Neckrope riding!? 23/03/2015

Apparently I was feeling incredibly brave (or stupid..) this morning as I decided I wanted to ride Elsie tackless.....

                          Now, I can't say we have the best track record for tackless riding....

 

                 




















  So I thought I'd just stick to bridleless for now...

Started off in full tack and walked round the school, showed Elsie the evil pony eating chickens, that although have been kept next to the school for several months are apparently still terrifying....

Once Elsie had settled, off came the bridle and on went my trusty custom neck rope from Pony_products which is made from para cord so it's extra strong, far better than a lead rope as theres no chance of rope burn or it snapping on you, which is always a reassuring thought when riding your bronking pony without tack!!

Started off just walking round, nice and calm, had some control, emphasis on 'some.'

Though I swiftly picked up trot when Elsie was showing a little too much interest in the sand and the possibility of rolling in it, typical of my pony really!! 

Trot was interesting at first, started off running round like a headless chicken at 100mph with me clinging on for dear life.....

 But she soon settled and I noticed her head and neck carriage was getting progressively lower the more relaxed she became

And by the end Elsie was trotting round with her head practically on the floor and I was feeling much more relaxed!!

As Elsie was being so good, I decided to pick up canter, I was pleasantly surprised by her canter transitions, the quality of her canter and how easily I was able to adjust her stride, she felt much better than she did in full tack - must be because she was so relaxed and I couldn't interfere with her or put her off balance!!

Overall it was a really positive experience, especially after our previous attempt at riding without tack, it was a real confidence booster (for us both!)and such a good trust exercise for us, smiles all around!! Will definitely be doing this more in the future.

Really impressed with my lovely neck rope too - the fact it's custom and you can mix and match colors make me like it even more, it's the perfect length and soft on your hands but feels safe and sturdy, these are available from pony_products for just £8, you can also buy a halter and lead rope to match!


Have you tried tackless or bridleless with your horse/pony?
Thanks for reading,
LGT x