Earliest you would start longreining?

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severnmiles

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Whats the earliest you would start longreining? I have a very bored, overgrown 2y.o and was going to do a bit of longreining with her until she can start going to shows again to occupy her mind (she LOVES being pampered!) is she a bit young to start?
 
Nope, long reining is just like goihng for walks and shouldnt be too taxing on young bones IMO!!
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Nope, long reining is just like goihng for walks and shouldnt be too taxing on young bones IMO!!
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Well thats what I thought, she's desperate to do something but I definately won't lunge her yet!
 
Definatly would not long rein a 2 yr old.
Unless it is a flat race horse :-)
There is nothing wrong with teaching them to lunge. dont just let them hare round. Can loose school in your arena.
I do this with all my youngsters so the arena becomes a nice place to be before the real work starts.
 
2y.o flat horse would have been broken a good few months let alone long reined!

She goes in the school loose for a whizz around too. I definately won't lunge her yet.

Why wouldn't you long rein?
 
lungeing is monotinous circles, which are very bad for young, unbalanced horses, whereas longlining is far easier on them as you can walk behind, or slightly to the side, on both reins all the while encouraging a youngster to go forward.
 
I wouldn't lunge at that age but long reining should do nothing but good, the only problem is at two sometimes their brains aren't that good and if they get tangled up in the reins they can panic more than an older horse would.
If the horse is bored it will probably help.
 
You Would have to teach the lunge basics before you could safely long rein.
To long rein properly you will have to have bitted the filly. In my opinion a 2 yr olds mouth is too tender to be bitted.
Very dangerous to be directly behind any young horse whilst longreing so you should always be on a circle anyway.
I train and display to advanced dressage movements on longreins ...never start them till 4. but they will have loose schooled and lunged since 2.
 
My filly who is 2 in april has had a bit in already on the advice of a grand prie dressage rider and trainer its done her no harm and it can not be uncomfy for her as she will willingly accept it and is happy to be led around in it
 
Have found all horses i.e. youngstock that have been led /shown in a bit always end up being quite one sided.
I find you can only get about 10 mins from a 2 yr old till they become distracted.
 
well im not being funny but my colt is 2 this may and already been bitted over the winter as he would need to be in a show bridle for the showing season (being a colt), it does there mouth no harm.
i can't see how long reining would hurt a 2 year old tbh especially as the owner has said shes a big 2 year old. it would also encourage forwardness and give her something to think about.
until you try your not going to know how she will react but she is a baby just keep that in mind and your gonna need a helper too until she gets the basics.
it will certainly be easier to break her in later.
let us know how you get on
 
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Have found all horses i.e. youngstock that have been led /shown in a bit always end up being quite one sided.
I find you can only get about 10 mins from a 2 yr old till they become distracted.

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Well she's already been shown in a bit. She's not a sharp filly, she's pretty unflappable (ask Forrest...she even laid down in the middle of the yearling class at the Pavo champs) so the reins wouldn't bother her, she is also already used to voice commands.
 
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Have found all horses i.e. youngstock that have been led /shown in a bit always end up being quite one sided.
I find you can only get about 10 mins from a 2 yr old till they become distracted.

[/ QUOTE ] Tbh I do not agree I would rather put a bit in a two year old mouth if needed than have a great big lump of a 4 yr old jumping and pulling all over the place, as for one sidedness every horse as a tendency to prefer one side or the other its how the horse is schooled as a whole and broken that dictates weather it will lean to one side and I see no harm with long reining but that is just imo
 
I bitted and lightly longreined my 2yo last year. I'm afraid I would never lunge a 2yo. This year as a 3yo he will do the very minimal amount of lunging, just enough to help with the backing, IMO it just puts too much stress on their joints.
 
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You Would have to teach the lunge basics before you could safely long rein.
To long rein properly you will have to have bitted the filly. In my opinion a 2 yr olds mouth is too tender to be bitted.
Very dangerous to be directly behind any young horse whilst longreing so you should always be on a circle anyway.
I train and display to advanced dressage movements on longreins ...never start them till 4. but they will have loose schooled and lunged since 2.

