Long-reining essentials

YOU NEED:

 snaffle bridle  saddle  two lunge reins  a surcingle or some other way of stopping the stirrups from flapping, if used

 an assistant to start with, until the horse and you are confident to go it alone

HOW TO START:

ALWAYS have help when long-reining a horse until he is used to it.

Attach a lunge rein to each bit ring. Katie Jerram-Hunnable says: “I don’t thread the lunge reins through the stirrups to start with. It is usually relatively easy to introduce a horse to long-reining if he has been rugged and worn leg straps. When placing the lunge rein round his back end for the first time, do this in the stable with the handler holding his head while standing on the same side of the horse as you. Walk round the horse to the left and the right, with the handler always on the same side of the horse as you. When the horse is relaxed, ask the handler to lead the horse out of the stable. It is important the horse never fears the reins.”

When working outside, start in a confined space. Katie suggests a fenced area about half the size of a normal arena.

Once the horse is established, thread the lunge reins through the stirrups, which have been secured with a surcingle. Katie says: “To start with, I only thread the outside lunge rein through the stirrup, as using the inside lunge rein threaded through the stirrup can put too much pressure on the bars of the horse’s mouth, if he is not used to working this way.”

When long-reining outside the arena, always have someone walking by the horse’s head until the horse is confident.

Never rush when introducing longreining. Katie says: “The first stages in particular are important and you can ruin a good horse by doing too much too quickly. Patience will reap benefits in the long run.”