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Working your horse In Hand, Lunging and Long Reining

FTP’Coaching Affilitate Disclosure

Welcome back to my next blog part 2 of ‘Working with horses In hand’.  Part 1 has given you an overview of the different In hand practices and focused on the foundations like Ground Manners, Leading and Circling. These are pre-requisite to the practices that I like to touch on today and I call transformational and performance practices.  I use these practices prior to starting any of my horses or retraining of others. Please note, that these are not necessarily done in sequence as each one has its own ranking in difficulty ranging from basic to advanced movements and therefore you can move between them. Should you be keen to deep dive into these practices, I recommend to come along to one of the clinics I run on:

• In hand work,
• Lunging and
• Long reining.

The tools and tack used depends on factors like handler’s capabilities and connection with the horse, the horse’s level of training and what exercises you want to do.  Ultimately, make sure you and your horse stay safe and if you need assitance and support subscribe as a  FTP member or attend  My face to face clinics ‘From the Ground up’ and ‘In hand’ cover the ‘Why’, the ‘What’ and ‘How’ of these practices and are the best way for you and your horse to learn. The value and benefits you gain from ground work as well as in hand practices are many.

Benefits of working horses in hand

The results of working horses In hand can vary depending on factors such as the horse’s age, temperament, training goals, and the consistency and quality of the training program. I found the following benefits when working horses In hand.

Horse:

• Improved awareness of their body
• Improved responsiveness
• Enhanced balance and coordination
• Increased flexibility and suppleness
• Improved Physical Fitness and Muscle Development
• Increased confidence
• Improved connection and stronger relationship with the handler

Handler:

• Improved observation skills
• Improved awareness of their body language and emotions
• Enhanced coordination
• Improved mental and physical fitness (body, mind and soul)
• Increased confidence in themselves and the horse

In hand practices can also be used to problem solve.  While the horse moves on the ground the handler can feel and see the horse’s body and movements to identify tension and sometimes even pain areas.  In hand work can be used to slowly and gradually work through tightness like yoga does for the human. Mindfulness in the application is key and moving through tension slowly is another.

In hand

In hand work refers to the practice of exercising or training a horse on the ground and performing specific movements and exercises such as halt, backup, shoulder-in, leg-yield, half-pass, and turn on the forehand, among others, while the handler walks alongside or slightly behind the horse.  More experienced horses and handler can perform some of these activitise in faster paces ie. trot and canter.

I start working my horses In hand once the foundation practices are covered and the horse is confident with the tack and tools used and the basic communication cues between us are working well.

Tools and Tack

The primary equipment used when working a horse In hand is a cavesson, a short lead rope, brushing boots and driving whip or bamboo. I prefer a light whip that reaches to the horses hip to be an extention of my arm and used as a guide.  Once my horse is ridden in a bit and bridle, I  progress to working In hand with the bit and bridle. My young and inexperienced horses are worked in a leather cavesson.

Exercises

My favorite exercises in the In hand practice are:

1. Releasing and softening the poll (lateral flexion) in stand still to activate the topline by activating the balancing musles and working through tension. The aim is to achieve relaxation.
2. The reinback is my second go to when the horse seems to have lost his balance and is back on the forehand I ask for a half halt and reinback. This rebalances the horse and the half halt has the aim to ask for a released poll.
3. Walk on with mindfulness. Engage the horse to walk on holding its correct body position and transition to halt.  My cues encourage the horse to become aware of its body position.
4. Position 1: I walk in a small circle and my horse walks around me with straightness and a limited amount of flexion. The aim is to have the inside hind foot to step into the outside front foot. In case where the horse overbends or pushes forward into your hand,  it’s a sign of having lost its balance and correct body position. This calls for a reset of releasing the poll potentially a rein back, walk forward and small circle. The aim is for the horse to stay stable and hold himself. Go as slow as possible and reset when the aim is lost –  “Speed is the enemy of balance” – Patrick King.
5. Position 2 :  Once the 1st four excercise are going well I start practicing Position 2. This position is asking the horse to step from a right circle to a left circle by keeping the same flexion. I start walking in Position 1 on a right circle and then change into Position two by walking a left circle keeping the same flexion in the horse. I a now walking a big circle and the horse is on a smaller circle, walking his front feet around his back feet still stepping with the inside hind into the outside front foot.

I play with these excercises and create various patterns often with some music and it becomes a dance. It is a fantastic way of warming your horse up. Once the above mentioned exercises are mastered I progress to shoulder in/counter shoulder in, half pass, traver, reverse and also work in trot and canter as the horse gets stronger. However adding speed is not alwayls helpful when your horse is not soft and supple as it creates tention. Be patient as it  can take a few months to build the muscle memory and muscles for the horse to be strong and able to move through transitions from walk to trot into canter.

In hand Resources

My current favorite book covering this topic is written by Josepha Guilllaume, Dressage in hand ‘What the horse want you to know’. I have been following Josepha for many years now from her time as the ‘Bitless Dressage Coach’.  She is outspoken, clear in her explanations and stands firm on her views backed up by her in depth research and calls a spade a spade. She will challenge the status quo and make you think and question which will allow you to grow and build your knowledge even further.  If you have not already gone and purchased her book do it. It is well worth the read.

Conclusion

The journey of working my horses In hand is a fulfilling one for me. It is a two way conversation betwen the horse and myself, mainly based on the equine body language. Cues are later translated into my riding work making the journey an easier one all up. Watch Remi in one of his ‘Beginner’ In Hand sessions.