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Why would you have to tach the lunge basics, shes talking about walking her out not teaching piaffe! all youngsters should be taught how to lead this is just a progression of that. As for her mouth being too tender to be bitted surely a horses mouth is always going to be soft until it has been roughly handled I'm sure a rubber happy mouth or vulcanite bit wouldn't hurt. Would much rather see a youngster being longreined and happy than out in a field bored stiff, go for it!
 
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I bitted and lightly longreined my 2yo last year. I'm afraid I would never lunge a 2yo. This year as a 3yo he will do the very minimal amount of lunging, just enough to help with the backing, IMO it just puts too much stress on their joints.

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Thats my thoughts!
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Im with you on this one Amazona
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At the end of the day every one trains differently, Severnmiles posted to see what peoples opinions were and shes now found out, its now up to her what she does.

If you are getting good results in the way you train your horse or pony, then great thats all that counts really, you have to do what you think is best.

I dont think getting a two year old to walk quietly around on a lunge line and learn a few voice commands would do it any harm at all
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Debs x
 
i'm sorry but that is rubbish...
you do not need to lunge a horse to "teach" it to long line as they are totally different disciplines
who said anything about being directly behind the horse?
i longline well away from the kicking range..the correct place to be
who said anything about bitting??

if you are so qualified, why haven't you taught manners in a headcollar??
 
I'm currently in the process of breaking a 3 year old, and I lunged him from the age of 2, for about 2 months before I did any long reining (by which time he was three) mainly due to the fact I did try it, and all he did was rear, buck, and try and spin round because he couldn't see me properly as he depended on me a lot as a baby. Lunging him at 2 did him no harm at all, and in fact, I reckon its helped him a lot, he respects my voice even when I'm riding, and I personally felt it helped with the breaking in process as it meant in the early stages, I was able to get him used to me being on him, while being lunged which was familar to him.
 
I have long reined my 16.3hh thug of a 2 yo. I had to do something to stop him bullying me. He has also been sat on. I can only think that someone's horse who is one sided was started poorly as i have never had a problem. The only downside I have found with long reining is they can have a tendency to be a little overbent - but never so bad that they haven't won their first dressage tests. I would definitely recommend it as it will teach all the basics ready for proper work. My youngster had a couple of sessions over xmas and will do a little more at easter.

Lunging would be pretty catastrophic at this age as it is hard on joints.
 
Just a quick answer, if you could guarantee it would stay in walk on a lunge it would be fine, but you can't, and what does the harm is if they suddely hurtle off bucking and leaping with you on the other end! Their joints etc are still at a fst growing time and are more likely to suffer injuries such as splints.
We have this year done more with our young horses than previously, then they sometimes arrived in from the field barely handled due to work pressures and time.
The more basic stuff you can do with them such as handling and teaching voice aids the better, it's very much easier to lead a two year old round in tack then start with a 16.2 hh wild four year old..
I would teach this two year old first in a headcollar and lunge line to walk slightly ahead of me but alongside, the familiarisation with lunge whip and reins can all be done in the stable, an old Colonel I once knew spent ages when starting horses standing quielty with them and flicking the lunge whip all over them. After a few days he could curl it round their fetlocks without them turning a hair!
you can do the same thing with the long reins, play in an area where it can't go wrong first (famous last words...)
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I think that longreining her would be fine!
Yes I can vouch that she was the most laid back horse at the whole of the PAVO british breeding eventing championships!! LOL!
 
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I think that longreining her would be fine!
Yes I can vouch that she was the most laid back horse at the whole of the PAVO british breeding eventing championships!! LOL!

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Haha!!
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HH, mums German friend does natural horsemanship and she flicks the whip all over their bodies (I was surprised that even Ernie didn't flinch).
 
I was amazed when in Bulgaria watching riders work with young horses. The nicest looking horse I could see working was working at at least Elementary level. When I asked how old it was I was told 3! Then there was a young lad long-reining an obviously young horse beautifully. They were doing lateral work, working towrds piaffe, and so on. That was not yet 2.... Everything there was broken and expected to work from the age of 2. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying there are different perceptions depending on where you are.
 
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