How to encourage correct bend on long line

[Scot123]

Hi. Can you advise please... My pony is quite stiff on his right side which we're working on. We do quite a bit of ground work on the right rein. However, he always bends his head (not even his neck) to the outside. This results in his rope halter riding up into his eye which, understandably, sets him off bronking on the long line. So - how shoukd I keep him in a nice outline and bend through the circle when he's in the long line? Thank you!

 

[ester]

I wouldn't long line in something that could twist as that is not going to help. What groundwork are you doing? things other than the long line? I found it better to get/control proper bend doing straightness training style stuff more than long lines to start.

 

[SEL]

I tend to find a properly adjusted cavesson moves a lot less than a rope halter.

Working in an equiami has done wonders for my mare.

 

[Leo Walker]

If he was just stiff all over and not bending then long lining can work, but something that twists just its head is going to need very skilled handling to correct. Has your pony seen a physio and/or a vet?

 

[rara007]

Are you trying to longrein off the halter? Use a bit?

 

[Scot123]

Thanks. We're trying to do simple parelli style exercises with him. He's quite stiff all over, but particularly on the right rein (basically through previously not having had much work and only coming back since the Spring. Yes, all fine with physio and vet). I'm doing lots of bending and lateral work and working on the rope halter with 12ft line. Left rein is fine and rope halter stays in place fine, it's just on the right rein. I've been advised not to go down the 'proper' lunging route, but to keep doing short groundwork sessions. But as you can tell, it's not quite going to plan!

 

[ester]

Sometimes if something isn't working you need to change tack ( not intended literally) regardless of what you are being advised to do. I wouldn't use anything that got near eyes, eyes are precious. For ground work I use a cavesson with a flexible chain noseband, or a bit. A lot of the straightness training bunch seem to have come from parelli.

 

[CrazyMare]

So you aren't actually long lining!? To me, long lining is working off two reins from a bit using a roller.

In a halter "playing games" you aren't going to have the control to be able to correct head tilting.

 

[Scot123]

Hi. Sorry if I've confused things by using the incorrect terminology. No, not using bit or roller. Just trying to help him loosen up on right rein on 12ft line to halter. So you think maybe head tilting can't be corrected by this method? May I ask if you've any advice what I could be looking at doing? Using 2 reins and lunging may be better left to more experienced rider?

 

[be positive]

The first thing to clarify is whether he is stiff on his right or left side, if he is reluctant to bend to the right, which is what I think you are saying, then it is his left side that is laterally stiff and needs to learn to stretch, the left is probably not really bending just hollowing that way because the muscles are contracted.
I would do more general stretching exercises, looking for straightness and relaxation and if using a halter is not working find someone experienced to get you going with two reins so you can ask more clearly for what you are looking for and be able to work both sides more equally.
Head tilting usually comes from behind anyway, lack of push from the hind leg which is where any correction needs to concentrate on, focusing on the head alone will not have the desired result and I think a 12ft rope may restrict the activity and freedom you need to enable the hind leg to engage more.

 

[Wheels]

In walk I would think that a halter and 12ft line is probably OK but trotting you need a proper lunge line and cavesson.

It sounds like you are trying to correct an asymmetry and there are certain basic things you can work on but you need a good instructor to take you through some of the more complicated stuff. Who advised you to work in this particular method and are they actually helping you?

If the horse finds bending to the left easier, they have contracted muscles on the left side as someone has said above. That means that they will usually have a left bend in the neck or at the poll and they will also be slightly quarters left, naturally they will fall onto the right shoulder. It is not however true bend and this side needs as much work as the other side

To start to correct this and to begin to get them straighter you need to put the shoulders directly in front of the quarters on both reins. On the right rein you can very gently touch the shoulder with the end of the whip and ask your horse to step away with the shoulders, on the left rein you can do the same but touch the whip onto the quarters and ask them to step away very slightly. This will help to create true bend in both directions. You will need to ask frequently in the beginning and depending on how quickly your horse learns, in time you may only need to point the whip at your horses shoulder or even his front feet in order to move the shoulders or his back feet to move the quarters.

You must first ensure that you can, from halt, ask the horse to yield his shoulders over a few steps and then his quarters from gentle pressure with either your hand, the top of a whip or by your intent.

 

[Scot123]

Thank you for such comprehensive answers, that's much appreciated. I see that I am misinterpreting what the issue is. My horse and I had been with a trainer for a couple of months in the spring and since then I've been trying to continue following his advice. However, I think the best bet is if I return there for a while to get us sorted out again!

So you wouldn't advocate a 12ft line and circle work at all other than in walk?

I think I will have some lessons on 'proper' long lining before attempting this myself, and then see if we can work on the issues you raise.
Thanks

 

[JillA]

I would say it sounds as though you are asking for too tight a circle. Mine are experienced at lunging and work on a 22ft line, until a horse can bend on a 20m circle or thereabouts he cannot do a smaller one - sounds like you are to all intents and purposes asking for a 10m circle. He needs to learn to bend on a larger one first, to become more and more supple, only then can you gradually reduce to a smaller one. As things stand he is telling you the neck bend is the only way he can give what you are asking of him

 

[Wheels]

I agree, it would be a pretty small circle. There is a way it may work and that is for the handler to move, run with the horse, do straight lines and circles on the move so the horse can go on a closer to 20m circle and the handler on a 10m circle but depends how fit the handler is