Uncovering the Art of Long-lining

We all have passions in life.  And when it comes to the world of horses there are countless facets to grab our attention and our time.  Some may enjoy riding or training.  Others might appreciate that daily grooming or feeding time.  Still others might appreciate those quiet moments; just you, the horse and stillness.  I enjoy all of those but one way of connecting with my horse that I also enjoy, and is often overlooked, is through long-lining.  For me there is nothing like reading your horse to create a well thought out lesson plan to make both horse and human feel great!
 
Now you may be wondering if long-lining applies to you directly, after all it is quite the forgotten art.  But once you realize its true benefits, you will certainly want to build it into your routine.  Long-lining has often been described as "riding from the ground" and brings with it a multitude of advantages. 

Young and un-started horses

A few months ago I started my young Spanish Mustang colt, Excalibur ("X" for short) under saddle.  Within 1 hour, Excalibur accepted his first saddle, bridle and rider with complete understanding and willingness (X has never been ridden with a bit, but this allowed him to feel the sensation).  Admittedly, we have spent 18 months getting to know one another, but the exercises he experienced that particular day were new to him - long-lining included.
 
In preparation for his "big day" X had practiced a number of exercises pertaining to long-lining including; neck yields, single line yielding, head-drops and disengaging the hind-quarters.  We began our session by "Reaching Out" to one another, which established clear communication and created a mutual understanding for the upcoming event. 

Without hesitation, and yet showing great interest, X accepted his first saddle, displaying extreme signs of relaxation as he wandered around the round pen with his neck stretched to the ground.  The most difficult request that day was to convince X that he needed to explore the saddle and his environment at a slightly more engaging speed!   He appeared so settled and trusting, that he felt little need to distrust the saddle.  Even though it was now fixed to his back and hugging his stomach. 

Having saved this moment for my students to appreciate, it was clear to me that they were wondering how I would stimulate forward motion at this point.  Knowing that X had no fear of the "Flag" and yet would respect this tool, I opted to create motivation through visual stimulus.    My intention was to allow X to explore all 3 gaits with his new saddle and even though he felt content, it was extremely important he experienced the sensations of this equipment through different muscle movements. 

The goal was achieved very quickly and gave me the opportunity to see that my colt did not consider this to be a challenge of any kind.  So, instead of boring him, in what was our joint classroom, we raised the bar.  Now, it was time to try the long-lines.

With both lines attached, X was asked to choose in which direction he preferred to explore the long-lines (which were attached to the halter), and become accustomed to feeling them along his sides, hocks and body. 

At first this new sensation can desensitize a horse to the motion of lines and the signals you are sending.  At times, horses may even stop when they feel this sensation, for when they stop so does the movement.  Encouraging them forward without fear and force is the key.

I believe the long-lines are one of the best ways to introduce our young horses to pressure on the face/nose/or bit.  This creates a safe environment for them to learn left, right, forward, slow & stop.  In the highly sensitive and vulnerable area known as the mouth horses will begin learning to receive aids from your hands rather than taking each cue from your body language on the ground.

Initially, young horses will show signs of being "into pressure", which means they will lean into the pressure they feel rather than moving to release the pressure..  When attaching long-lines, the pressure is considered to be direct pressure (i.e. when you want to turn left you apply pressure to the left rein.)  Horses, being "into pressure" species, will push (in this case pull) towards the pressure they feel on their mouth or nose so that the pressure increases. 

In this instance, towards pressure, for us, is considered an opposite and incorrect request.  We want our horses to come off the pressure.  Our horses will instinctively turn right when they feel the pressure on the left-side of their mouth (to increase the pressure) unless they have been educated to turn left.  Once they learn how to release themselves from the pressure by seeking the source, they learn direction as well as slow and stop.  It is simple, we just need to know how! 

These lessons in turn help horses become more comfortable with movement on their backs and around their sides, while gaining confidence and not having to be exposed to the rider at the same time.  And unlike the lunge, long-lining will introduce your young horse to the feel of your hands. 

Within moments X learned these vital lessons, which were repeated a number of times for him to digest.  The lesson was kept informative, short and interesting so we could build on it the next day.  The most important factor was to teach X something new and yet not overload him in the process.  We did just that!

