Long Reining Horses: How to Train and Ride from the Ground

Long reining horses is a technique that allows riders to communicate with their horses from the ground, without the need for a bridle or reins in the horse's mouth. This method is based on the horse's natural instinct to follow a lead rope.

A long rein is typically 12-20 feet long, allowing the rider to control the horse's movements from a safe distance. This length also gives the horse room to move freely and respond to subtle cues.

To start training a horse for long reining, it's essential to establish clear communication and trust between you and your horse. This can be achieved by working on ground manners, such as leading, loading, and accepting treats from your hand.

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It's essential to begin long reining sessions slowly and assume your horse hasn't been long-reined before. This approach will help build confidence and set the right foundations for successful training.

Start by having a helper stand at your horse's head with a leadrope clipped to the bit ring. This will give your horse confidence as you test their response to the feel of the long reins.

To get your horse used to the feel of the lines against their body, fold them up and gently flip them along the length of their body. Watch them carefully and talk to them in a calm voice to reassure them. If they're worried or react negatively, keep going in a calm, confident way until they relax.

For a young horse, it's best to start with a lunge cavesson and a bridle with a simple snaffle bit. This will allow them to get used to the feel of the bit before you start asking them to respond to pressure from the long lines.

When introducing long reining to a young horse, it's essential to start with short sessions and gradually increase the duration as they become more comfortable.

Here are some key things to keep in mind when getting started with long reining:

Remember, the key to successful long reining is to build confidence and set the right foundations from the start. With patience and practice, you and your horse will be long reining like pros in no time!

For long reining to be successful, it's essential to prepare your horse properly. Start with a young horse by attaching long lines to a cavesson, then gradually introduce a bridle with a simple snaffle bit. This allows the horse to get used to the bit before adding pressure from the long lines.

For older horses, stick to what they already know, using their usual bit and bridle. If they haven't long reined before, start with the long lines attached to a cavesson, but since they should understand rein aids, they can begin with them attached to the bit.

To ensure your horse's comfort, use brushing boots on all legs, and if they have shoes, add over reach boots too. This is especially important for young horses that can be a bit clumsy and unbalanced.

To prepare your horse for long reining, you'll need the right equipment. A bridle or lunge cavesson is essential, with a saddle or roller attached, depending on your horse's level of experience. Two long reins or lunge lines are also necessary.

You can use a bridle with a simple snaffle bit for a young horse, allowing them to get used to the feel of the bit before adding pressure from the long lines. For an older horse, you can stick to their usual bit and bridle, or similar.

A roller is a good option for young horses, as it introduces less pressure than a saddle. For older horses, the choice between saddle and roller is down to personal preference. Brushing boots are a good idea for young horses, as they can be clumsy and unbalanced.

Here's a list of typical long reining kit:

Remember to keep the reins loose to maintain a direct contact with the bit, and to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the horse's mouth.

Starting an older horse with long reining requires a gentle approach. Stick to what they already know, using their usual bit and bridle or similar.

If your horse has been ridden before, they should be comfortable in a saddle. However, the choice between a saddle or roller is a personal one, and some trainers prefer to use a roller for older horses.

For exercise, you may need to use boots, especially if your horse is used to wearing them. However, boots may not be as crucial for older horses as they are for young ones.

To begin long-reining sessions, start slowly and assume your horse has never been long-reined before. It's essential to have a helper on hand to provide reassurance and keep the horse standing still.

Here's a step-by-step guide to familiarize your horse with the long reins:

Remember, your helper should stay beside the horse's head throughout the familiarization process to provide reassurance and keep the horse standing still.

To long rein your horse effectively, you need to be in the right position. The golden rule is to be as close as possible to your horse without being within kicking distance. This allows you to have a subtle and elastic contact with your horse.

You should hold the lines as you would reins when you're riding - from your horse's mouth to your hand, between your little finger and ring finger and up across your palm with thumbs on top. This helps you keep your contact subtle and elastic.

To prevent tripping over the lines, hold them in small loops. Keeping your elbows bent and forearms relaxed will also help you maintain a comfortable and controlled position.

