Long reining

[Reashi]

I want to start long reining Afro soon, and was wondering if anyone had any tips and their experiences in introducing long reining to youngsters?

 

[eohippus]

you could get him used to the reins by touching and flapping them on and around him. Use someone to lead the horse whilst you are controllling and using your voice as aids. Try lunging him with two reins to get used to the feel. Make sure you can handle the reins, I have seen people get tangled up or dropping them, only to loose their horse or get it spinning around and tangled up in it . start with the reins short and walk to the side gradually lengthening them and going behind.
Make sure the horse is responding to voice aids on the lunge and whilst leading first.
hope this helps
Dawn

 

[Reashi]

So do you think horses should be taught to long rein first or taught to be lunged first (want to teach her the right way round!)?

 

[Christmas_Kate]

teach him to lunge first so as he learns the voice aids and learns to go fowards. With a youngster it really doesnt matter if they are going round in a perfect circle, that's only for muscle building and getting bend, as a youngster he just needs to learn that "walk on" means go foward and lungeing will teach this. Then try long reining, so as you can use voice aids from a safe distance (you really don't want to be standing behind a youngster with a whip!). hope that helps. I am about to start ong reining our little man next week. It seems like only yesterday he refused to lunge at all, and now he's doing all I ask of him happily.