On 1/21/07, Christine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Geisli could benefit from work without a saddle/rider right now. I do > not have access to a roundpen so my options are to lunge him or chase > him around the arena. Although I could benefit from the chasing around > LOL, I think he would do more productive work if he is working at a > more steady pace than fits and starts from me chasing. What are > people's thoughts on lunging appropriately?
I longe all my horses some, and if done properly then it's wonderful conditioning for the horse. There are many other ways to condition horses on the ground that I believe have less risks and as many or more benefits than longeing. In hand work is great for working on collection, and just teaching some basic obedience. It requires alot of body control and awareness of your position. I don't do as much inhand work as I like right now because I don't have a nicely footed arena, and it's hard to pay attention to the ground and the horse! Richard Hinrich's Work In Hand is a wonderful book for groundwork from a Classical Perspective, so is Paul Belasik's books, and Reiner's Klimke's Starting the Young Horse, and Anthony Crossley's The First Two Years. All of those cover longeing and in hand work, and Hinrichs and Belasik's cover long lining. Ground Driving is a wonderful way to exercise you both, and it's a bit different from long lining in that you don't expect collection or work on lateral work ground driving. After seeing what fun a few people here had with driving I've made my little retired pony into a ground driving queen, and will probably start really driving her later this year. My BO's daughter came down this weekend and drove her for a bit and said it was like a video game, you have to be very aware again of your positioning and hands. I found a nice *old* pony surcingle on Ebay, but it's so hard to find nice surcingles properly proportioned for ponies. A good surcingle is IMO important for long lining or ground driving. I occassionally use Side Reins (normally very loose, just tight enough to keep the head out of the grass since we work in a big flat grassy spot!), but they're really not necessary unless you're working on the upper level stuff. In Hand work is easier to learn if you first start with loose side reins and a leading rein on the noseband (I use a longeing halter with 3 rings over the nose, or a cavesson with rings), then graduate to holding the outside rein, then holding both reins. Takes some time to build that coordiantion, and that way you're not punishing the horse. Also, make sure you wear gloves and don't wear jewelry. I snapped the band of one of my rings and bruised my finger very badly when a horse spooked on the longe and the hand stop got caught on my ring. Had I either not had on the ring, or been wearing gloves it wouldn't have happend. Tara @ Tack-A-Tack makes wonderful longe lines. I've had mine (Black Beta with Purple Beta handstops) for years and it's been used alot! I like the book that Nancy posted the link to (101 Longeing and Long Lining Exercises), and I like Dekunffy's Atheletic Development of The Dressage Horse. Many of his exercises in there can be done inhand or long lining with some benefits. I found several copies on Ebay for .99 Cents. Just be careful that you're not asking too much and hurting your horse, it's very easy to overstress them on the longe! Steph -- "Brutality begins where skill ends." "Correctly understood, work at the lunge line is indispensable for rider and horse from the very beginning through the highest levels." Von Niendorff