Lunging

Lunging a horse refers to the practice of exercising or training a horse while it is on a long lead or lunge line. The horse moves on a circle at the end of a long line, typically around 7-9 meters long. The handler, known as the lunger, stands in the center of the circle and directs the horse to move forward, change direction, and adjust gaits using voice commands, body language, and lunge whip to refine and direct.

I use basic lunging once my horses have mastered the foundation practices as our communication cues are set up and basics of In Hand work is done.

Tools and Tack

The primary equipment used when lunging is a lunge line, a lunging cavesson, brushing boots and a long whip.  Trainers often use side reins and chambon which connect either to a surcingle or saddle.  I quickly provide an overview of what they are used for:

• Side Reins:  Encourage the horse to maintain a consistent head carriage and outline while lunging.
• Chambon: Encourage the horse to lower its head and neck while engaging its hindquarters. The chambon applies gentle pressure to the poll with the aim to get the horse to stretch forward and relax its topline.  My students learn to teach the horse the ‘poll release’ as the first step in my ‘In hand’ lessons. – no need for a chambon then.
• Surcingle:  Ability to attach training aids as it has multiple D-rings or attachment points like side reins, draw reins, long reins and chambon. It is a stable and secure anchor point to be used effectively.  I use it to train my young horses to get familiar and comfortable with constant pressure around their barrel to become accustomed to the feeling of pressure before the introduction of a saddle and girth.

The quest to achieve a balanced, responsive and soft horse by equestrians has over the years sparked the development of all sorts of ‘gadgets’ to be added to assist in lunging.  I am not talking about the side reins, chambon and surcingle.

• Lunging systems: These systems consists typically of various components designed to encourage correct movement, balance, and engagement from the horse while working on a circle.  I personally don’t use these as a tool however they might work in the experienced and capable  ‘Hands’. My motto is ‘less is more’ and therefore these are not on my shelf in my tack room.

These training tools used incorrectly or overused can cause discomfort, stress or even injury to the horse.

Exercises

My favourite exercise on the lunge:

• Stretch forward and down in walk and trot.
  

  Lungeing The horse and rider by Sheila Inderwick

• Lengthen and shorted strides within gates.
• Smooth, responsive and balanced transitions between gates

Lunging Resources

Sheila Inderwick’s book covers lunging a horse and lunging a horse and rider. Lunging the rider on a horse is another great way to improve your seat and riding skills.

Conclusion

Consistency, patience, and clear communication are key to successful lunging sessions. It’s essential to pay attention to the horse’s body language and its responses throughout the session to ensure its comfort and well-being. Additionally, always prioritize safety for both yourself and the horse during lunging exercises.

Long Reining

Long reining a horse is also referred to as driving and it is a practice of exercising or training a horse using two long reins. The horse is guided by the handler from behind holding two long reins that are attached to a surcingle or saddle.  The practice is less stress on the horse’s legs and body.

Groundwork and In-hand exercises are the preparation for long reining.  The horse needs to be familiar with ropes and reins along, over and under their body. A horse that is afraid of ropes touching their body and legs (anywhere) when moving requires more work prior to long reining.  Refer to my groundwork videos. We often use long reining with horses that might have some sensitivities with movement behind them or when retraining a horse that is stuck in a particular muscle pattern to estabish the correct one. This practice I usually started in a round yard. I venture into the arena once the horse is familiare and accepting. Advanced horses can be taken for track on trails.

Tools and Tack

The primary equipment used when long reining is a pair of long reins, a surcingle or driving harness,a  lunging cavesson on bit and bridle, brushing boots amd driving whip.  Usually, the reins are 9 to 12m long and are attached to the bit rings (no clips) of a bridle or side rings of the lunging cavesson.  The length depends on your horses build, your own size, and what you are practicing. I use a straight Miler with a D Ring that doesn’t slide through the mouth and rather guides the horse when a give some impulsions on the rein. My long reins are ‘featherline ropes’ which smoothly go through the rings of the sircingle where flat reins I found don’t guide as well and therefore the communication isn’t as soft.

Long Reining Resources

These three little clip provides you with a great summary of what I have covered in this section. Double Dan Horsemanship. (Part 1) with Dan Steers  (Part 2) and (Part 3)

Exercises

My favourite exercises when long reining:

• Preparing my young horses to be under saddle and listening to body language and the rein cues.
• Weaving around cones and barrels.
• Adventure walks through small fields. Gradually taking them for longer tracks. This is also beneficial for the handler as it improves fitness and strengthens back muscles.

Conclusion

Long reining provides a solid foundation for driving and riding. It promotes physical fitness and flexibility in the horse. A practice for everyone’s toolkit and often used in training of young horses prior to starting them under saddle.  It builds confidence in horse and handler when done successfully.

Summary

My findings of studying many horsemanship programs is that we just get to scratch the surface on a topic. Topics have many aspects and often only the mechanics are covered. An example are the utube clips. Be mindful that what you are watching is a piece of a bigger picture. Understand where this piece fits. In other words, there might be many little steps that need to be done with your horse prior. There is a training scale.  I am a strong believer of attending face to face lessons and clinics. These allow you to find out where you are at. Deep dive into the actual ‘how to’s’  under the watchful eye of a coach. The particpation at clinics, joined by others provides the richness and often more detail and depth then an online clip or program can ever do.

Learn more about In hand work through our mini courses and clinics. Contact FTP Coaching for dates and follow our Facebook Page for any updates.