From: Audrey Yates
There's been lots said about lunging riders on E-L lately. I don't have access to an instructor for this but a couple of us would like to help each other. But I wouldn't be sure what to do. I learnt to ride with the "throw her back on each time she comes off unti she stays there" method. I know about checking position for the straight lines, but that doesn't seem much and I can imagine it would get boring fast if that was all we were doing. Can you give me more details about what we should be doing, or point me to a book that would help?
Thanks Audrey
Hi Audrey! The first thing you might want to think about is what you want to get from longe lessons, and whether you are likely to be able to get it. I say this because sometimes it's possible to get something you DON'T want -- namely, a lame horse. Circle work is quite stressful, even without a rider, and longe lessons, while useful for the rider, are often detrimental to the horse involved.
If your horses are solid, sound, and entirely accustomed to being longed without a rider, you might want to have a go. Just be alert to any signs of strain or pain -- a back that seems a bit stiffer or more hollow than usual, any heat or bogginess anywhere in a leg, and especially in a joint...
Walk-work should be fairly safe to begin with, and there are a lot of exercises you can do on a horse that's walking. Begin with the proper equipment: a longeing cavesson for the horse, a long longeing rein (so that the horse can work on AT LEAST a 20-meter circle), a longe whip (both riders need to practice with this, and practice their longeing skills generally, before they try to longe the horse WITH a rider). Boots are useful, in case the horse strikes itself; a neckstrap is useful for the rider, as is a short strap connecting the front saddle dees (known here as an S.O.S strap or a bucking strap). Riders should wear their safety helmets, of course.
If you are two intermediate riders with a steady horse, you will benefit quite a lot from longe work. You may find that it's more difficult than you imagined it would be -- it can be a real revelation when you are on a horse and someone else is in control of its direction and speed. When your only responsibility is to ride from balance and maintain a correct and effective position, the fact that you have no reins should cause no problem.... but the reality can be intimidating!
Longe work enables you to do exercises on the horse at the walk; bending forward and backward, touching your toes on either side, forward and backward arm circles (one at a time, together in the same direction, together in opposite directions), reaching for the rafters, twisting from the waist -- all of these exercises, so simple on the ground, become much more challenging when you do them on horseback. For one thing, you must try to keep your legs and seat in place when you do them -- for another, your lower back will be flexing all the while, to follow the horse's motion. All of these are good exercises to help you develop an independent upper body and a deep, flexible seat and leg. The important thing is to focus on each exercise as you do it, and try to do each one in the best possible form.
In addition to those exercises, you can practice using your weight, seat, and leg aids to send the horse forward, lengthen and shorten its stride, and halt. You can also get in the habit of coordinating your breathing with the horse's stride. After a few months of doing all of this in both directions, even once or twice a week, you should both notice major improvements in your balance and your use of the aids -- and you should also notice that your posture and strength have improved, both on and off the horse. And one more benefit -- if you were in the habit of riding "hands first", you'll be on your way to developing a new habit of "hands LAST," which is much better riding!
Jessica
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