The Benefits of Longeing

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ongeing is an integral part of training a horse as it teaches acceptance of the bit and strengthens the back and develops balance and collection without interference from a mounted rider. Here, three riders/trainers discuss what you need to know to add longeing to your training program.

Longeing is an important tool in training horses as well as keeping advanced level horses polished for the best performance, no matter what discipline you have chosen.

“It is easier for the horse to understand and learn to perform the work being asked of him without the weight of the rider on his back,” says international endurance champion Valerie Kanavy, who uses longeing to train and to keep her endurance horses in top form. “Longeing develops the back, increases the stride, and teaches the horse to be on the bit.

It is also a gymnastic form of exercise. It helps to supple the horse by strengthening and lengthening muscles.”

“Longeing helps with the acceptance of the bit. It helps a horse find that correct round frame or position that is best for their movement at the walk, trot, and canter without fighting the weight and hands of a rider,” explains classical dressage trainer Linda Bertschinger, owner of Classicus Farms in Edinburg, Virginia.

Linda has worked with Valerie Kanavy’s champion endurance horses, Pieraz and Jedi, as well as John Crandell’s Heraldic prior to his 2007 history-making triple

BY 'ENIE 3TEWART 3PEARS

win (AERC National Championship, Old Dominion, and Tevis Cup). Linda devotes her time to schooling horses and teaching riders of all disciplines.

“It is a lot easier to control a horse and a lot easier to ride a horse when you have developed a nice strong back, balanced movement, and self-carriage through longeing,” says Alfonso Doce, who has served as a captain in the 1st Regiment of Mexican Cavalry Dragoons and has studied at the Royal Andalusian School of Equitation Art and the Escola Portuguesa de Arte Equestre. He is the head horse trainer for Medieval Times in Schaumburg, Illinois, and now owns EQUIPMENT • Longeing caveson • Bridle with a snaffle bit and a noseband • Surcingle for multiple adjustments for the height of the side reins • Side reins are available with an elastic or rubber doughnut to allow a little give • Longe line should be 35 feet long with a swivel snap or buckle • Longe whip should be long enough to reach and push or encourage the horse to go forward on a 20-meter circle To properly longe a horse you need a longe line and whip, longe caveson or bridle with a snaffle bit, surcingle or saddle, and side reins.

The Renaissance Crown, a jousting show.

Alfonso offers private instruction as well as clinics for horse and rider in various disciplines including but not limited to dressage, three-day eventing, and polo, in Woodstock, Virginia.

Strengthening the Back Alfonso, who embraces the principles of classical equitation of “calm, forward, and straight,” says, “In order to support a rider, a horse’s topline needs to be developed. That means not just the back, but the upper suspension system that stretches all the way from the poll to the tail. When the back is up, this helps the muscles that are found directly under the saddle to develop properly and move freely. When the back is hollow, the muscles are tight and therefore the back can’t swing freely. It is a lot easier to control, and to ride a horse, when the horse has developed a nice, strong back.”

Kanavy points out, “If a horse’s back is not strong enough to support the rider’s weight, its back hollows, the head comes up, and there is a tremendous amount of energy that is lost in this dysfunctional carriage of the body.

Although you will see horses get around the courses in this manner, they are not maximizing their strength or their stride. The biggest muscles the horse has are in the hindquarters and these hollowed out, high-headed horses are not taking advantage of that strength to push themselves forward. Instead they are falling onto their front ends and

ongeing is an integral part of training a horse as it teaches acceptance of the bit and strengthens the back and develops balance and collection without interference from a mounted rider. Here, three riders/trainers discuss what you need to know to add longeing to your training program.

Longeing is an important tool in training horses as well as keeping advanced level horses polished for the best performance, no matter what discipline you have chosen.

“It is easier for the horse to understand and learn to perform the work being asked of him without the weight of the rider on his back,” says international endurance champion Valerie Kanavy, who uses longeing to train and to keep her endurance horses in top form. “Longeing develops the back, increases the stride, and teaches the horse to be on the bit.

