Tell me about long lining/reining

[milz88]

I am not sure what people call it these day, long lining or long reining?

It is not something I have had to do before, I have watched a few videos on youtube and to me it seems no different than lunging but with a line going behind the horses quarters so what are the benefits? More control? - it seems as though it would be more difficult to control 2 sets of lunge line.

I normally use a pessoa and start off with it very loose and on the 'nicest' settings which seems to do the same job as long lining, but I'm interested in the differences. To start a young horse lunging, I use a saddle and loose side reins with bridle and cavesson.

So I'd like to hear your experiences and uses for long lining especially with a young horse.

Thanks

 

[PorkChop]

I do hours of long-reining with my youngsters, when I get them out and about on the lanes/roads. Though I know people that don't long-rein at all when breaking in, as they feel you can't be as light with your hands.

I personally rate it, and especially when they can be a bit green or nappy, I think you can get them thinking forward a lot easier than when you are on top. It's just a lovely non-pressure way of introducing them to life without having to carry a rider.

I do very little lunging on a circle with a youngster, just until they understand the voice commands, so literally a few days, then straight onto the long-reining.

 

[PorkChop]

Sorry just wanted to say it's great when introducing them to natural obstacles like ditches and banks, and popping over their first little jumps

 

[millitiger]

I do hours of long-reining with my youngsters, when I get them out and about on the lanes/roads. Though I know people that don't long-rein at all when breaking in, as they feel you can't be as light with your hands.

I personally rate it, and especially when they can be a bit green or nappy, I think you can get them thinking forward a lot easier than when you are on top. It's just a lovely non-pressure way of introducing them to life without having to carry a rider.

I do very little lunging on a circle with a youngster, just until they understand the voice commands, so literally a few days, then straight onto the long-reining.

Yep, thats how I start all of mine too.

If I lunge, it's with draw reins set low and loose on the noseband/cavesson (not bit) and a tail bandage around the quarters or I lunge with 2 reins so I have full control over the contact instead of something 'dead' with no feeling connected to the bit.
I definitely would not use a gadget which connects the horse's mouth to a line which wraps around the quarters, as imo, every stride the horse takes will take a 'pull' on the horse's mouth as the hindleg is moving- the pessoa comes under this range

 

[BigRed]

I never had any experience of long reining until I bought a really difficult horse last year. The young woman who came to help me through the problems suggested I should long rein her. I was quite worried because it was a very difficult horse. She came to my home and we had a few sessions where she talked me through it. I have to say that I now feel very confident to long rein and can lunge with two lines now. I walked for miles around the lanes with the horse and I would give it a go again. I am not much for lunging horses, I find it quite boring and it makes me dizzy !

 

[PolarSkye]

I do hours of long-reining with my youngsters, when I get them out and about on the lanes/roads. Though I know people that don't long-rein at all when breaking in, as they feel you can't be as light with your hands.

I personally rate it, and especially when they can be a bit green or nappy, I think you can get them thinking forward a lot easier than when you are on top. It's just a lovely non-pressure way of introducing them to life without having to carry a rider.

I do very little lunging on a circle with a youngster, just until they understand the voice commands, so literally a few days, then straight onto the long-reining.

I completely agree with this . . . and I use it with my grown up boy (well, he's grown up chronologically speaking, but is still very babyish in his brain) to help him be brave about going forward on his own out hacking.

Once he's sound again, this is one of the ways I will be bringing him back into work.

P

 

[milz88]

thanks for all the replies, very useful.

I am particularly interested in using it out hacking. Do you walk behind the horse or to the side on the leading side? I would fear not having enough control if the horse were to spook or take fright to something.

Where do you attach the lines to, the bit or a cavesson? I like the idea you can work the horse in a larger area, and not small lunging circles.

 

[AengusOg]

I would fear not having enough control if the horse were to spook or take fright to something.

Horses should be prepared for long-reining, so that the potential for disaster is reduced. Desensitising to ropes around their legs and over their backs is sensible, in case they get into a tangle or manage to step over a rein, as is teaching them to yield to the outside rein as this will be the means by which they can be dissuaded from spinning round and facing you.

Where do you attach the lines to, the bit or a cavesson?

Young horses, or those which have never been long-reined, are best started in either a longe caveson or even a Dually halter, without a bit in their mouths, so that there is no potential for hurting their mouths should they get a bit excited.

 

[paddi22]

I just started longreining my exracer as he rears and naps a bit. I find it excellent. I just use a bridle with a headcollar over it, stick on the saddle and hold down the stirrups with a stirrup leather, and then run the lines through the stirrups, and clip lunge lines to headcollar and walk behind him.

Its great as you can have all your battles on the ground! I prefer it to lunging as its less strain on his legs and Its also more intersting for him as you can long line around obstacles and over poles etc. the contact feels like riding except your on the ground, so to keep it varied i do small dressage tests. I have only started it recently but its been really fascinating,and he has learned loads from it. Its a very safe way to see how they cope in situations they are unsure of.

 

[PorkChop]

I have them in a bridle and roller, the long lines run from the bit, through the roller side rings, and to you hands, and I walk either directly behind or just slightly to the side.

