Longeing

Longeing is performed on a large circle with the horse traveling around the outside edge of a real or imaginary ring with the handler on the ground in the center, holding the line.

Longeing is used as a training tool for young horses to introduce them to commands, equipment, and to build trust and respect in the trainer.

[7] For a young or green (inexperienced) horse, longeing is used to teach a horse to respond to voice commands and the trainer's body language, to accustom them to the feel of a saddle and bridle, and to begin their introduction to the feel of reins and bit pressure.

In many training stables, a horse is first introduced on the longe to nearly everything it is going to be asked to do under saddle, including movement at all gaits, response to hand and voice commands (called riding aids), and remaining calm in unusual or stressful situations.

Longeing riders is valuable for teaching, as they may develop their seat and position without having to worry about controlling the horse.

Classical schools of riding and training, such as the Spanish Riding School, require new riders to work extensively on the longe before they are allowed reins or stirrups, and riders are required to periodically return to longe work to refine their seat and balance.

The line is usually a flat woven webbing made of nylon, cotton, or similar material.

In the natural horsemanship tradition, the longe line is usually made of round cotton rope, and is often much shorter, as short as 12–15 feet (3.7–4.6 m).

Techniques used include movement, brushing the horse with the lash, and in limited circumstances, sound from a whipcrack.

The most common point of attachment is the center ring at the top of the cavesson, which allows the horse to go both directions without having to stop and change the adjustment of the line.

The noseband is usually metal on top with padding beneath, providing good control of the horse, but no risk of injury to the head.

Newer designs are made of nylon web, similar to some types of halter, with three rings and fleece padding underneath the noseband, often without the metal component.

This style is less bulky, less expensive, and available in a very wide range of sizes, but without adequate stiffness to the noseband, may offer less precise control.

Nosebands that are too low are very uncomfortable for the horse and, in extreme cases, can cause damage to the cartilage if misused.

Some designs replace the throatlatch with a strap that is placed further down the cheek so as to not interfere with the windpipe when adjusted snugly.

Some sensitive horses may react badly to the attachment of the line to the bit, and some classical dressage masters considered this method to be crude.

When a method of attachment causes more pain than control, the horse often resists the pressure and will not perform properly.

A good starting point is to adjust the reins so the green horse carries its head approximately 4 inches in front of the vertical.

A horse is warmed up and cooled down without the side reins, allowing the neck to stretch down and the back muscles to relax.

Side reins are most useful for work in the trot and canter, where the neck, back and hindquarter muscles are engaged.

Working a horse in side reins at the walk actually discourages a relaxed, forward-moving gait.

Wearing gloves when longeing prevents rope burns if the horse pulls the line hard.

The longe whip takes the place of the rider's legs, asking the horse to move forward or out.

A trainer may cluck or make another type of chirping or kissing sound to increase speed or impulsion.

In the field of natural horsemanship, it is a common practice to work a horse loose in a round pen 40 to 70 feet (12 to 21 m) in diameter.

A variation of these techniques are also used by circus trainers to train horses and other animals, such as elephants to work in a ring for exhibition purposes.

These types of liberty work are considered schooling disciplines and to simply turn a horse loose in a small pen and make it run around to get exercise is not free longeing.

Work in small circles is stressful on a horse's legs, so it is best to limit a longeing session to about 20 minutes.