Grandson Devon, first time having a go, Nuts first time as well, Acorns well used it as we take him on walks with it.
Such lovely pictures. Makes me want to get going straight away.
Grandson Devon, first time having a go, Nuts first time as well, Acorns well used it as we take him on walks with it.
Well I would start talking to Ben when you are leading him in from the field etc. If you just put a head collar on and pull him and he walks great but literally start from now putting in voice commands. Walk on, whoa. Tell him what you require. If he's a plodder in some ways the better as everything is taught super controlled. Rather than him rushing.
I have some videos of me driving and harrowing with my voice commands. You made my watch them all last night. I could try to up load them although Im not sure the best way. I can do pics but not sure on videos unless someone can advice me the best way.
Got to whip off to feed the sheep before dark, I'll nip along the yard and measure my reins for you. Please nag me if I forget.
Measured.
Short reins 13 n a bit ft
Long reins 16ft
Lunge line 30 ft.
So for 16 hh I would say at least 16ft - 18ft.
Oh and Kelly Marks' Perfect Partners which has a good long reining section - and Richard Maxwell books too - happy to whizz them over if you'd like to borrow them![]()
I know where you’re coming from with the backward horse MP. It’s a draft thing! I have tried lunging and other people can get flipo moving pretty decently, but I failed miserably as my energy isn’t right for pushing him on.
Long reining, I have thought about, but tbh, my long reining is basically just chucking the reins over his head and letting him donder home in front of me, he knows where he’s going.
I’d think Ben is the sort that long reining round the school will feel totally pointless and he will lack the enthusiasm to go round and round.
If it was me and I were to do it properly, I’d need a helper to walk at his head, but these days I’m reluctant to rely on other folk too much. Ive thought about it before and I think this is how I’d go about it - I’d walk him out in hand with the long reins on. I’d try walking at his shoulder, gradually moving back behind him. I know for sure that flipo would long rein perfectly on his way home, so I’d aim to be behind him by the time we get to the furthest away point on the hack. Hopefully with time, the periods of leading will get less and less.
That's the point where a helper can really help get them past that confusion, normally in under 10 mins and once they get it you are offGood luck. I'm actually following with interest as I've never long reined. I got as far as lunging in a roller with two lines but as soon as I tried moving behind Raf to get into position for long reining he got confused and a bit upset. I'm pretty sure he will have been long reined when he was being broken but what I was trying to do obviously didn't make any sense to him.
Good luck. I'm actually following with interest as I've never long reined. I got as far as lunging in a roller with two lines but as soon as I tried moving behind Raf to get into position for long reining he got confused and a bit upset. I'm pretty sure he will have been long reined when he was being broken but what I was trying to do obviously didn't make any sense to him.
That's the point where a helper can really help get them past that confusion, normally in under 10 mins and once they get it you are off
@Mary Poppins I have never lunged Hank, well I tried once long before he knew any voice commands (he'd not long been rescued and hadn't had much human contact and no training other than having a head collar on) and it failed miserably. When it came to long reining him I spent 5 mins in a paddock with a helper to make sure he wouldn't panic about the lines on his bum/legs then we went out for 20 mins up the drove still with helper leading from the end of a rope when needed, the next day the helper started walking with him (not leading) and dropped back with me after 5 mins and he had it from there on outI guess my point is you said you had tried to lunge ben before and he hadn't taken to it, so I just wanted to say it is a necessary step if he doesn't get it
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