Bending in the circle when long reining (non-long reiners may also have tips!)

Scarlett 001

Scarlett 001

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Sep 16, 2003
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Skeeter is not the world's bendiest horse. He is not that flexible (quite stiff really), and tends to ride straight around the circle (or even counterbend with his head). He is getting some decent contact, but the way I am holding the long reins allows him to avoid bending. You obviously can't use leg aids, and have to get the balance of inside and outside rein correct, and the amount of contact.

We tried doing some smaller circles, and I could start to get some more bend in him. I got more towards the inside of a small circle and let him walk around me. But as I moved to a bigger circles, and took up a position more behind him (but still to the inside), I kept losing the bend. I just could not get the reins working in unison correctly at the bigger circle. My contact my be a bit too weak, which allows him to avoid paying attention. I could hold firmer (assuming I ask correctly in terms of inside/outside rein signals) to let him know what I want, and then release the contact a bit once he obliges.

Anyone have any tips on how to work on this bending around a circle for long reining?
 
I have that same bending problem with one of my ponies. She keeps falling in when we turn. I use a driving whip and brush it against her shoulder if she's really falling in and if she's kind of falling in I brush it against her side. It gets her to move over and makes her bend.
 
First of all a disclaimer ... I don't long rein the 'BHS' way so what I do is probably 'incorrect' but it works!

I keep contact on the outside rein (I long rein in a dually rather than a bridle) and 'flick' her (where I would nudge her with my leg) with the inside rein which gets the bend in the ribs. I also use 'squeezes' on the inside rein to get her to soften to the inside.

You can also use the 'flick' to get them moving laterally. It's difficult to explain on paper :)

I really need to get some proper lessons :D
 
Has anyone seen / know of a good book / dvd on long-lining ? I'd love to try it - I could figure out how to start and introduce the ponies, but wouldn't have any real clue what I was aiming at and how to get the best out of it.
 
hackedoff said:
When I long-rein I use an elasticated side rein on the inside to encourage correct bend...would that help?
Click to expand...

hi hackedoff
not quite sure what you mean? when long-reining i would probably spend more time going in straight lines, with large circles and bends, so there really is no inside as such because it is continually changing
The outside rein is the one that controls the amount of bend when on a circle:)
 
poohsmate said:
hi hackedoff
not quite sure what you mean? when long-reining i would probably spend more time going in straight lines, with large circles and bends, so there really is no inside as such because it is continually changing
The outside rein is the one that controls the amount of bend when on a circle:)
Click to expand...

Poohsmate, since we are on the subject of bending, here's one for you. I was trying sooo hard last night to encourage even just straightness on a big circle, as opposed to counterbending his neck (for long reining). But it is tough work to get Skeeter to respond. I do carrot stretches with him, and while he is not exactly the most supple horse, he is not completely incapable.

I can get him bending on small circles, but as soon as I try to go large things fall apart. Maybe I am not focussing enough on the outside rein in terms of position - I have about the right amount of contact on the outside rein I thought, but maybe I am positioning things wrong, or the amount of contact is not right. Or maybe my inside rein is all wrong! Help me please!!! :confused: :eek: :) Can you describe what kinds of things one might try to fix this up?

p.s. I should add, in all of this he resists bending. I think being an ex-school horse, he is used to riding on auto-pilot and quite tense. How can I make him want to bend? I think he can bend, he just is not used to it and maybe it feels like too much work or something.
 
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hi scarlett
when you are doing a large circle are you still basically behind him or, are you moving to the centre of the circle.
if he is counter bending on a circle i think you must have to much outside hand, which is not allowing him to bend to the inside.
on a large circle you would have only the minimum amount of bend.
i suppose the easiest way is to imagine you are riding him, so your hands should be doing what they would do if you were on board.

as i mentioned in my PM i think a spell of riding bareback will benefit both of you, you can then feel how supple or stiff he is through a more direct contact, and it is easier to ask for some flexion and bend.

interesting that he is tense,as i said he may be becoming bored with it. is he going around with his head in the air or does he lower his head and neck.
do you do lots of transitions? including rein-back.

if it's possible i would also try and loose school him to change the routine.

it would be interesting to here other viewson this.
norm:)
 
poohsmate said:
hi scarlett
when you are doing a large circle are you still basically behind him or, are you moving to the centre of the circle.
if he is counter bending on a circle i think you must have to much outside hand, which is not allowing him to bend to the inside
Click to expand...

My reins are about 13 feet long, so when doing a large circle I can't be in the centre of the circle per se. I am behind and a little bit to the side. Which is the best position to take up when doing large circles? I may be too strong on my outside, I'll try to soften a bit.

poohsmate said:
interesting that he is tense,as i said he may be becoming bored with it. is he going around with his head in the air or does he lower his head and neck.
do you do lots of transitions? including rein-back.
Click to expand...

I guess I worded it poorly. He is not tense nowadays (he was tense when he was a school horse and I first bought him). Now he is more just stiff, or not being used to ask to bend properly. But he is relaxed and happy - his head and neck are lowered, he is drooling and mouthing the bit - he looks engaged and content. I don't think he is bored - this is a horse who was a school horse for many years, and at one stage did 3 lessons in a row so I heard :( so this is nowhere near that level. He also now accepts the bridle readily (which he never used to do prior to long reining), and he sticks his tongue out after long reining, which is his *happy* sign. In regards to his stiffness, even in his stall when he goes to turn around, he seems a bit stiff through the neck - but he bends okish for carrot stretches - he can't bend too far but more than he seems to want to when riding. I think I will call out the massage person to do some work - she can help me target in on where the stiffness is originating perhaps.

poohsmate said:
if it's possible i would also try and loose school him to change the routine.
Click to expand...

Yes, even though he seems happy long reining, a change in a routine could still be a good thing. So I will try to add a bit more variety into things. Good idea.
 
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poohsmate said:
hi hackedoff
not quite sure what you mean? when long-reining i would probably spend more time going in straight lines, with large circles and bends, so there really is no inside as such because it is continually changing
The outside rein is the one that controls the amount of bend when on a circle:)
Click to expand...
Well, we all long-rein in different ways eh? I do kinda courgette shapes mainly, but I got the technique of using a single side rein on the same side that you are standing from a Kyra K. demo. Her world-class dressage horses bend quite well, but thanks for clearing up the issue of the outside rein, I'll forward it to her....:p
Hackedoff :D
 
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