It is also a gymnastic form of exercise. It helps to supple the horse by strengthening and lengthening muscles.”

“Longeing helps with the acceptance of the bit. It helps a horse find that correct round frame or position that is best for their movement at the walk, trot, and canter without fighting the weight and hands of a rider,” explains classical dressage trainer Linda Bertschinger, owner of Classicus Farms in Edinburg, Virginia.

Linda has worked with Valerie Kanavy’s champion endurance horses, Pieraz and Jedi, as well as John Crandell’s Heraldic prior to his 2007 history-making triple

by Genie Stewart-Spears

win (AERC National Championship, Old Dominion, and Tevis Cup). Linda devotes her time to schooling horses and teaching riders of all disciplines.

“It is a lot easier to control a horse and a lot easier to ride a horse when you have developed a nice strong back, balanced movement, and self-carriage through longeing,” says Alfonso Doce, who has served as a captain in the 1st Regiment of Mexican Cavalry Dragoons and has studied at the Royal Andalusian School of Equitation Art and the Escola Portuguesa de Arte Equestre. He is the head horse trainer for Medieval Times in Schaumburg, Illinois, and now owns EQUIPMENT • Longeing caveson • Bridle with a snaffle bit and a noseband • Surcingle for multiple adjustments for the height of the side reins • Side reins are available with an elastic or rubber doughnut to allow a little give • Longe line should be 35 feet long with a swivel snap or buckle • Longe whip should be long enough to reach and push or encourage the horse to go forward on a 20-meter circle To properly longe a horse you need a longe line and whip, longe caveson or bridle with a snaffle bit, surcingle or saddle, and side reins.

2 ▪ ARABIAN HORSE WORLD ▪ NOVEMBER 2009

The Renaissance Crown, a jousting show.

Alfonso offers private instruction as well as clinics for horse and rider in various disciplines including but not limited to dressage, three-day eventing, and polo, in Woodstock, Virginia.

Strengthening the Back Alfonso, who embraces the principles of classical equitation of “calm, forward, and straight,” says, “In order to support a rider, a horse’s topline needs to be developed. That means not just the back, but the upper suspension system that stretches all the way from the poll to the tail. When the back is up, this helps the muscles that are found directly under the saddle to develop properly and move freely. When the back is hollow, the muscles are tight and therefore the back can’t swing freely. It is a lot easier to control, and to ride a horse, when the horse has developed a nice, strong back.”

Kanavy points out, “If a horse’s back is not strong enough to support the rider’s weight, its back hollows, the head comes up, and there is a tremendous amount of energy that is lost in this dysfunctional carriage of the body.

Although you will see horses get around the courses in this manner, they are not maximizing their strength or their stride. The biggest muscles the horse has are in the hindquarters and these hollowed out, high-headed horses are not taking advantage of that strength to push themselves forward. Instead they are falling onto their front ends and

dragging themselves. This reduces not only the athletic ability required to get around a course efficiently, but it also is a disadvantage when the footing is rugged.

They are more likely to trip and, if they step in a hole, for instance, they lack the power from behind to support themselves and recover without falling.”

She goes on to explain, “You want a horse to work off his hindquarters. If you ask for a canter, for example, you want the horse to jump or thrust into the canter from the back end rather than going forward and falling into the canter.

A horse that runs or falls into a canter throws his head up and hollows his back instead of staying rounded and pushing through into the canter.”

There is a big difference between sitting on a horse that has a strongly developed back and one that doesn’t.

Kanavy says, “A strong, developed back gives you a comfortable place to sit as opposed to sitting on a back with hard, unyielding muscles.”

“WHOA!” “During longe training,” says Kanavy, “is a good time to also teach or reinforce the halt, as ‘Whoa!’ is a very important command.”

