Long Reining ..

Montyforever

Montyforever

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When i long rein my mare she is IMPOSSABLE to stop
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Shes currently in a plain jointed snaffle and flash and she just kind of steam trains .. (one stop only
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) until shes once around the farm and back outside her stable. I mean im glad shes forward but im not gonna have any arms left soon!
Also when i try and stop her she throws major tantrums!
Shes having her teeth done next week, but if the steam train carries on, any ideas on bits/nosebands/ANYTHING! that would help?
Oh and shes trained to harness ..
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um, Frank isn't trained to harness, and after a recent escapade won't be.
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but he really likes being long reined. Interestingly he is much better at stopping on the road than he ever is in the field (he is lazy so normally likes stopping)

sometimes he can be bad in the field so what I tend to do is pop his dutch gag in, have it on the snaffle ring and if I am having problems I can drop it down one.
 
um yeah welsh!

I use it for hacking, he does everything else in a snaffle apart from XC when I require a pelham

I can't jump in it cos we don't go anywhere although his previous rider used it.

It has only stayed for hacking as in anything else he can be really stupidly spooky, so its not a brakes issue really, just stops me getting very infuriated with him!

tbh I don't think its ideal for long reining in partly because your reins are in a different place so it doesn't work the same but as its something I have and he goes ok in and gives me an option I use it.

Rara_09 has gone to bed now I think but if you PM she does a lot of driving and will prob have a good suggestion.
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Yeah thats why i was thinking of a differnt noseband, she might be crossing her jaw or somthing :/
Im clueless when it comes to tack .. lol
I was thinking or a grakle, but that would do mainly the same as a flash?
Haha god im worse than i thought i was!
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TBH, I don't think longreining should be done in anything but a plain snaffle, anything else is defeating the purpose.
Fiddle around with the lunge and side reins. If you put the lunge reins from the girth between through the legs, up through the bit, through a low ring on the roller, to your hands they will learn within days not to fight. If they become evasive by dropping their head, pop a pair of side reins on to a high ring on the roller.
It sounds harsh, but 5 minutes for a few days tends to do the trick.
 
are your lines going around the quarters or over the withers?

having them over the withers can help with braking.

my 3yro also has issues with halting out on the long reins- which means we halt every 10 yards until he finds it boring and stops messing around
... and he is 17.1hh so if i can hold him you should have no trouble with your boy!
 
do him in a smaller area so he can not pullyou around and he can get used to your voice. Or you could try side reins on here when you are long reining so if she does start pulling she will be pulling on them in stead of you!
 
How old is she? And who (and how) trained her to harness? Reason for asking being - does she understand what you're asking?

My two year old LOVEs to longrein (cos then he gets to go in front when going for his walks!
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) but intially was very 'strong'. He just had no idea what I was asking of him, and has the temperament that he becomes strong and bulshy when confused. And bit of training and using voice commands and he's sorted.
 
Keep her in the snaffle or invest in a Liverpool bit (or some other kind of driving bit) if you want more control. If she is crossing her jaw, the grackle will help as it works differently to a flash – it prevents them from crossing their jaw, whereas the flash just straps their mouth shut.

When you say she has a tantrum, what does she do? I would be inclined to take her somewhere safe like a school or a small field and let her throw a wobbly but just stand calmly until she’s finished, then ask her to carry on – she’ll soon learn that doing so gets her nowhere. I used to break to drive and we often had Welsh ponies (the worst for tantrums, lol) who are very good at hissy fits, but if you quietly let them thrash it out (and I mean thrash – I’ve had horses throw themselves on the floor in temper) then ask them to walk on, then stand again, they will learn that doing as they’re told is easier than having a tantrum. I had one lovely roan Welsh mare stamping her front foot in a puddle for a couple of minutes because I asked her to stand, but when she realised she was doing nothing but getting herself wet, she stopped and stood sweetly. Good manners are imperative and whether your horse likes it or not, she must learn to stand when told.
 
teach your horse to yield to one rein. this is a method of stopping your horse using one rein only. if you use two reins to stop her she will have a fixed place in front of her to pull agianst and lean on. keep everything the same as you have it now. when asking her to stop keep your outside contacy and used theinside rein to ak her to stop if she continues to pull ahead bend her round this inside rein and keep going in small circles until she stops. she will soon get bored of walking circles and decide that its nicer to stop then carry on her walk. if you have a secure area it would be better to get her used to doing this in here first.
 
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How old is she? And who (and how) trained her to harness? Reason for asking being - does she understand what you're asking?


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Shes 11 and ive only had her about 4 months, shes basicly been a broodmare for years, and was told when i got her shes been broken to ride and drive, but hasnt in years!

And i knew there was somthing differnt to a grakle than a flash
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I do it in a not small but not huge field and shes the same.
Tantrums .. rearing .. lots!
spining, bucks, kicks, bombs off, starts troting and doesnt stop!
 
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