Teaching the young horse to steer

Longlining is the next step after lunging when training a colt, says Dr Mac.

Teaching the young horse to steer
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We recently sent two young quarter horses to a clinic on longlining. They had been gentled to take a saddle and then turned out for six months. Our trainer had worked them for three weeks to get them accustomed to longlining. Both horses had been free-lunged (round-penned) and were accustomed to being handled. The next step was to teach them to lunge.

Debbie Logan, the longlining trainer, likes horses to be accustomed to having ropes hanging about their bodies, so she slid the lunging line around their legs and banged them gently on the body before attaching the lunge line to their halters. She then demonstrated how ‘rope wise’ the two colts were, leaving the lunge rope loose so that they became entangled in it, then gently helping them free themselves – without any panic. They also showed no fear when they were bridled because they had already been taught to accept a bit. However, they had no idea about steering.

The surcingle (the strap that fastens around a horse’s midriff) was also new to them, and Debbie gradually tightened it while leading them around, and then lunged them for a few days with the bit and surcingle in place. Once each horse had accepted this, the lunge line was fastened to the bit on both sides and they were lunged with some pressure on the bit. This stage had taken about 10 days.

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Now Debbie was ready to show us longlining. According to Bob Jeffreys in America’s Horse, longlining should not start unless a horse is able to walk, trot and canter on the lunge, and obey the verbal cues to go and stop. During lunging, a lunging whip is used to teach these aids, but with longlining it is hard to hold both reins and a whip, and obedience is preferable. It is best not to start longlining until the basics are in place.

Tacking up
Debbie demonstrated how to tack up for longlining with a surcingle settled comfortably behind the withers, two braided nylon ropes and a bridle with a snaffle bit and noseband. Boots on the forelegs are also a good idea. Debbie prefers putting the surcingle over a small saddle and numnah. It is also possible to longline with only a saddle, threading the lines through the stirrups, but this is not recommended for untrained horses. Initially, one longline is laid across the back so that it does not frighten the colt, and only the inside rein is used.

Debbie gave all of us a chance to feel how much tension is needed to balance the trainer and the horse. Next, the second rein is slid gently over the hindquarters so that it is behind the horse – and suddenly you’re steering. Practising on our two young horses, we all became more and more expert! It was possible to halt the horse and turn it around, with the long reins.

It was even possible to ask for a back-up.