Equestrians use lunge lines -- spelled "longe" lines in the traditional English riding disciplines and in Europe -- to train both horses and inexperienced riders. The longe line prepares a young horse for work under saddle, helps keep an older horse learning and in good physical condition, and provides stability for new riders who are just starting out.
Benefits for the Rider
When beginning horseback riding lessons, most qualified, certified trainers start beginning students in the saddle on a longe line. The line allows the instructor to control the direction and gaits of the horse, while the rider learns how to sit properly balanced in the saddle. Working on a longe line provides both the new and the experienced rider an opportunity to correctly arrange her heels, hips, shoulders and ears in a straight line down both sides of the horse without worrying about using the aids to make the horse go forward. This technique also strengthens the rider's confidence by demonstrating how to sit on a moving horse using core muscle groups without clinging to the reins or gripping with the legs.
Benefits for the Horse
Many trainers begin working young horses on longe lines around age 18 months to prepare them for work under saddle. Longeing a young horse teaches it to listen to vocal and body commands of "W-a-l-k", "Trot" and "Whoa," while focusing its mind and attention on the trainer. In addition, longeing helps the horse develop physically by managing its body, increasing its suppleness and flexibility, and improving the musculature of its hindquarters. Trainers often introduce the saddle and bit to the horse while working on a longe line as a way to accustom the animal to new challenges. Once the horse is working under saddle or is being ridden, longeing becomes a way for the horse to learn to respond to the rider's leg and hand aids, to remain supple as it ages, and, in the case of injury, to be rehabilitated from muscle or ligament trauma.
How It Works
Longe line training can be performed in a round pen or open arena, with or without a rider in the saddle. To longe a young riderless horse, the trainer typically attaches a 30-ft. line of flat, nylon webbing to the animal's bit and bridle. Standing in the middle of a circle, the trainer asks the animal to move off at a walk either in the right or left direction. As the animal begins to walk in a circle, the longe line extends so that, as the animal continues on the circle, it begins to move further and further away from the trainer. Once the horse circles comfortably at a distance, the trainer picks up the pace by asking for the trot and the canter. Control of the line allows the trainer to keep the horse moving forward while the circling motion correctly bends the horse's body giving it proper movement in the hindquarters. Instructors use the same technique when teaching new riders in the saddle.
Considerations
Care needs to be taken when longeing horses and new riders. Because of the continuous circling motion, the surface of the arena or round pen being used requires a soft, even footing without ruts or drops. This prevents the horse from possibly stumbling and unseating an inexperienced rider and averts any injury to the animal's legs or hooves. Keeping the horse moving on a large, 40- to 60-ft. diameter circle saves the animal's ligaments and muscles from the undue stress and strain that can come from moving in smaller circles. Trainers and riders should also take care to move the horse in both directions for approximately the same amount of time while longeing. Training in only one direction for extended periods promotes the growth of muscles on only one side of the horse, while leaving the other side under developed.
References
- "Learning to Ride as an Adult"; Erika Prockl; 2004
- "Basic Training for Horses"; Eleanor F. Prince; Gaydell M. Collier; 2006
- "Storey's Guide to Training Horses"; Heather Smith Thomas; 2010
