definatly recommand this ---two rein lunging

[lamprellsarah]

after reading richard maxwells book ;from birth to backing' i decided i should try lunging with two reins, my mare is very calm, and reliable, but is long in the back and finds it hard to flex and track up!!
she has never long reined before, and i thought she may find it hard so i started off lunging with 2 reins but having the side to me still attach straight to the bit not though the roller. then i moved on and threaded it though.
overall i saw a difference, she steped further under, was more alert, and was flexing though the head, and bending well, she was also concentrating normally she isn't even looking at me let alone actually listening!!!!

so i would really recommand this, although you must get your horse used to having a line around the back, you don't need aawful lot of practise to do this this was only my second time of doing it!!!

[H & Bailey]

Be very careful as it is easier to get the horse tangled especially if it decides to be silly and buck,The last mare I owned was lunged like this before I got her.Probably as you can do a bit of lunging then do a bit of long reining then lunge without swapping and changing(well this is what he used to do)
One day she had decided to have a dicky fit and managed to get her back legs tangled and she ended up falling over.
When I got her I didnt knoew this and decided to try and lunge..she was like a mare possessed and would try and kick you or rear up to try and get away.I only found out the story via a person that rode her b4 me.So be very careful.

[lamprellsarah]

yeah i know you have to be fairly careful but done right,(looped though stirrup/lunge roller) and with a calm horse, but maybe doesn't move properly can be really good, in most of the books i read, they suggest doing this but do not warn of what can happen!!!

[lleeaannee]

I've done that and alternate circles as lunging with two reins and straight bits as long reining. I'ts really effective an gets the horse thinking about what its doing instead of just doing circles. You can actually get the horse doing lateral work this way but I've not tried yet as I'm still learning myself!

I tell you, I've learnt so much in the 6 months I've looked after these horses than in all my years of lessons!:D