Alfonso agrees and said, “One of the first things that I want a horse to know before I put a foot in the stirrup is that when I say ‘Whoa!’ the horse is going to stop. Otherwise, it would be like getting into a car without brakes. The halt is so important and fundamental for the simple tasks of mounting and dismounting safely. And the halt is the foundation for the half halt that is crucial for every single transition. Importantly, in the process of learning the halt, the horse has to learn to stop by engaging the hindquarters, rather than falling into the forehand.”

Alfonso discusses the quality of the halt. “When you get to a stoplight while driving a car, you don’t stop, shut the engine off and take the keys out of the ignition. It is the same with a horse. You keep the engine running even though you are stopped. The horse’s hindquarters should stay engaged, which keeps the

One method of attaching the longe line is through the ring of the bit on the side you are longeing from. It is also important to use a snaffle bit when longeing — the design allows pressure to be applied to either side of the mouth without causing a pinch. Additionally, using a bridle that has a noseband helps keep the horse’s tongue under the bit and ensures that it cannot avoid the bit by opening its mouth.

horse in front of your leg. This means the moment you close your legs that the horse is ready to take a step, pushing from behind, whether you ask for a walk, trot, or canter. You want engagement from the hind end; you want the horse to push through from the rear rather than step forward with a front leg and thus be pulling himself and hollowing the back.”

Although you can longe a horse using a saddle, a surcingle is far better.

Alfonso says, “A surcingle has different height adjustments for the side reins.

When you start a young horse or a horse for the first few times, you start with a really lose side rein. You want to give the horse freedom to get used to the contact.

You don’t want the horse to be put under the confinement of the reins right off.”

It is far better to use a surcingle than a saddle for attaching and adjusting the side reins. Linda says, “Attaching the side reins to the stirrups is not stable enough.

Definitely don’t do that. It you must use a saddle, attach the side reins to the girth.”

If you don’t have a surcingle, Linda says, “You can attach the side reins to 3 ▪ ARABIAN HORSE WORLD ▪ NOVEMBER 2009

the buckles of the girth of your dressage saddle. Although a western saddle typically has too much stuff flopping around, you can secure the stirrups with a strap under the belly. You then run a loop of the side rein from the bit to around the girth and attach it back to itself.”

You can longe the horse without side reins; however, Alfonso does not endorse this practice. He explains, “The side reins form two walls for the horse to stay between so as to learn to stretch into the connection and learn to bend laterally from poll to tail.

“Always use a bridle with a snaffle bit and if possible, a longeing caveson, along with side reins. The idea is to teach the horse to stretch down and out into the contact, bringing the back up and stepping more under with the hindquarters. Using only a halter and bringing the horse’s head in with the longe line without the support of an outside rein can cause overload to the inside front leg. This then could cause injury to tendons and ligaments.”

The longe line is attached to the center ring on the nose of the caveson.

However, if you are using only a bridle, there are several ways of attaching the longe line. Linda runs the end of the longe line through the ring of the bit on the side she is longeing from and clips it to the surcingle or girth of the dressage saddle. Also, Linda prefers the leather side rein with the rubber doughnut. “It is more consistent in the give when the horse pulls on it. The elastic on some side reins stretches out and gives too much,” she adds. Alfonso usually runs the end of the longe line through the ring of the bit and then over the horse’s poll and clips the end to the ring of the bit on the other side.

Each way serves a different function; it all depends on what you are trying to achieve at that time. “When the longe line runs over the poll and through both rings of the snaffle bit and pressure is applied, this will bring about a half halt and engage the hind end. On the other hand, you will get more flexion through the whole body if the longe line is run

through the rings of the bit to the girth or surcingle as long as there is support of the outside rein,” Alfonso explains.

“This will encourage the horse to take the connection and to stretch long and low while flexing to the shape of the circle that it is traveling around.”

Problem and Solution Your horse goes nice and steady — and then you get on and it doesn’t. “That often is because your hands are moving,” says Linda. “You have to be like a side rein. Your hands don’t move. The only giving you do is opening your fingers like the rubber doughnut on the side reins.