Here are some key tips to remember:

As you practice long reining, remember to stay close to your horse and adjust your position as needed. With time and practice, you'll develop a comfortable and effective long reining technique.

Long reining techniques can be a bit confusing at first, but think of using your inside line as you would your inside leg if you were riding. Pressure with your inside leg asks your horse to bend around your aid.

To change direction, move slightly to your horse's outside, allowing the inside line to make contact with his flank and hindquarter, which asks him to step underneath with his inside hindleg to make the turn.

The pressure of the line along his body asks him to turn, not pulling on the line. Your inside rein controls the bend, while your outside rein is responsible for maintaining straightness and speed through the turn.

As your horse comes across to change the rein, drop back directly behind him, then move to the outside as you switch reins in order to turn again. This helps your horse understand the rein aids and makes the transition smoother.

For more insights, see: Free Rein

Long reining exercises are a great way to build your horse's confidence and improve their responsiveness to your aids. Start by practicing straight lines, setting up two poles running down the center line and driving your horse between them while staying as straight as possible.

To add some variety, try working on basic shapes like circles, serpentines, and changes of rein. Begin with larger circles, around 20 meters in diameter, and gradually scale down to smaller ones, like 10 meters.

Lateral work is also essential, so practice encouraging your horse to yield to the track by opening the outside rein and flicking the inside rein on the inside girth. This will help them develop the ability to move over and respond to subtle aids.

Transitions are another crucial aspect of long reining, so practice walk-to-halt and halt-to-walk transitions using gentle squeezes and releases of the rein. Remember to always ask for a downward transition or a reduction in pace with a light, even aid.

Working over raised poles is a great way to challenge your horse and build their confidence. Start with an odd number of poles, like three or five, and gradually increase the number and height while keeping the distance relevant to your horse's stride.

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Long reining helps to strengthen a horse's back and enhances their posture to enable them to carry a rider with ease.

Long reining is an important part of the early training process for driving horses and ponies, giving them time to get used to having a handler behind them.

It's great for bringing a horse back into light work without the rider having to get straight on, which is safer, especially for horses recovering from injury.

Long reining allows you to use half-halts – a squeeze and release down the outside rein – and change the bend, ask for transitions, and perform many shapes and movements.

Long reining is perfect for horses that have been on box rest and need rehabilitating, as it gives you more control and is a low-stress, low-intensity activity.

Long reining can be done in straight lines, which is low stress and low intensity, and it's effectively like riding your horse but from the ground.

Long reining doesn't have to be restricted to the arena – as long as your horse is established in the long reins, you can take them anywhere, including undulating ground and hills.

This helps improve the horse's balance and adds variety to their routine, making it great for both young and older horses.

Long reining and lunging can be easily confused, but they have distinct differences. Lunging typically involves a horse on a circle or oval.

The main difference between lunging and long reining is the level of freedom in movement. Lunging can be done on a circle or an oval with one or two lines, whereas long reining gives you more freedom to work on straight lines, circles, or other movements.

Long reining uses two lines attached to both sides of the horse's mouth, allowing for a wider range of motion. I like to think of long reining as carriage driving without the carriage, or riding the horse from the ground.

Long reining is a great way to strengthen a horse's back and enhance their posture, making them more comfortable to ride.

You can start long reining an older horse by sticking to what they already know, using their usual bit and bridle, or similar. If they're new to long reining, it's a good idea to start with a cavesson rather than the bit.

Since older horses are usually happy in a saddle, the choice between saddle or roller is down to personal preference. I prefer a roller for Scottie, but I'll use a saddle more as we get closer to getting back on.

Long reining can be beneficial even for older horses beyond the initial training stage. It helps to strengthen their back and posture, making them more comfortable to ride.

To steer a horse while long reining, use confident and clear communication, like a firm handshake. Apply gentle pressure to the left rein to turn left and close the right line against the horse's flanks/quarters to indicate a right turn.

Here are some tips for steering a horse while long reining:

As you up the pace while long reining, you'll get a better understanding of your horse's neck muscles, saddle fit, and thoracic spine posture. This can be a great insight compared to riding alone.