So I saw this article through someone (a horse person) sharing it on Facebook. I don’t know if I should laugh or be more concerned about the millions of things that could go wrong.
I am all about fitness for riding, but this, just no. Jogging with my horse down a road is the last thing I would want to do.
In theory, its a good idea. In actuality, I’m with you-no way! People driving by are terrible when I’m out running by myself, so I can’t imagine trying to deal with obnoxious drivers trying to run me over and wrangle a horse at the same time. So many things could go wrong.
OMG. This was my favorite sentence in that article: “Horseback riders and walkers are subject to, and protected by, the rules of the road.” Sorry, but the rules of the road really do not “protect” anyone, they just allow the person who runs you or your horse over to be fined afterwards. Exercise with your horse, fine, but keep it to the trails and pastures.
I used to do this all of the time with my previous horse. It’s within the regional park system/ open space preserves that were next to our home and on bridle paths along busy four lane roads. Not an issue for us.
That said, my horse was a solid trail horse, traffic safe, with a brain. He didn’t lose his stuffing over a herd of motorcycles or big rigs. I would never have jogged out with a critter that wasn’t already reliable in those situations.
I used to do this all of the time with my previous horse, within the regional park system/ open space preserves that were next to our home and on bridle paths along busy four lane roads. Not an issue for us.
That said, my horse was a solid trail horse, traffic safe, with a brain. He didn’t lose his stuffing over a herd of motorcycles or big rigs. I would never have jogged out with a critter that wasn’t already reliable in those situations.
I think the general concept makes sense, but I wouldn’t do it out on the open road. I would do it at home since the barn I board at has a lot of big open fields. On occasions where I’m short on time, I’ll jog alongside my horse in the indoor to exercise both him and myself or in one of the open fields if the grass isn’t wet.
I do this but we live in a mostly equestrian neighborhood with some serious speed bumps.
To be honest, I can understand the worry, but many horses are better behaved in stressful situations being led than under saddle. How many of us have gotten off to get a scared horse over a bridge/creek/what have you?
I don’t think it’s for everyone, but nothing really is. Each horse/human pair has to be addressed on their own merit.
It was how I got my new at the time, unbacked mare, used to the world around us so that when I got up there she was pretty much ready for anything.
I actually know the author of this article, and the horses in the photographs. She was living, at the time, in a rural area with lots of good walking/running roads with little traffic. I have led my horse or ridden all of the roads with her and most of the time we never saw a car. What we did see were cows, calves, sheep, lambs, donkeys, dogs, cats, and an elderly couple rocking in chairs! Oh and one time a long black snake slithering across the road. As someone said above, great opportunities to get our horses out and about. The paint horse pictured has hundreds and hundreds of hours as a large animal rescue demonstration/training horse. She is lovely. She was rescued as a teeny, emaciated yearling and it wasn’t known if she would live. She did recover fully, but she can never be ridden due to damage caused by her early malnutrition.
The author of the article is a reknowned large animal rescue expert. And she is right … miles and miles of leading your horse, whether walking or jogging, is good for both of you!
Of course NOT on busy roads!
[QUOTE=SCM1959;8057813]
I actually know the author of this article, and the horses in the photographs. She was living, at the time, in a rural area with lots of good walking/running roads with little traffic. I have led my horse or ridden all of the roads with her and most of the time we never saw a car. What we did see were cows, calves, sheep, lambs, donkeys, dogs, cats, and an elderly couple rocking in chairs! Oh and one time a long black snake slithering across the road. As someone said above, great opportunities to get our horses out and about. The paint horse pictured has hundreds and hundreds of hours as a large animal rescue demonstration/training horse. She is lovely. She was rescued as a teeny, emaciated yearling and it wasn’t known if she would live. She did recover fully, but she can never be ridden due to damage caused by her early malnutrition.
The author of the article is a reknowned large animal rescue expert. And she is right … miles and miles of leading your horse, whether walking or jogging, is good for both of you!
Of course NOT on busy roads![/QUOTE]
^^ This.
