It often depends on the combination, in my limited experience. Right now I am ponying my more experienced dominant gelding from my greener one, and it is working. If I ride the dominant one he is more likely to threaten to kick. But I have been able to trade off a brother and sister team. Sometimes you can do it either way, and sometimes one way works better. I have usually had more luck riding the greener one and ponying the older more dominant one, but some will allow you the leeway of trading off.
I usually carry a crop to wave in the face of the ponied horse if he makes an ugly face or offers to take a nip out of us. I’m used to carrying a stick anyway – I convince myself I could beat off a mountain lion with it if I ever see one! Not sure I could, but since we do have them – it helps my courage – along with lots of singing when necessary. But to start ponying a certain combination, I wouldn’t head straight out on trail at first, but try it at home. I don’t have an arena, but I just ride around my home field a few times to get the kinks out to see if it is working.
Another thing I do that you have to be REALLY careful about, but I find useful, is I use my saddle to help not have my arm jerked off. Never tie a ponied horse to the saddle, one must always be ready to disengage very quickly. But if I have a horn, I take half a turn around it, to help with the jerking forward or back problem. If I have an endurance saddle I have the rope doubled, and pull it through the hole in front. I just hold on to the doubled part, for it would be easy to let go and let it slide out in an emergency. This is why I don’t just bring the whole lead rope through – there would be too long a tail to slide back through easily. It takes quite a bit of adjusting to stay relatively safe, but that is what I do. Once again, be very careful about this, and maybe it isn’t for everyone, but I have managed to survive quite a lot of miles this way – knock on wood!
So try your combinations near home, and see what works best, would be my advice. It sure beats taking the time to ride two of them!