The following day was extremely powerful, as day two always verifies your previous day’s work.  It’s a great gauge to see how much horses retain from their previous experience, which often appears to us as overnight reflection.  For the student’s watching X’s 5 day demonstration, they witnessed undeniable progress with a young colt learning motivation.  The initial "flag" cues which appeared bold, disappeared in one session and were replaced with light, bordering on invisible cues.  Within days X was accompanied by a pony-horse and being ridden in the arena in a walk, trot & canter following my guidance.  Each day he learned steps leading up to his successes and long-lining provided him with the tools needed to promote balance, direction, speed control, focus, patience and more.

Always remember that you should already be experienced with long-lining older and wiser horses before you venture into starting a young horse under saddle.  It is really not advisable to put a green horse with a green handler, as green and green makes black and blue!

The advantages for the seasoned horse are even better

If you have a seasoned horse, never fear.  Long-lining has many more advantages for you. 

• Consider the times when your horse has been stalled for any duration and has pent up energy.  For the hot-blooded horses, just a day without exercise can result in a rather… exciting ride for all!  Long-lining allows you to warm up your horse, preventing injuries, and to eliminate excess energy, removing that "edge" for a safe ride.
• You can build your horse’s muscle tone on both the left and right side, encouraging natural balance and increasing fitness levels while maintaining rhythm.  It’s a wonderful way to bring your horse back into work after taking time off either for an injury or a vacation. 
• For the spooky horse, those lacking confidence and self-esteem, long-lining will help you gain mutual trust and understanding, build focus, patience and self-control.   It will also assist with introducing and exposing your horse to new objects.  Try creating your own natural long-lining obstacle course; incorporating trotting poles, jumps or other obstacles such as the famous yet dreaded tarpaulin. 
• For those hard to keep occupied/entertained and who need mental stimulus and diversity you can take this experience out of the round pen and into another environment – like the arena.
• Assess a potentially new horse for you, your client or friends.  You can use this tool to uncover their personalities and discover what motivates them. 
• Long-lining is also a perfect exercise to assess your horse’s movements under saddle, confirmation and physical well-being.
• Aid in communicating with equine challenges such as rearing, bolting, balking, or when your horse is barn sour and bolshy.

What you need to get started

Equipment needed:
Think about what you would like to achieve.  In its simplest form you really only require a head collar and 2 long lines.  You could add a pressure halter, surcingle or roller, saddle (most kinds will do), bridle and a leather strap.  You may also consider placing boots on your horses’ legs if you prefer.

Your Safety:
Consider wearing a hard hat on the ground.  You may also want to protect your hands from rope burns with gloves.  I keep this option open to my students, as I personally don’t wear gloves because like to feel the rope through my fingers.  This way I feel more connected to my horse.  However, if you have soft skin I would highly recommend you wear gloves.

Your Horse’s Safety:
Remember that anything new should be introduced to your horse in a safe environment such as a round pen.  Your horse should feel like the round pen is a place of safety, a place to learn, and also a place to relax.  It is a great place to introduce your horse to long-lining techniques.  

I have worked in round pens ranging from 35 feet to 75 feet.  I am most comfortable in a 50 foot round pen and I have found this to be a suitable size for most horses.   Most long lines are 30 feet in length and therefore are just the right size for you to be in contact with your horse, while at the same time it is less likely that you will loose them!

No round pen?  No problem.  You can also set up a small enclosure, sand paddock, grass area, small arena or picadaro.  You want it to be small enough for your horse to be safe and not run off with you, but at the same time not too small that you might cause too much pressure or get kicked. 

Also, never forget to ensure that you have the correct footing, in an area free of obstructions.

Now you are ready to go!

Long Lining Hints:

1. Introduce your horse to his equipment slowly, sensitively & safely.
2. Check your equipment and the fitting.
3. Practice on experienced horses first, gradually making your way to young, green horses.
4. Practice in a safe environment like a round pen before venturing out in the open
5. Learn how to communicate with your horse through body language, energy & visualization techniques
6. Practice with human partners to understand your positioning & distance
7. Avoid pulling on the horse’s mouth; begin with long-lining off the halter if you are unsure of the horse’s reaction or of your own ability.
8. Listen to your horse & his needs; always allow for expression.
9. Be patient; allow your horse to learn – don’t expect perfection from either yourself or your horse the first few sessions.
10. Introduce your horse to new objects like an obstacle course and other interesting challenges.
11. Establish what motivates your horse and keep the lessons interesting
12. Read your horse; this is an opportunity to gather information about his personality, character, strengths and weaknesses.

Now that you know a bit about it, I hope you will begin to explore long-lining in your horsemanship.  I am convinced that once you really begin using them you will see the benefits that I have discovered and incorporate the oft overlooked art of long-lining into your horsemanship as well.

by Anna Twinney