07/05/2025
This is a post about safe horsemanship. That being said, let me lead with a clarification that I am only focusing on the picture as it was in that current moment which was completely a composed, planned portrait picture. I am not at all passing comment on how much the person attached to the hand in this picture knows or doesn’t know about horses, and I would even go so far as to say that from several pictures of her that I have seen, she strikes me as quite an experienced and capable horseman— which is why I feel as compelled, as I do to beg people to please, please make sure you are always putting your best handling habits forward and first. I am always extremely watchful with my clients and certainly people, newer to horses that they never, ever, ever, never, ever hold the lead rope like that where it is wrapped around your hand. You’ll be surprised how quickly your hand just pops right off when a horse bolts or you can’t get your hand out of that little vice grip in time.  For the sake of taking an extra second or a few seconds, you can absolutely steer, protect and save the quality of your physical life.  It doesn’t matter if you’re leading a 500 pound pony or a 1500 pound horse— which seems to be the closer weight estimate on what was on the other end of that lead rope in the picture, they can all bolt and drag you anywhere before you even have a moment to think about it. You could be fine one minute and not so much in the next. Please always have a plan when near, handling or on a horse, that demonstrates safe communication between you and your horse or horses. We never know when our lives will depend on it.
