Lead (tack) - Safety in Leading

Safety in Leading

By tradition, the handler leads a horse from the horse's left ("near") side, though situations may arise when a horse needs to be led from the right ("off") side. In some areas, particularly in the American west, the handler may be in front of the horse while leading, though this technique does place the handler at risk due to not being able to see what the horse is doing.

When leading a horse, the handler usually holds a single thickness of the lead with the right hand, while carrying the gathered slack of the lead in the left. The excess line is usually gathered in loops; wrapping or coiling the lead around the hand is dangerous, the handler can be injured or dragged if the horse pulls away, tightening the lead around the hand.

When used to lead a horse in hand, the materials used in a lead, particularly synthetics, may put a handler at risk of a rope burn should the horse pull the lead from the handler. Some handlers wear gloves while leading a horse.