I hand walked/jogged my . . . wait for it . . . OTTB!!! . . . for months and it’s worked wonders for him. My property is surrounded by dirt roads but not completely devoid of traffic and you have to cross a couple busier roads if you want to go for a reasonably lengthy outing. Guess what, we’ve done it for months without incident and the big guy is now A-ok with cows, Llamas, barking dogs and a while host of other things.
Same with my young mare. Been hand walking her on the same roads since she was 6 months. Very few things phase that horse. I’ve even had jogged her form a parking lot to the beach, in hand, and took her in the ocean 
I do this! 43 yr old human, 22 yr old horse. On quiet country roads with wide dirt shoulders, plenty of visibility, and a quiet horse. Cars usually slow and wave. I do it in a halter, and also do it ground driving as an alternative to hitching to our cart, when I don’t have time to both put to and get to the Y.
When I concentrate on my own paced interval workouts, the horse gets consistency that really improves his trot rhythm and relaxation, and manners. Much more versatile in the face of the unexpected, therefore safer, than either riding or driving. If my running form is poor, he pulls or drops back. When my body alignment is correct from feet through tummy to hands, he trots “through.”
Since he is barefoot, the more I get him out of his sandy paddock the more he self-trims. If we do 6 miles a week like this then all I have to do for trims is light touch-ups. Less road time = more bent-over-under-him time.
I did this but only in the indoor when the show horses needed hand walking - only to get them out of their stalls on the super cold snowed in days and they had been ridden once already. Jog them around the indoor a few times. Make some crazy circles/serpentines etc just to keep in interesting.
And always threatened to do this with the fat black welsh pony on the tb farm. Threaten to drag him along on my runs so I could go farther then ride him bareback home. And helps that the property was massive so didn’t have to worry about cars but had roads to run on.
P.
My mare is historically safer under saddle than on the ground, so for us, this wouldn’t fly.
If I had a horse that was into it, heck yes, I would do it!
We have lots of mowed trails at the edges of fields/hacking trails etc so I do this with my guy with some frequency. I also run trail ultras, so this is particularly excellent for me. He is willing to go along for an hour or so as long as there is some hand grazing at the end.
In theory I think it would be awesome. For me, it would not be possible with my location and current horse. But I do think it would be hilarious driving down the road seeing someone running with a horse instead of a dog!
My friend has done this with her young TWHs. She started when they were small and when they were 16.3 and ready to ride, she had absolute trust and control. Of course we lived in a rural area. By the time they were ready to saddle, they were used to the “trail” and it was much safer for her as she rode alone most of the time. Of course you better have some decent lead training already in place before hitting the “trail”. Even on the rural back roads you can experience log trucks and 16 wheelers exercising their jake brakes and it can be damn scary.
Well considering that I RIDE on the main road, this is no different really.
[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8058346]
Well considering that I RIDE on the main road, this is no different really.[/QUOTE]
Frankly, I’d rather be ON a horse than have it in hand because I feel safer as long as I can keep my seat, it is easier to control both sides of the horse with two reins and two legs to control their bodies. But this is a good option for the unrideable.
I do this with my young and/or stupid horses. I get exercise, they get better with passing cars, tractor trailer truck, cows and other road obstacles. I do live in a rural areas, and have an excape route planned whenever I hear a vehicle coming towards us.
[QUOTE=Libby2563;8057604]
OMG. This was my favorite sentence in that article: “Horseback riders and walkers are subject to, and protected by, the rules of the road.” Sorry, but the rules of the road really do not “protect” anyone, they just allow the person who runs you or your horse over to be fined afterwards. Exercise with your horse, fine, but keep it to the trails and pastures.[/QUOTE]
HAHAHA - all that means is you can sue them when they plow you down at 65 mph. Won’t undo the broken bones. Horses have the right of way in my town and people will drive off the road at speed to get around me as I’m signaling them to SLOW DOWN.
I do this with all my horses, although it’s more of a speed walk than a jog on account of my bad ankles and knees. :lol:
Since I’m on horse trails anyway (no sidewalks here, just trails), it makes sense to drag a horse along when I go out to exercise.
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