RIDING IN THE CLASSICAL WAY ON YOUR BEAUTIFUL ARABIAN HORSE

Written by Jean Paul Guerlain

In the past, in addition to his role as Master Perfumer for the House of Guerlain, Jean Paul Guerlain also accumulated World Championships in Dressage and Carriage Driving.

Guerlain is a French perfume house, amongst the oldest in the world. The House of Guerlain was founded in 1828, when Pierre-Francois Pascal Guerlain opened his perfume store in Paris. Jean Paul Guerlain is fourth generation Guerlain and the last family Master Perfumer. Jean Paul continues to travel the globe to develop new fragrances.

LONGEING Starting the Young Sport Horse Arabian in a Soft Kind Way, With Lots & Lots of Patience

Dear Arabian Horse Lovers,

The exciting time has come to put your young horse in kindergarten class (longeing). The foundation is being built and as always, we want to keep a willing happy horse. So make no mistakes that can scare or damage the horse.

The young horse is more likely to hurt itself during training, such as the back hoof touching the front leg, etc. Be sure to always place leg protection on the young horse. The older horse has better balance and coordination; however, please continue the use of leg protection.

Longeing a horse correctly is a great art. On the longe, the trainer can see if the horse is moving with the right rhythm. When the horse is moving to the left, the longe line should be kept in the left hand at the height of the horse’s mouth and the whip in the right hand; vice versa moving in the opposite direction. The longe cavesson is placed over the snaffle bridle (make sure the bridle is soft and of middle thickness) with a good fit so nothing is rubbing. The cavesson is used so as not to hurt the horse’s nose and the half-halts are felt more on the horse’s nose and not in the mouth (the most sensitive part).

The longe, ideally seven meters in length, is attached to the middle ring of the cavesson. The snaffle reins will be twisted around each other and the throatlatch of the bridle opened and refastened to secure the reins. The saddle is securely on the horse. Make certain it is light and comfortable with a soft protective saddle blanket/lambskin and the girth is protected with lambskin as well. After two weeks, let the stirrups down loose when you longe.

The longeing circle should ideally be approximately fourteen meters in diameter. It is not good for the articulation of the horse’s joints to turn on small circles! Initially, walk with the horse on the circle to show him the way and praise all the time. If the horse wants to move inwards from the circle, flip the longe line slightly to make waves to show him to stay out on the circle. Use your voice with the same words each time. A soft voice for coming down from a trot to the walk (example: ugh, ugh) and a sharper voice from a walk to the trot and a trot to the gallop.

Use your voice in accordance with the

temperament of the horse. Do not pull on the line, use your voice. Do not crack the whip, simply lift it up to signal the horse to move forward and lower the whip to slow down. Stay behind the head of the horse. The longe line should be kept taut and not twisted. Do not allow your horse’s legs or your own legs to intertwine with the longe line.

Work on the longe is the first step in obedience/ confidence training. The horse should recognize our superiority in rank to him and respect us, but never fear us. This trust/confidence is built for riding the horse further on in the training process.

The work on the longe line should be no more than twenty minutes in total (ten minutes to each side), every second day. When the horse stops on the longe (changing direction), you should walk toward the horse. The horse should not walk toward you. Always be calm.

After a few weeks you can place a pole on the ground and walk the first few times with the horse over the pole. The horse may then walk and trot over the pole himself, building confidence and performing new tasks. The next week a cavaletti may be introduced, you will see when the horse is ready. For the show horse, as they begin training slightly younger, running on a straight line is better for the joints rather than circles; however, again, do not overdo it.

After longing the horse, make sure the hoofs are cleaned again and that the skin is okay underneath the girth, etc. Perhaps he is hot under the saddle and requires a small shower and a wet sponge on his face. Please check his mouth that the bridle has not rubbed. Now, carrot time!

Important Information: As this is the first time your horse has had a bridle in the mouth, please ensure the dentist has checked the mouth and teeth as well as the overall health of the horse before you begin longeing.

Enjoy your Arabian horse….is he enjoying you? JPG

For questions or comments, please write to: vitalcell.km@gmail.com