Tips on Long Reining

[GingerTrotter]

I have never long reined before and currently have a tricky horse who I think would benefit from it to give him some confidence out hacking on his own and help with his separation anxiety.
Any tips on how to start? He can get quite fizzy and strong and very tense under saddle when out on his own.
Do i need any special equipment or would lunge lines and a roller suffice?

I've just moved house and the process has unsettled him alot so i am going to give him some time to settle first before attempting to bring him back into limited work (we have 2 small kids and just bought a do-er upper! so time is limited and the horses sadly need to take a back seat in life right now)

TIA
xx

 

[Jxmxg]

Go in youtube and type Hackett Equine LONG LINING 101. She has some really good easy to follow videos on long reining and stuff. X

 

[PapaverFollis]

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Remember to smile!


This was an awkward, explosive little chap so we took it really slowly.

Step 0 is having someone walk at their head too. But no pictures of that as I was walking at his head.

 

[GingerTrotter]

brilliant photos, thank you PapaverFollis

 

[PapaverFollis]

There was also lots of rubbing of lines over his quarters and moving them over his bum etc etc between some of those steps.

 

[GingerTrotter]

My horse lunges fine and is not spooky in that respect so i'm not sure he'll be that worried, but I will start him off in the yard first and see how he tolerates it. We've tracks through our field too we can practice on before heading out on the road

 

[Keira 8888]

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This was an awkward, explosive little chap so we took it really slowly.

Step 0 is having someone walk at their head too. But no pictures of that as I was walking at his head.

What a beautiful horse!

 

[PapaverFollis]

What a beautiful horse!

He's my "one that got away" ? little devil.

 

[Littlebear]

My advice would be first of all to buy special length long lines (tenner on eBay) don't try to use lunge lines while you aren't experienced its a big tangle waiting to happen on top of what else you are thinking about! x

 

[Iris1995]

When I long rein out on the roads I always leave a head collar on with a rope tied around the horse’s neck so that I have something to grab in an emergency that is directly at their head rather than via the rings on the roller. I still long rein my 5 year old sometimes as an alternative to ridden hacking and think it is a really good way to help a horse’s confidence.

 

[Michen]

Just a tip but I would not long rein a horse who may bog off on my own ever. My current youngster was a two person job, one person with a pressure halter (and long rope so they were still behind thus still teaching horse to be brave in front). We were very glad of it on several occasions. He got away from me once and never again did I long rein him alone.

You need to be very quick with your reactions as well and able to successfully control/negotiate a nap/spin/whatever and not get your horse tangled up.

Long reining requires a good deal of skill and can be really dangerous if done out hacking by someone who doesn’t know what they are doing.

 

[tristar]

i always mirror image the angle of the horses quarters, stay square behind so i can keep a soft and gentle contact on the mouth, it makes the turns really good just like when riding, to stop i let the horse walk into the bit and hold gently

personally i don`t lr on the roads, and always teach voice commands before starting to lr

 

[Cortez]

My best tip if you want to learn how to longline, and simultaneously teach a horse that doesn't know how to do it, is don't. Get someone experienced to show you both how to do it.

 

[BBP]

My best tip if you want to learn how to longline, and simultaneously teach a horse that doesn't know how to do it, is don't. Get someone experienced to show you both how to do it.

I’d agree with this and with Michen. Especially with a sharp or anxious or bolshy horse. The sight of your panicked horse belting off with long reins flapping round its legs is not a fun one.

I now use long reining to school at home, and it’s quite complex knowing how to correct straightness and have the right contact and feel, to create flexion and bend, whilst not falling over your own feet. I will never long rein mine out hacking unless someone else is at his head as he’s just too sharp and I’m not good enough.

 

[sherry90]

I have a quiet steady non sharp ID but never long reined on the roads, I don’t feel safe incase he span/spooked would always rather someone at the front end out in the open/roads. I walked him a lot in hand on the road before he was backed which helped his confidence when he was ridden and hacking out. I long rein now to school as BBP says and for straightness etc, just breaks up the variety of work.