More on Ground Work - Long Lining

So far I've done a couple of posts on ground work. Ground Work versus Riding....What to Do? and So Let's Talk about Ground Work....What Is It and When to Start! It would be a mistake to post about ground work and not spend some time on the use of long lines.

One of the things I've learned about long lines is that having the right equipment to start can make a huge difference in how things turn out. For western horses, Richard and I, both employ a western saddle running the lines through the stirrups instead of a surcingle. For the english disciplines we like to use a surcingle where we can place the lines in a higher location for a higher head set on the horse.

While it's not necessary to have the most expensive surcingle out there, knowing where you're going to want to run your lines can make a big difference in which surcingle you buy. The more expensive ones seem to have more rings which gives you more options as to how you run your lines. That gives you more options to make necessary adjustments with different horses or problems.



The most important part of this equation is the lines themselves. I've learned, after many years of fighting long lines wondering why I wasn't getting my horse as forward as I wanted, that my lines were too light. It is the line bumping against the horse's leg that encourages the horse to step deeper under itself. Light lines are easy for the horse to ignore.

My early lines were a light nylon rope at the snap end. (see top image) Then it converted to webbing that was about 2/3 the length of the line. Trying to snap a correction through that line was like trying to flick a wet noodle.....it just didn't work. Now that I see the difference with heavier lines, I wonder why I didn't figure it out sooner.





The lines I have now are made from 5/8 inch mountain climbing rope (MCR) (see second image). Schneider's carries them in their catalog.....but we put mine together for less money and added our own modifications. They don't stretch and will hang nicely over the hock of a well balanced horse. A flick of the wrist sent down the MCR lines delivers a tap to the horse's leg encouraging the horse to step deeper underneath itself.

The afore mentioned modification to the lines is this. We built a twenty-five foot line with a knot at the end where we could add a five foot extension. The extension piece is built with a snap and clamp just like the longer piece. (The last image shows the two pieces attached for a thirty foot line.)



To me the nicest thing about this extension is the fact you can add it or remove it as needed. Since I've learned to work with this, I no longer am tripping over long lines dragging on the ground. I use the extended long line for the outside rein. When I change directions, I move the extension from one line to the other.......that way I'm not dragging that extra five foot from the inside line on the ground for me to trip over.

When we are starting young horses, Richard and I have different approaches to getting a rider on their backs. ( I've posted about Richard's adventures with the three geldings and their first rides Tag , Louie and Percy ) However, long lining has been an important part of the process of getting these horses broke to ride. On that part of the equation Richard and I share very much the same philosophy. From here I'm going into the specifics of the early long lining work that Richard or I do.

Long Lining Basics



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