Long Reining Query

[MaverickMD]

Hi Everyone

Hope you can help. Been told that I have to long rein the girly building up to lunging for a month.

What am I hoping to acheive with the long reining part? I put her bridle on and a roller through which I pass the two lunge lines to her bit and walk her around following behind - up hill and down dale .... but what should I be "doing"??? And how soon should I start to actually lunge her in circles?

Can someone enlighten me please !

Thank You

MaverickMD

 

[OrangeEmpire]

You can add sidereins if you want her to work a bit harder. You can also practice transitions - ie halts and trot if she is allowed. You can start to add in large loops and serpentines as a preparation for the tighter circles of the lunge.

does this help?!

 

[pinkcatkin]

Where are you? There is a long reining demonstration here in Suffolk on 24th Feb, Sunday, 2-4pm. David Bacon is bringing a novice and an experienced horse both to demonstrate. He does lateral work long reining! If you want more details PM me! I am going as I need to learn how to do it for my youngster.

 

[Theresa_F]

I long rein with either a roller or a saddle, if I am going to finish the session with riding. If using the saddle, I put a strap under the belly going through the stirrups so they don't move and take the reins through the stirrups.

I have done everything from hacking out - though I did put on very loose side reins as the little bugger kept trying to eat when on grass but in the school never use them. I work him round the school as if I were schooling him onboard - I do walk and trot dressage tests and some poles for fun to stop it being boring. We have also started doing a little lateral work.

Only thing I don't do is canter work - my fat little legs just don't go that fast, so I put him onto a big circle and lunge with two reins - great for building the bum up.

If you haven't long reined before and neither has your horse, having an instructor start your horse off and then show you how to take over is recommended. I had long reined an experienced horse before, but got an instructor to start Chancer as I had never long reined a baby. After one session, I took over.