Horse Training 102: Longeing and Liberty Work
Longeing your horse is not just a way to exercise the animal- it’s also the most important method of training available to any equestrian, regardless of discipline or style. While this is true for the horse’s training, it is also equally as true for the rider’s training. In fact, many riding and training facilities never allow their students to use stirrups or even reins until they have been longed sufficiently enough to fully develop their seat and posture. Therefore, effective longeing takes place both on the ground and in the saddle with a competent assistant.
Longe work can only occur when your horse has come to understand basic commands, which are usually taught by hand walking the animal. When the equine knows elementary “stop” commands, and can stand quietly while in gear, then longe work may begin. While many equestrians insist on longeing from within a penned area, a horse may also be longed in the open. However, it should be noted that longeing in a circular pen will help keep your horse under control in case it bolts, and provide the animal with a sense of security, enabling it to better concentrate on the task at hand.
A longeing area should be between 50-60 feet in diameter, with a corresponding longe line of about 20-30 feet. Longe line can be comprised of nearly any material other than chain or cable. Synthetic fibers are usually best, as they tend to be very strong, but still light enough to allow subtlety of contact. You will also need a longe whip with a 6 foot stock and 6 foot lash. This particular size whip is important because it will allow you to have contact with the animal from a distance. However, it is vital to understand that one should never strike a horse with a whip except under extreme circumstances. Rather, the whip is used initially to stop the animal by placing it across the chest, and later to control gaits by gently pressing the whip against the animal’s sides. In essence, the whip replaces your “legs” and “seat”, while the longe line replaces the “reins.” Understanding longe methods in this manner will better enable you to visualize precisely how you will communicate with your horse.
This author personally recommends that a longeing cavesson be the only head gear used while longeing. Very experienced horsemen may use bridles or halters, however, these can result in damage to the horse’s mouth, lack of control, and undue stress on incorrect areas of the horse’s head and neck. Furthermore, a longeing cavesson will allow your horse to change directions without requiring adjustment to the head gear that would be necessary if a bridle or halter were used. For these reasons, it is a wise idea to invest in a longeing cavesson that is correctly fitted to your horse.
When longeing your horse it should be understood that you have a number of tools available to you, and that you must use them all. This means that in addition to the longe line and whip, you will need to use your voice and body language in order to successfully “speak” to the horse. While your horse is on the longe line, you will ask it to perform certain tasks using all or a combination of these methods. For instance, when starting a new horse on the longe, it is not sufficient to simply use the longe line to issue commands. You must use your voice and the whip in conjunction with the line. Also, proper posture is as important on the ground as it is in the saddle. This means that the hand holding the longe line should be bent at the elbow, with the line held as slack as one would hold the reins if they were on the animal’s back. If the horse is moving counter clockwise, the line should be held in the left hand, and in the right hand when moving clockwise. The whip should be held in the free hand, with the lash dragging on the ground, and the point of the stock pointing at the animal’s hindquarters.
As your horse moves on the longe line, you will issue a variety of commands using all tools available to you. For instance, in order to stop the horse from moving in on the longe circle, you may say the word “out,” point the whip at the shoulder, or release the line and give the animal its head. As another example, to ask the horse to move forward, you may utilize open reining whereby you move the line to your side and away from your body, say the words “walk on,” or point the whip stock and rotate it forward. To change gaits you may simply say the word of the gait, touch the horse lightly with the lash in the girth area, or use open reining in conjunction with either the whip or a vocal command.
Remember that all commands given verbally must be in a clear and concise voice. Also, try to avoid using words that sound the same, as a horse may not be able to differentiate between them. For instance, while the universal command for “stop” is “whoa,” you would not want to use “no” as a command, for the two words sound too alike to be useful to the trainer. It is also important to give as much vocal praise and rewards as you do commands. Additionally, you can reward your horse while longeing by giving him his head, talking gently to him, or offering him an occasional treat.
It should be clear that longeing a horse incorrectly can be stressful to the animal both physically and emotionally. Asking a horse to turn in circles for long periods of time should be avoided; keep your longeing sessions to 20-25 minutes. Also, ensure that you have the equine move in both directions equally so as to not overwork one side or the other. As a final note, make certain that the terrain in the longeing area is flat and free of debris or loose footing.
Remember that longeing a horse is useful for other purposes besides training the equine. Longeing the animal with a rider on its back will enable to rider to concentrate on their seat and posture, and longeing a horse before a ride will help to warm the animal up before asking it to work. It also can provide a means of exercising during times of injury or when riding is simply not an option. In some cases, a horse that has illnesses such as impaction colic will need to be longed in order to keep the animal on its feet and possibly get its gut functions working again. For all intents and purposes, longeing is not a type of training that is ever truly over- you will need to longe your horse for its entire life.
When your horse is sufficiently trained on the longe, many riders wish to begin liberty work. However, there are many misconceptions as to exactly what liberty work consists of. In essence, liberty work is exactly the same as working the animal on the longe, only there are no lines attached. The animal is controlled by the trainer’s vocal commands and hand gestures only. This may be done with or without a rider on the horse’s back. Liberty work is especially useful for training for vaulting or acrobatic performances, or to more effectively extend the power of the trainer’s voice and gestures as training aids. Nevertheless, liberty work should only be performed with a horse that is already fully trained at the longe, and can be trusted to be allowed to work with no attachments. For this reason, liberty work should almost always be conducted in a penned area.
