long lining - when to start?

mine was three. he's a big lad and gets very bored! started out walking with a person on each side, slowly moving back behind him while he walked on, then just me, under saddle long reining then under harness, then with blinkers as he'll be driving. he has been shown in hand for a while, and understood voice commands, which makes it ten times easier! ;)
 
ah cool, I was thinking of starting once the ground starts to dry up and he will be 3 in May, so didn't wat to start anything too early!

He's also quite a big boy, well bigger than he was supposed to be, already!

He doesn't have any other babies to play with so I do worry about him getting bored!

He's already been walked out a fair bit, been tacked up etc but he started getting a bit naughty a while ago and going up if he wasn't getting his own way! so thought if i started long lining it would make him listen to me more, and he wouldn't get so bored or wound up if he didn't get his own way!

Now he does seem to have calmed down in the last few weeks, but want to keep him entertained as much as possible!
 
Here's a bit of film of me long reining my new mare, she hadn't done anything until I bought her at seven years old.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xKhbRPUonk&list=UUf2bwcSa-2Ft5zNtvXLZEiQ&index=11.
You can do anything on long reins that you would whilst ridden schooling, if you are skilled enough. The only problems is making sure that the reins are not too heavy, as there can be a lot of weight on the mouth.
 
Also if using your saddle, put the stirrups down and adjusted high enough so they aren't banging the elbow, secure underneath the belly with a stirrup leather and thread the long lines through the stirrups. I do it similarly to cundlegreen ie on a circle but I have the outside line round their backside and it sits above their hocks. Make sure if you use a roller, that the lines are free flowing through the rings on the roller. Most wont be big enough rings.

I love long lining like this and cannot wait to break my daughters sec A like this as I will be able to school her from the ground.
 
ah thank you, had a look at a few of the youtube clips, shes a lovely horse!

I will have to long line with the saddle as I don't have a roller and not planning on buying one as I can't imagine it would be something I would get a lot of use out of!

lets hope the ground starts drying up soon then, so we can get to work hehe!
 
You could start around 2.5

You dont have a saddle on you can do it with a roller...

As long as they are bitted properly first.

Mine youngster will be 3 in April and she will be starting around that age

:)
 
Springy said:
You could start around 2.5

You dont have a saddle on you can do it with a roller...

As long as they are bitted properly first.

Mine youngster will be 3 in April and she will be starting around that age

:)
Click to expand...

awww yours is a month older than mind then hehe! I lets hope it starts drying up soon so we can get to work! unfortunetly I don't have a school where I am, so will do as much in the field as I can then when I back him, I will box him to the school up the road! exciting
 
I started long reining mine in straight lines around the lanes at 3 yrs old. I personally wouldn't do a lot of lunging with either one or two reins until the horse is a little older
 
The saddle is absolutely fine, I don't have a roller either. I keep thinking I might get one but like you I don't think I really would use it.

The nice thing about using the saddle is when a little further on you can long rein then just take the lines and stirrup leather off and jump on :D
 
Make sure you have got him used to a line on his hind leg before setting off too far ! Some horses take exception to lines around their hinds and you could find yourself going a little quicker than planned.

I do a simple exercise in the stable with a single soft rope around the quarters and sitting above the hocks, I hold it in the middle of their back and move it about. (same process as getting a foal to lead)
 
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