides to direct rein -extra desentizing too


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## Almond Joy (Dec 4, 2011)

Wow! More people than I thought have done this! haha. Maybe I'll try it during my next lesson. Who knows!


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## thesilverspear (Aug 20, 2009)

The most hassle-free method I've found is to get two 6' lead ropes, clip them to each side of the halter, and tie them together. My horse will even go "on the bit" in this set up.


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## CowgurlUp91 (Jan 18, 2012)

I do it all the time, for a first-timer I would start in a small fenced in area... It is a lot of fun!


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

I ridden my horses with just halters on a regular bases since the later part of the 70's when I gave up bits and worked cattle with reins attached to a halter. Quit working cattle in 85, but enjoy not having to deal with bits. Horses sure don't seem to mind 
It's always fun watching people when you ride up (or by) with just a halter (like I did today). They're usually shocked to see someone riding with no bit and the horse is under control (like a bit really gives control  ). Makes for questioin and answer time and good for meeting people  . I do use two leads or clip on reins though so I have one on each side. If your horse is well trained for neck reining you don't need a halter. Just wrap a cord around it's neck and you can neck rein with that. But that does tend to really freek some people out when they see that so I won't advocate it except around home.


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## Jennerbear (Dec 28, 2011)

This is how I grew up riding. We boarded an old retired racehorse - T-Win. I would ride her (don't do this now!) barefoot and no helmet in my bathing suit with a halter and a lead-rope clipped on the right, underneath the neck. Direct rein/neck rein. It was the most beautiful time... the cool, dewy grass would tickle my feet. I got my homework done as fast as possible so I could ride. As I saw it, tacking up wasted riding time. For a 12/13 year old girl to be in love with horses instead of boys was a beautiful thing. Good memories.


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## MangoRoX87 (Oct 19, 2009)

Do it all the time if I am too lazy to get somewhere. And then, I realize how painful it is to try and get Rosie to stop. Her withers are a tad painful  She really sucks with the whole halter thing though. If she knows she doesn't have a bit in her mouth, good luck getting her head out of the grass. You can kick her all you want, she just pivots her body around her head so she can eat more XD


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## CowgurlUp91 (Jan 18, 2012)

Jennerbear said:


> This is how I grew up riding. We boarded an old retired racehorse - T-Win. I would ride her (don't do this now!) barefoot and no helmet in my bathing suit with a halter and a lead-rope clipped on the right, underneath the neck. Direct rein/neck rein. It was the most beautiful time... the cool, dewy grass would tickle my feet. I got my homework done as fast as possible so I could ride. As I saw it, tacking up wasted riding time. For a 12/13 year old girl to be in love with horses instead of boys was a beautiful thing. Good memories.


Before the drought this summer, we would camp out at the lake and after riding the trails with everyone we would throw on bathingsuits after tending to the campsite and ride bareback/bridleless to the water and our horses loved to swim with us. 
Please note. Do NOT go in the deep ON your horse, it is dangerous and they can drown.


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## Tianimalz (Jan 6, 2009)

Wanted to post yesterday, but wasn't possible from the ipod :lol:

I won't ride in a halter in lead if it's right after the winter break, and Indie and I are both getting back into the riding "groove" but during the summer and late autumn months when I ride out to the abandoned lots out behind the woods to harvest grass for Indie's supper, I like to just let her move around and graze as I gather the grass. So naturally it's much easier to just ride in a rope and halter so I don't have the bit to fuss with. 










We've been doing it for years. All it takes is practice with seat and leg ques (I prefer vocal ques personally. You can tell we use them often because in almost every picture of us riding she has her ears to me listening LOL), I don't even use the rope... it's more there for a safety break than anything. :lol:


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

I love riding my horse in rope halter and leadrope  He takes to it very nicely.


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## goingnowhere1 (Jan 22, 2012)

I have only ridden one horse in my life that neck reins. I did what your friends did with that horse.
everyone else (and spooky horses) I tie the end of the lead on one nose buckle and clip the clip on the other side. then I ride like I do in a bridle


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## Prinella (Jul 12, 2011)

I ride almost exclusively in a rope halter with a 12ft lead (really need a 10ft) 

We do 
dressage training her to collect herself properly rather than just drop head, 
Jumping re aligning my posture ATM 
Trail UNLESS I HAVE STUDENTS ALONG most of our horses not used to trails 
Bareback such cool feeling cantering on a floppy lead 


Basically she's more relaxed she has no negative associations in a halter she does in a bridle


ETA we run a riding school and bridles are a big deal here the kids all ride in halters!
As for Ella all our babies are started in a halter ( often bareback one rein) she won't feel a bit till it's needed for competition


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Yep, I ride with a halter all the time...Lol...


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