So today I decided to teach the Warhorse to long line. We'd tried this once before, but he was so wigged out, that I made it super simple for him and stopped after five minutes on a good note. That was weeks and weeks ago.
So today I got the lines all organized, had the whip in hand (to substitute for my leg, not to beat him. Worst he got was some firm bumps.). He stood quietly in the arena while I organized myself again and moved behind him.
If you don't know, long lining is similar to driving, but with a human walking behind the horse. He walked off when told but was looking back and going really hesitantly like 'wait, why the hell am I leading?!? Where do I gooo??'
He started to figure it out and we were walking steadily, but he wanted to spook at a flatbed trailer outside the arena. He fought the lines a bit and finally had a little hissy fit. I've had very little practice long lining, back when I knew far less, but I started to figure this out really fast.
I positioned myself and used the right signals to keep him on the rail past the evvvil trailer. We got better on the open turns. We got some slow trot in a few times. Things got steadily smoother. At one point though he turned and faced me. The lines, which run to the surcingle rings at his back, are now running from his bridle to his back, then forward to my hands as we face eachother. I tried to talk him down, but he's feeling pressure telling him to back and I don't get forward fast enough, a d he spins again and runs from me, all tangled. Crap. I almost stop him, but have to drop one line, then another. Luckily the lines detangle from his legs, and he's dragged single lines many times, so after a few strides of trot he slows and halts. Yay. I walk up and steady him and undo the knot at the end of the lines, and off we go again.
Does anyone read these whole mini epics?
So we go again and he's really feeling steady despite his little freak out. I decide to switch so I'm more in the middle, and he's circling around me with two long lines. We do that a bit, and get some super collected canters, bit lots of riders came in so we had to wrap it up with the circling.
I got behind him again and we just went for a simple walk on the rail while horses passed us. He barely made faces at other horses and walked steadily along. We did about a dozen strides of trot at the end, then walked over a ground pole. I took him to the middle, secured the lines while he stood quietly, and put his halter on and told him he was a good boy.
Yay.
s for both you and Blueberry, Fenika!
to get you writing that SS WIP.
