Long reining

[clairelouisehorses]

Hi could anyone tell me if there horse has ever had a bad reaction to long reining and how u overcame and whether it had any affect on the horses overall behaviour when ridden, I'm breaking in a welsh section a that will not long rein he totally lost control and was doing some serious broncing and spinning round and round in totally fear almost as he would much rather hurt himself than give in to the ropes, he was absolutely petrified yet lunges perfectly with one lunge line, never seen a pony react like this before, he was unbroken when he came to me but I'm now wondering if someone had tried this before and something has happened, he will be 5 years old in June. Any help would be appreciated

 

[Blitzen]

Start off lunging him with 1 rope as usual and introduce the 2nd line gradually. Stand in your usual lunging position and have the 2nd line attached to the outside bit ring, run through the ring on the roller and straight over his back, not round his rump. Just gradually work it further down towards his rump til he's happy lunging with it round his back legs halfway between hocks and dock. When he's 100% with this you can start to take up more of a 'driving' position for short periods of time at first while he gets used to you being in the 'wrong' place!
Is he objecting to pressure on his mouth from the bit? If so you could use the old fashioned trick of using a drop noseband with rings, and attach pelham roundings - one e nd to the noseband ring, one end to the bit ring. This takes the pressure off his mouth but still makes it easy to give clear directions to your pony.
I think just some time and patience will do the trick, he just needs to get used to odd things touching his sides, and taking direction from someone he might not be associating with the lines at the minute. He'll get the hang of it!

 

[clairelouisehorses]

I have tried using one lunge line, then I introduced two and tried to slowly get the lunge line onto his body but as soon as the rope gets onto his back behind the saddle this is when he flips out,and I have not been lunging off a bit so know it hasn't nothing to do with pressure on the mouth, I just don't get why he being like this as generally he is a quiet boy and we seem to be stuck at this hurdle as cant really move on with the breaking till we can long rein

 

[Foxhunter49]

I have had many horses have an adverse objection to the line being dropped over their hocks. This can vary from really kicking out (mostly fillies that do this) to sitting on their tail and trying to gallop around or just broncing.
What I would do is to get either a couple of halter ropes or a heavy pair of reins and attach them to the saddle so that it lays across his hocks and just lunge him with that on.

They will settle to it eventually some take longer than others.

If he is freaking when you drop behind him and some will panic because they loose sight of you, I start them by walking behind but to the side of them so they can see me.

Also get him use to giving to the bit i the stable just by exerting pressure on one side of his mouth from the bit ring so he learns to give to the pressure and knows what it means when you ask him on the long lines.

 

[be positive]

Does he wear a rug?? is he used to leg straps or a filet string, if he is happy with them try lungeing him in a rug and see if that bothers him he may then let you use the second rope as it will not touch him in the same way.

I am sure I have had one in the past that had a bad experience being tried driving, I just cannot remember when or who , but I think we gave up and just got on with riding as it really got upset and was not worth putting the pony through the stress.

 

[AengusOg]

I just don't get why he being like this

It's simply due to lack of thoughtful preparation.

It isn't as simple as lunging on one rein and then adding another. A green horse has to be prepared for this, by being desensitised to the feel of ropes all over his body, before he can be expected to accept long reins.

Lots of horses will quite easily learn to accept the feel of a rope around their quarters, and may be ok in long reins. However, if they have never felt a rope or rein over their croup and their back, they are almost bound to object when it happens for the first time.

Also, unless a horse has been taught, in-hand, to yield to the outside rein, and to quietly accept the feel of ropes around his legs, there is an excellent chance that he will panic in the long reins. It's no wonder a horse in such a situation, with no prior preparation, 'would much rather hurt himself than give in to the ropes' and be 'petrified', as you say.

Whether someone has tried this before will always be a mystery, but you do know that it has been tried now, and it went wrong.

There is a school of thought which suggests that if a horse gets tangled in long reins once, he will be unlikely to do it again. I hope that will be the case with yours. I have known this happen with horses, and those horses went on to be sensible rides, but it can take some remedial training to get a horse past this.

Give your horse a chance and prepare him properly for your next attempt. If he is a forgiving sort, you might have got away with it.