Long reining - trot transitions

[Emilieu]

Deano and I have started experimenting with long reining to keep him busy and thinking during his recuperation. I have never done it before but thought I would give it a bash and see what happened... well he loves it. We have progressed to long reining up and down the lane behind the stables (don't think i am brave enough for roads!) and in the school we do the usual schooling stuff (circles, figures of eight, change of rein etc etc) and even attempted a wee obstacle course - poles, weaving through barrels etc. In typical Deano style he did everything calmly and perfectly the first time I asked and he was going so nicely that I thought we would try some trot transitions during our last school session- disaster! He shot off at canter with his head in the air and was all panicky breathing and trembly when I managed to stop him. I literally just clicked and said trot as as I would do on the lunge, I'm not sure if he thought i was chasing him So any tips for smooth upward transitions when long reining? Feel free to point out anything massively stupid that I may be doing, as I say I am a total long reining numpty with a very patient and willing horsey!

 

[Montyforever]

With my old pony I just started speeding up, tapping his bum a bit with the lines and when he broke into trot telling him he was a good boy, gradually could click at him after he was comfortable breaking into trot himself
With the current pony longreining at all would be suicidal

 

[Jojoeena]

Hi, have you tried putting him on a circle and then asking for trot, so effectively lungeing with two reins. once he has settled then you can trot a circle and as you come back to the track do a couple of strides along the track (so you will be to the inside of him rather than right behind him) before coming back onto a circle ... you can then gradually have him trotting all the way round the arena.
This should help him settle and realise that you are not chasing him, also being at his side rather than behind him (in an arena) enables you ensure that he is working correctly

Good luck !

 

[KT88]

Ditto what was said above. Go onto a circle exactly the same as if you were lungeing and ask from there. He should then realise its no different to trotting on the lunge and relax.

 

[Caol Ila]

You wish they could talk! I would think that if he was worried about you or the lines behind him, he'd be worried in walk as well, but then, that's the mystery of horses.

How are your long reins set up? I haven't done it in a long time (I keep meaning to reacquaint myself with it on Gypsum, who is totally cool with it, however incompetent you are, before I inflict it on anything else) but I use a surcingle (which I believe you call a "roller" over here) and run the lines from the bit through the higher rings of the surcingle. I then stand more or less in line with the middle of the horse, slightly in front of the hip. The outside line either goes over the back of the horse or behind their butt and I hold the whip in the hand holding that line. I just say "trot" and if they don't go off the voice command, give the whip a little wiggle.

Before I long rein, I make sure that the horse doesn't mind the lines flopping about over and around them.

Are you directly behind him? If so, I would call that ground driving more than long lining. I would still use a surcingle for this as it keeps the lines steadier. Perhaps you can try changing the tempo in the walk and then slowly reintroduce trot and as others stated, do it on a circle with you on the inside of the circle (as I described above) so you're not directly behind him.

 

[Emilieu]

Thanks guys. This was exactly my thinking and a circle was what I was aiming for - we did not end up in a circle though we just ended up with him tanking off and me flailing behind squeaking 'whoa'! I think if i lift the outside rein so it is over his bum rather than behind it that will at least stop me being dragged behind him and will be more like the lunge. I'll try that next.

You wish they could talk! I would think that if he was worried about you or the lines behind him, he'd be worried in walk as well, but then, that's the mystery of horses.

How are your long reins set up?
Are you directly behind him?

I know - what a weirdo. I expected him to be spooky with the lines because he is scared of whips (although we have been working on that too) but he was totally fine from the first time I tried. I don't have a roller so have been tacking him up fully and running the reins from his bit to my hands through the stirrups. The first time I tied the stirrups together but I have forgotten to do that since - however don't think them banging off him can be the problem as he pretty much leapt forward in canter as soon as I asked him to speed up.

I am mostly behind but slightly to the inside of him, when we are in the lane and we are moving in a straight line I am behind him so ground driving sounds like an accurate description. No whip - 1) because he is spooky with them and 2) because I tie myself in enough knots with just the reins to worry about.

 

[Caol Ila]

Thanks to Google image search, I found a good picture of what I was talking about: http://www.lyndaweese.com/images/felix long line 6-12c.JPG

She's pretty much in the same position that you would be if you were lunging the horse on one line. Perhaps that will feel more like lunging to Deano and will be less scary?

I think it can be done from a variety of different positions. Depends what you want to do and what you and your horse are happiest with.

Then there's this: http://jonathanfieldblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/rld5904.jpg?w=640&h=425. Behind the horse, but still off to the side.

Or: http://www.mealrigg-stud.co.uk/www.mealrigg-stud.co.uk/SOLD_HORSES_files/Griffin long lining 3.jpg. She looks like she is directly behind the horse.

I like the lunging position for work any faster than walk since if I am directly behind my trotting horse, I have to run too and that means we don't go very far.

 

[Emilieu]

Ok that first one makes sense, will give it a go that way. Reckon we are currently more like the second pic.