You hands should not float around and move because when your hands move when they are riding, they are often jabbing the horse in the mouth and the horse typically isn’t going to be relaxed and steady because it keeps getting pulled on or jerked on.”

Linda’s technique for longeing is unique in that she uses only the inside side rein. Her theory is that you ride with contact with only one rein at a time; thus she uses only one side rein. “Only for a halt, when mounted, will I close fingers on both hands at the same time. In classical training, anytime you use force, it is no longer classical. Two side reins are more forceful, just as contact with both hands is more forceful. I don’t believe you have to do all that to get the results you want. It is my opinion that less is better.”

However, Valerie, who has had horses in training with Linda, points out, “Linda is very good at what she does and her timing is impeccable so she can get away with not using an outside side rein.

But the average person doesn’t have the expertise and timing.”

Caution Although longeing, as well as other training techniques, is commonly used, Linda warns, “When people put horses in positions from which they can’t move or can’t escape, they can panic and react by backing, rearing, falling down, or flipping over, causing injury or even death to themselves or their handlers. You have to use great caution and forethought when

A sure sign your horse has adjusted to the bit: he is chewing on it instead of chomping.

Foam on the mouth during longeing is indicative of licking and chewing, which means the horse is in a desired relaxed state.

using side reins or any other training tools. You need to have a plan and understand what you are doing.”

Bitting and Bridling “If you use a bridle for longeing, you must use a snaffle bit,” Linda explains.

“You do not want to longe on a curb bit because a curb bit is too severe and works adversely when longeing. A snaffle bit can apply pressure on one side or the other because of its construction. I am a big fan of the Baucher snaffle, but you can use any kind of snaffle.

“When the headstall is adjusted, the bit should create a little wrinkle in the corner of the mouth,” she says. “Any more could be uncomfortably snug and less would cause the snaffle to bang against the teeth.

“When you adjust the bridle’s noseband, you don’t want it so loose that the horse can get its tongue over the bit, nor do you want to clamp the mouth shut. The longeing caveson, however, has to be adjusted tighter because it slides around on the nose if you don’t tighten it.

“I don’t use a longeing caveson in addition to a bridle,” she continues. “I will use a longeing caveson to start a young horse that is not accustomed to the bridle.”

Alfonso prefers an egg butt snaffle with young horses because “It gives them a nice place to look for contact and there is no risk of pinching the corners of the mouth.”

He says, “A noseband is used so that the horse can’t avoid the bit by opening its mouth, and it helps to keep the horse’s tongue under the bit. The noseband 4 ▪ ARABIAN HORSE WORLD ▪ NOVEMBER 2009

keeps the mouth quiet and helps teach the horse to chew on the bit. If you give horses too much freedom of the mouth, some will chomp on the bit, rather than chewing.”

He adds that it is important to make sure there are no dental problems before bitting a horse.

“Ideally,” says Alfonso, “I prefer to start young horses with a longeing caveson on top of the snaffle bridle. A caveson has three rings across the nose piece and this puts all the control on the front of the nose rather than the horse’s mouth.”

Longe Area “I recommend a round pen, especially in the beginning of the longe training,” says Valerie. “If the horse is trying to escape and run forward, you just bring it in closer and that makes it work harder. But you need to send it back out again just as soon as the horse comes under control. Keeping horses working in a tight circle should be brief, as it can put undue stress on their legs.”

The ideal size of a round pen for longeing is 66 feet, or 20 meters. “This is a nice size,” agrees Linda, “especially for a horse starting out. You can use a smaller area, but the smaller the circle, the more flexion and balance, and the more demanding it is on the horse.”

“Arabians that are typically smaller and more collected can handle a smaller circle but still I do not recommend less than a diameter of 60 feet,” Alfonso says.

What to Strive for “The horse should be relaxed and in a rounded frame, with the hind foot tracking up into the print of the front foot, if not in front of it. This is what you will see if the horse is engaging the hind end. If the horse is high-headed with a hollow back, he can’t engage the hind end,” Linda explains.

