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Post by hollowdene on Dec 15, 2009 22:48:43 GMT 1
I have a young (rising 3) ex race horse, she's only completed one season on the track, 7 races and didn't make it as wasn't fast enough.
I've started ground work, but her real job over the next 6 - 9 months is to grow, everything else is about us getting to know one another.
Late summer having established the ground work and at the grand old age of 3.5 I was planning to introduce long lining.
A friend has warned me however that this will (more likely may), teach my horse to run through my hand and is a sure fire way to ensure my horse has 'no mouth' by the time I get on-board and that it is also likely to turn an ex-race horse into a bolter.
For the record I usually long line in a dually. Any truth in my friends statement? I thought L/lines would be a great way to introduce my mare to the wider world (de-spook) and at the same time help her learn to balance herself and build muscle etc.
I still want to stick to plan A, but are there any merit in my friends comments? Anything I should do to ensure I don't create a bolter?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2009 22:53:59 GMT 1
I'd be fascinated to know how she thinks that will happen. As long as you make sure your horse is happy with what you are doing, then there should be no risk of creating a bolter simply by longlining. By bad longlining you could create all sorts of problems but by bad anything you could create an equal number of problems.
Stick with your plan, sounds a good one to me, but do try and find out your friend's logic. I'm now curious!
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Post by Zoe RA on Dec 15, 2009 23:07:47 GMT 1
Goodness, I have never heard that one before Hollowdene, and would also be interested in hearing evidence to support it!
I entirely agree however, that long lining a young horse from the bit could very well lead to a knackered mouth in anything other than experienced, soft hands.
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Azrael
Grand Prix Poster
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Post by Azrael on Dec 15, 2009 23:09:52 GMT 1
My very forward going TBx was long reined loads and mostly in a bit and she's very sensitive and has great brakes in a snaffle. My coblet was as well but she's not such a naturally forward going one, bolting would be too much like hard work for a coblet ;D
The only way I can see you could teach a horse to bolt or have no mouth by long reining is by doing it very badly!
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Post by julz on Dec 15, 2009 23:36:02 GMT 1
Im long lining a cob who didnt have very good brakes in an eggbut... and he's doing really well being longlined in a dually... he's learning to accept the voice commands rather than of the rider's commands, by way of legs/hands etc.., have changed the bit for ridden work, as im not sure the bit worked in his favour.. no respect for it, but that could be that he has a fleshy mouth and the nutcracker action hurt him. We went out the other day down a route that he's been beofre and spooked at every little thing including a drive way that someone has building supplies on it... not bothered at all in the LL's....
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Post by amberhoney on Dec 16, 2009 0:13:14 GMT 1
Have always long lined my youngster mainly in a dually but also with a very gentle contact on the bit to get her used to a little contact before she was started as i don't like side reins, she has a fantastic mouth and very good brakes, good luck with your youngster.
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Post by anastasia55555 on Dec 16, 2009 8:56:07 GMT 1
im afraid it sounds like your friend has no idea about long lining what so ever. I dont know how to do it myself as yet, but my sister does, and i have had lessons with youngsters etc we have had in the past. If you were to do it 'badly' or incorrectly then yes it will cause problems, but if done right i think it will do exactly what you want it to do. We intended to do alot with Bobby, and i would like to have a go with Apollo, as he was previously used as a work horse, so i think he would be very good to teach me!
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Post by SarahW on Dec 16, 2009 9:27:06 GMT 1
Preparation is everything and there are a full set of exercises that you can do to make sure that your horse is not firghtened (or even frightened which is similar!) of the long reins before you even begin - that and choosing a safe place to work, the right safety wear and having a second person for dual controls if needed should mean that everything is fine. I find working with body language is better than driving from behind as you can reassure the horse. I can feel a Listening Post article coming on.
Better to get it right fist time than to do it badly as it does only seem to need three goes with them taking off with long lines for them to realise that that works and of course the long lines can frighten them if they do get loose.
I won't let my training rider get on a starter that hasn't been long reined as I think long-reining tells you a lot about the horse and how he is feeling in terms of confidence and his ability to cope with direction and having someone in his blind spot. I long rein every horse in the round pen to begin with, then the small paddock, then the big paddock and then in the inclosure on the Forest before taking them out and about on the open Forest or lanes.
I tend to long rein off the Dually for most work with most horses.
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Trouble
Grand Prix Poster
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Post by Trouble on Dec 16, 2009 9:29:00 GMT 1
Well, Snip has shown less tendancy to 'bolt' (not a true bolter - just bugger off at the first sign of anything vaguely scary) since long lining. He's far easier to handle in every situation and it has given us a fab 'safety zone' to work in.
I can see the logic about lining from the bit not being the best idea for a young mouth, though I'm sure it can and is done without ruining, same as ridibng with heavy Vs. light hands really?
I linr from a dually as well, which has led to us riding off a noseband at times and left his mouth even softer than ever!
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Post by jennyb on Dec 16, 2009 12:07:05 GMT 1
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Post by Yann on Dec 16, 2009 12:26:22 GMT 1
I think I can see what they're trying to get at as the horse does have more of an option to do stuff out in front of you on long lines if something goes wrong. Like everyone else has said though if your preparation and technique are good then this shouldn't be the case - if anything it has the opposite effect I always long line in a dually - one of mine in particular is fantastic, we can go out with ridden horses and trot and even canter and she's as good as gold
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Post by penny70 on Dec 16, 2009 13:18:42 GMT 1
Ditto all above positive comments re long lining - I long line my HiPo out on hacks with friends riding and have excellent control over him, and he carries himself beautifully when doing it - seems to find proper work easier without the weight of a rider on his back. The other horses can canter off in front and M will always listen to me, and we also do trot and canter when feeling energetic and on good ground, or turn onto a circle to up the pace for him when I'm not up for a run! I don't however long line from behind, but slightly from the side so he can see my body language. We use either a bit or a normal headcollar - bit if hacking out, headcollar in the school. Our main trouble is the few times M putting his head down to eat! Good luck with it - I love it!
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Post by bryony83 on Dec 16, 2009 16:38:17 GMT 1
I long line my horse and swear by it. It was a great tool when she was off with a sore back. She has a tendancy to nap or get stuck but has never really done this since I learnt to do it properly. We have had a few lack of steering moments but that has been due to me being distracted and the horse following where I was looking
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Post by hollowdene on Dec 16, 2009 16:56:59 GMT 1
Thanks for all your helpful comments. My friends influence seems to come from a demo she went to in September an Australian chap called Andrew McClean from the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre (www.aebc.com.au/articles). Can't find anything specific on the website relating to long lining, but as you all quite rightly point out if it's done badly it can have a negative effect. She says she has a DVD, if I pick up any more specific info I'll let you know.
Makes me realise more than ever that I would probably benefit greatly from a round pen in the first few months, think I'll hire one - setting us up for success and all that!
Thanks again, it's nice to bounce these thoughts off people.
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Post by clara81 on Dec 17, 2009 12:03:55 GMT 1
I long rein my Sec A to exercise her and she goes beautifully. However my Mum's fell pony does charge off as we only have an open field to work in, and as Sarah says he's learned to do it! He's not scared of the long lines (I wouldn't do it in an open field if he was) but he is very strong and I just can't hold him when he does it. At first he was brilliant, he stops and turns with just a small squeeze of my fingers, but he got excited one day and charged off to the gate, and that was it, he does it every time now.
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