Why Long Lining?
Long Lining is a technique that is endlessly beneficial to every horse. It is an excellent tool for training, retraining, conditioning, or resolving training issues with your horse.
Benefits include developing obedience to voice commands and body language, building confidence and familiarity between horse and trainer, and setting the stage for upcoming learning. It is a progressive step in a horse’s education, and makes the transition from in-hand work to mounted work logical and systematic. Long lining also adds a margin of safety for mounted work, and creates a familiarity with tack and equipment before backing your young horse.
For all horses, green or seasoned, long lining can benefit in teaching or correcting balance, rhythm, vertical and lateral flexion, gait extension and collection without interference from a rider. It allows a horse to develop physically; left/right balance, suppleness, strength of back and loin, tendon and ligament durability without the weight of a rider.
It is also helpful for correcting bad habits such as impure gaits, head tossing, or spooking, and also teaches a horse to work in certain confines. Long lining is an extremely valuable tool for rehabilitation after illness, injury, or pregnancy/lactation, as it can gain greater exercise effect than with hand walking yet is safer than turnout.
Simply put, lunging and long lining are safe and time-efficient ways to teach a horse from the ground what he needs to do when he's ridden. In addition, during ground training, you have the opportunity to develop a great relationship of respect and trust with your horse.