“You might find it easier to start working a horse on the left side,” she continues. “Horses are often more emotional and stiffer going to the right.

There are exceptions, but it is mostly the left side that is easiest to start with.”

Alfonso agrees and adds, “Most people are right-handed and handle horses from the left side. Therefore, it is an excellent practice to lead and work horses from the ground equally from both sides.”

On using side reins, Linda explains that any changes in the length adjustment should be gradual as the horse learns to become collected and round. “The rule of thumb is to have the reins long or short enough to where the horse stays round and on the bit. You don’t want his nose sticking out or tucked into his chest.

Ideally, his face should be vertical to the ground. After several sessions, if the horse is not rounding and on the bit, then the reins are probably too long. However, you don’t want to force his head to be vertical right away. You should never force anything! You go with a longer side rein until you get some acceptance of that bit.

It is a process of adjusting the length of the side rein.

“If you have a horse that wants to raise his head high, you want to temporarily place the side rein low to encourage him to relax and lower his head. Low, meaning closer to the height of the horse’s elbow. If a horse is not too high-headed, then placing the side rein in the middle is good. But not at the angle you have your hands. For longeing I want them to come low with their head and neck, relax their back and stretch down.

A setting lower than where your hands would be encourages this,” she says.

“When I am longeing a horse,” Alfonso says, “I’m looking at how far he can reach with that hind end. How much more can I push that? Is he trotting too fast? Or is he too slow and lazy? Is he off the forehand and carrying himself properly? I want him to function like a metronome. I want a nice fluid rhythm.

And as the horse goes forward, look for the horse to push over and relax and

loosen the topline — when that neck stretches down and the horse pushes through the withers, the back is going to come up and swing. Look for signs of relaxation, for instance, the mouth foaming and the horse blowing his nose and licking his lips.

“We teach the horse with our voice and with the whip to push the hind end under. This is where you need a whip long enough to get close to the hind end and teach the horse to track the hind foot in front of or where the front foot landed,” he says. “The overtracking will stretch the hamstrings and gluteus. It will make him more powerful; it will make him more supple, and he will be more balanced.

Also it brings the back up and thus builds the abdominal muscles. Basically it helps build the core of the horse.

“As the horse progresses, look for the purity of the gaits and transitions,” he continues. “The walk has to be a march.

You want the energy. The trot has to be a cavalcaded cadence because you want him to push; you want a trot that is balanced and covers ground. You don’t want the horse to go to sleep at a halt.

“Transition means that the horse goes from halt to walk, walk to trot, trot to canter, canter to trot and trot to walk, and other combinations, without hollowing his back,” Alfonso explains. “In order for the horse to make transitions, he has to engage the hind end and push with it. Take, for example, the transition from a canter to trot. The horse has to lower himself and naturally hit a brake for a fraction of a second, transferring the weight to the hind end, and then

Linda Bertschinger demonstrates the expert use of one side rein for longeing. Notice how the longe line is attached to the buckles of the girth on a dressage saddle as an alternative if you do not have a surcingle to attach the side reins to.

“The use of only one side rein is sometimes controversial,” Linda says. “However, I find it less restrictive than using two side reins as it doesn’t put the horse in a fixed frame. But you must know what you are doing using side reins — whether one or both. Using one side rein on the inside helps the horse learn to yield to the bit and, because it is on the inside, it reinforces the classical rule of having the horse bend around the inside leg. I find that the use of one side rein can efficiently get the job done of putting the horse on the bit, creating a round frame and moving forward. There are occasions when I use two side reins if I can’t accomplish the job with one. However, if I use two, I will make the outside rein longer than the inside side rein.

“This use of one rein then is carried over to riding because I never have a constant contact or tension on both reins at the same time. Rather, I give as much as I can by opening the fingers on one rein or the other. I believe that in order for the horse to be in self-carriage, we must release the contact to achieve this,” she concludes.

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“Arabians are sometimes excitable,” says Linda Bertschinger, “so I allow them to longe low to stretch the back and encourage relaxation in the beginning training sessions.”