Train your horse to stand while you attach and sort out the reins, and to only walk on when asked, and to stand politely when out in case you need to stop and go to the front of your horse.

If you are a member of Horsehero there is a super video of Laura B's father long-reining, albeit on a circle, but the skill he demonstrates is amazing.

Have only had one occasion when my horse piddled off with reins flapping scaring a few walkers on the way home but to be fair she had had a terrible accident previously and never settled to the reins.

 

[paddi22]

thanks for all the replies, very useful.

I would fear not having enough control if the horse were to spook or take fright to something.

My lad is a cheeky nightmare and tends to buck, rear or pull when he is in a bold mood. The guy who taught me said to just follow him, but don't get in a fight and then put him back to work immediately so he realised all his messing came to nothing, and its easier to just go forward. my lad tested me the first time so i spend a good while running behind him till i could turn him back and work him again. Now he realised running just means discomfort and then having to go back to work anyway, so he doesn't do it.

Saying that, i would definitely practice in an enclosed space till you're comfy, and get someone experienced to help you. The man who showed me had done a lot of groundwork and body language exercises with me, so they absolutely helped me, especially the body language ones. I would have struggled long lining without that knowledge i think.

 

[millitiger]

thanks for all the replies, very useful.

I am particularly interested in using it out hacking. Do you walk behind the horse or to the side on the leading side? I would fear not having enough control if the horse were to spook or take fright to something.

Where do you attach the lines to, the bit or a cavesson? I like the idea you can work the horse in a larger area, and not small lunging circles.

If using it out hacking I run the lines through the roller tabs about half way down the horse's side.

If the horse is known as a bit of a rogue or is very green I will walk diagonally to it rather than directly behind with the 'outside' rein crossed over at the wither rather than round the quarters.

One, the horse can see you better there and with a green or unsure horse you can use body positioning to encourage on.

Two, if the horse is a knobber, it makes it much harder for the horse to spin- I always find if you are directly behind the horse and it is powerful and spins, your outside line can get taken out of your hand if it wraps around the quarters.

I start off reining from a headcollar (in enclosed area ) and then move on to a bridle with a drop noseband and clip onto the drop noseband on each side.
To start to bring the bit into it, I will run the long line through the bit ring before clipping on so you have indirect contact with the mouth and then eventually clip straight onto the bit.

 

[PapaFrita]

I do hours of long-reining with my youngsters, when I get them out and about on the lanes/roads. Though I know people that don't long-rein at all when breaking in, as they feel you can't be as light with your hands.

That's interesting. I started long-reining LC off the bit, but quickly found he went better If I long-reined off the headcollar. He has a lovely mouth

I personally rate it, and especially when they can be a bit green or nappy, I think you can get them thinking forward a lot easier than when you are on top. It's just a lovely non-pressure way of introducing them to life without having to carry a rider.

This. I think it makes it much easier for everyone once you actually get on and take a contact

I do very little lunging on a circle with a youngster, just until they understand the voice commands, so literally a few days, then straight onto the long-reining.

Same here

 

[Vanha12]

I had never used long reins until I had a newly backed 12.2hh pony that I was too big to get on! I used it to get him used to the bridle and bit etc and hacking before my daughter went on him. I found it really easy to do and it worked brilliantly with him. I didn't get as good as some of the ones on Youtube though that lunge with both reins and then switch direction without blinking!

 

[AengusOg]

I'm not keen to start long-reining with the outside rein over the horse's withers. The horse which wants to evade by spinning will find it very easy to do so, as he can turn his quarters out and away.

With a roller, and the reins through the low rings, the outside rein can be used to stop this happening. This is why it is important to first train the horse to yield to each rein, in-hand, and to first accustom the horse to the feel of ropes all around his body and legs.

In the event that the horse tries to spin to face the handler, the outside rein must be used to stop and hold the horse. A horse previously taught to yield to the outside rein will take the check on the outside rein without panic or undue resistance, and will not spin. He yields back round and sets himself straight to be asked to walk on.

This is why I like to start a horse in a caveson or a Dually halter. It allows a strong hold to be taken on the horse, if necessary in order to avoid the horse evading by spinning, without damage being caused to his mouth. A horse which learns to spin in the long-reins is a nuisance, so it's better if he is properly prepared and trained to minimise the risk of it happeneing.

Once the horse is going nicely with the reins through the low rings and round his quarters, walking and trotting on, and responding to light rein-handling, the reins can be put through higher rings and the outside rein over his back, and he can learn to go like that.

It's important to keep a nice contact with both reins when long-reining. It's very often lack of contact which will affect how the horse goes. Some horses feel lost without contact and this may lead to halting, hesitant work; whereas some others may see opportunities for evasion. Obviously the outside rein must be lengthened, and the inside shortened as the horse is worked round and about, to keep things fluent. This is especially important when starting young horses on long-reins. I find that handling the reins similarly to 'coachman style' for driving is handy, as the horse progresses, as this allows easy management of rein lengths.

Only when the horse was reliably long-reining at walk, trot, and halt, would I start working it in a bit, which can then be used to teach the horse more subtle signals of control.