Long Lining/Driving

LONG LINING/DRIVING

Long Lining is working your horse on the ground with two reins. Most long lining work is done with a bridle, two long line reins and a surcingle but you can use a driving harness or saddle and bridle with two lunge lines.

Why long line your horse:
  • a training step in between ground work and in saddle work
  • training a horse to steer, listen to the bit, make contact with the bit and carry themselves in a more collective manner
  • rehabbing a horse from injury
  • teach the horse to have better self-carriage 
  • be able to watch the biomechanics of the horse that can only be felt under saddle
  • improve rider communication (how to get a feel of the horse through using your hands and not having rider body interference)
  • work out training issues on the ground in a safe manner rather then being in the saddle
  • building and conditioning muscle groups especially the top line of the horse
  • use as an effective warm up tool before riding (much more control then just mindlessly lunging)
  • builds a great foundation for teaching horses to drive
Ground Work
Before teaching your horse to long line it is suggested that your horse has good ground work skills. Your horse should be able to stand still on command and you should be able to walk all the way around your horse with your horse not moving. They should be desensitized to ropes around their legs, neck and especially over their backs and bum area as the long lines could get caught around them or on their legs. The long lines will also need to be switched over their backs to change directions so your horse should feel ok to the feeling of the long lines and to be able to stand still while the lines are moved from side to side.

Your horse should be ok with you working from both of their sides and should lunge confidently in both directions and at all gaits.

Your horse should also give to pressure and be able to back up when asked. I do like to teach my horses verbal commands to help make cues easier to understand while long lining or driving because you do not have leg or seat aids to help you and horses cannot read body language if they are wearing blinkers.

Teaching the leading from behind ground work exercise will set your horse up for success in the long lines because they will feel comfortable with you walking behind them.
 Leading from behind ground work
 Leading from behind ground work

Long Lining with a Surcingle and Bridle
Long lining with a surcingle and a bridle with a half cheek snaffle and noseband is the most effective way of long lining. The surcingle should have various rings on it so you can adjust your lines and or hook side reins or your long line reins at different levels. The best long lining type bridle should have an over check rein so that you can start to teach the horse to wear a driving bridle. You can use your horses regular bridle with a noseband and preferably a half cheek or D-ring snaffle so that the bit cannot get pulled through your horses mouth. I prefer the long line reins to have some parachute type cord or rope on the first few feet of them to allow the reins to easily slide through the rings or bit and the last half to be soft cotton. I don’t like nylon reins as they can burn your hands and they do not slide nicely.
Long lining with a surcingle and bridle with an over check rein and full cheek snaffle. This horse is wearing a Vicky Wilson Equissage bandage that helps the horse to push its hind end underneath itself and to use its top line better.
Long Lining with a Saddle and Bridle
You can also long line your horse using either and English saddle or a Western saddle and a regular bridle. This is a great way to warm your horse up before you ride so that you can see how your horse is moving in both directions and at all gaits. You simply put the long line reins through the stirrups. The far side rein can go over the saddle or behind the horses bum.
Line Driving/Ground Driving with Poles
Once your horse is comfortable in the long lines and confident going in both directions and is halting well you, can start the horse wearing a driving harness. Make sure horse gets used to wearing the driving bridle with blinkers while leading before you start to line drive with it on. Practice serpentines and lots of halting before you add the poles. Adding the poles will prepare the horse to be hitched to a cart or sleigh.  
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