Horses sometimes have a challenging time longeing to the right. Starting the longe in a small circle at a walk teaches them to relax and become comfortable with this direction. Be patient as it may take weeks of daily training for your horse to longe as easy to the right as he does to the left.

push to the trot. He must keep forward momentum, though, to do this correctly.

“Transitions are where a lot of people lose their horses,” he points out. “You don’t just drop a gear or go up a gear as in a car with an automatic engine. You must engage the clutch and power into the higher or lower gear, not fall into it.”

Problem and Solution Your horse is longeing nicely on the side reins, but when mounted he starts pulling. Alfonso explains, “Your seat position is not effective as it should be.

It should act in the same way as the side reins do. The horse will not pull on the side reins because the horse knows he is pulling against himself. When the rider allows the horse to pull on the reins and bring the rider forward, over the shoulder, it becomes a game for the horse. The horse is playing yo-yo with the rider. The horse loves this game! But if you have a nice deep seat, close your angles, bring your elbows to your side, brace your back when the horse pulls, he pulls your weight into the saddle and he is going to quit because he feels that pressure he is creating against his back.”

Problem and Solution “You hear people say they can’t longe to the right because the horse stops and stands and looks at them. Or the horse cuts corners. It is because the horse doesn’t want to bend in that direction around the circle,” says Linda. “So put him on a small circle at a walk, teaching him to bend in a very relaxed manner.

The circle should be small enough that the whip can reach his hind end so you

can keep him moving forward with small, light taps. Bending is the issue because horses are stiff in that direction. It is not an obedience thing; it is a comfort issue. So don’t rush the horse.

It may take several weeks of daily longeing before you can send the horse out in a larger circle at a pace faster than a walk.”

How long and how often should you longe a horse?

Linda says for a young horse or a horse you are starting to reschool, generally 10 minutes on each side. Then you will progress up to 15 minutes on each side. And, she adds, “I generally don’t work one any more on one side than another.”

Alfonso says, “When you start a horse you don’t want to do a lot of longeing immediately. But it also depends on the shape of the horse. A lot of endurance horses have so many miles on them that they are very fit and thus there is not much problem with them.

You want to distribute the 30 minutes between the two sides, working a little both ways but sometimes you might have to work longer on one side than the other because you are looking for the tight side to release.”

As for how often you should do longe training, Alfonso suggests at least five times a week, and not necessarily five days in a row. “But,” he says, “the horse should be longed every day before it is going to be ridden. This will allow the back to stretch and warm up without the burden of the rider’s weight, especially if the horse is young or has a hollow, weak back.”

To do this prior to riding, he generally puts the surcingle over the 6 ▪ ARABIAN HORSE WORLD ▪ NOVEMBER 2009

saddle and times the warm-up with a stopwatch. “Horses are athletes; they need to be warmed up slowly before they are asked to perform,” he explains. “Like human athletes, horses need 15 to 30 minutes of warm-up time.

“In addition to warming their muscles up,” he says, “longeing them before riding helps set the mind of the horse and the rider. It also is a time for you to look at the horse on that particular day and see that all is well with the horse before you ride.”

Suggestion Linda says, “The first thing I want to accomplish with any horse is relaxation.

You bring them to the point where you can ask them to engage their hind end without them getting uptight. Relaxation is very important. Relaxation helps to create suppleness, which helps everything.

“Last but not least, the handler’s demeanor is very important. The handler should be relaxed and quiet and know what they want and how to ask the horse to give. If the handler doesn’t know what they are doing, if they don’t have an understanding of what they want, how is the horse going to know?”

In Conclusion Longeing is a training tool; it is an exercise that can help the horse reach his potential. It is also a means for riders to better understand the movement of their horse; to know what the horse is capable of when not under saddle and thus capable of under saddle.

Alfonso says, “Every horse you ride is different. They connect differently to your hands; they have different rhythms, different cadence, or timing. You want to watch the horse so you understand his natural movement so you can do the same thing in the saddle.”