Ground driving/long lining - tips and tricks - resources?

[endlessclimb]

Ground driving. I know generically how to do it, in an arena setting. I don’t feel like I’m proficient in it, though - and am terrified to try it in the wide open with a green horse (the steady eddy doesn’t count, he doesn’t spook at anything). It’s a skill I can certainly improve on!

One of my major hiccups in driving in the open is: if you’re driving from behind, and the horse bolts or spooks, how do you get them stopped? I am not sure I could shorten one side and lengthen another fast enough to get a circle, and I don’t want the horse bolting straight into my bodyweight in their mouth, seeing as how long lining is supposed to create acceptance of contact.

So, educate me. How do you use long lining? How do you get a flighty horse stopped in the wide open? Do you have any resources you find very helpful? Exercises you like to do?

[Montanas_Girl]

I taught my current two year old to ground drive in her pasture, since I didn’t have access to a roundpen or arena last year. I made sure she fully understood that “whoa” was non-negotiable and knew how to give to pressure in all directions before we started. Honestly, though, she’s so smart and so quiet that it was a complete non-event; I know most babies aren’t like her. If a horse is bolting, though, the last thing I care about is keeping weight out of its mouth. That behavior is too dangerous to allow it to become entrenched, so it needs to be stopped immediately with whatever force necessary, IMHO. Now, if you’ve done your “homework” first, those incidents should be rare, BUT the nice thing about ground driving (compared to riding) is that you usually have enough leverage to nip the problem in the bud.

[theresak]

I’m long lining a young horse right now. I think if they are comfortable with you behind them, the risk of bolting straight ahead is lower than a spook and spin. I worry more about spinning towards me and getting wrapped up in the lines, which then usually causes them to start backing up quickly.

Just try to keep stepping to the side if they bolt or spin and get tangled - you aren’t going to stop them if they are bolting or tangled up if they stay straight. I’ve let go of the “outside” line before and just kept inside to keep them turning. I’m also long lining off a rope halter most of the time and not the bit yet.

[lesson_junkie]

I have ground driven the last 4 I’ve started. I have the advantage of a round pen. Before I take them out of the pen I make sure they can ignore the lines around their legs and quarters, by letting the horse drag the lines. That may take up to a week. I use a baling twine fuse at the halter/long line connection. If the horse gets tangled, the baling twine will break. We don’t leave the pen until the horse is very steady-stopping, backing, turning-all in the pen.

Out of the pen, when I have trouble keeping the horse forward and straight, I end up dropping one line, and doing a slow motion one rein stop. Yes, the dropped line will get stepped on, or under the horse. Because he is prepared for that, we can stop, and patiently get reorganized, and carry on.

The person who taught me to long line says the horse acts in the lines like he will act under saddle. I have had good luck teaching confidence and boldness (like crossing water) in the long lines, and had it translate directly to under saddle work. I love it for me and my horse.

Just be sure to take your spurs off…

[endlessclimb]

@lesson junkie

I have ground driven the last 4 I’ve started. I have the advantage of a round pen. Before I take them out of the pen I make sure they can ignore the lines around their legs and quarters, by letting the horse drag the lines. That may take up to a week. I use a baling twine fuse at the halter/long line connection. If the horse gets tangled, the baling twine will break. We don’t leave the pen until the horse is very steady-stopping, backing, turning-all in the pen.

Out of the pen, when I have trouble keeping the horse forward and straight, I end up dropping one line, and doing a slow motion one rein stop. Yes, the dropped line will get stepped on, or under the horse. Because he is prepared for that, we can stop, and patiently get reorganized, and carry on.

The person who taught me to long line says the horse acts in the lines like he will act under saddle. I have had good luck teaching confidence and boldness (like crossing water) in the long lines, and had it translate directly to under saddle work. I love it for me and my horse.

Just be sure to take your spurs off…

In this case, are you long lining in a halter? If with a bit, won’t the lines getting stepped on hurt the horse pretty bad? This is where my major concern lies.

[crosscreeksh]

@endlessclimb

Ground driving. I know generically how to do it, in an arena setting. I don’t feel like I’m proficient in it, though - and am terrified to try it in the wide open with a green horse (the steady eddy doesn’t count, he doesn’t spook at anything). It’s a skill I can certainly improve on!

One of my major hiccups in driving in the open is: if you’re driving from behind, and the horse bolts or spooks, how do you get them stopped? I am not sure I could shorten one side and lengthen another fast enough to get a circle, and I don’t want the horse bolting straight into my bodyweight in their mouth, seeing as how long lining is supposed to create acceptance of contact.

So, educate me. How do you use long lining? How do you get a flighty horse stopped in the wide open? Do you have any resources you find very helpful? Exercises you like to do?

A quick note…I’ve been breaking/ground driving for over 1/2 Century (20-30 youngsters a year!)!! My safety net when driving is a lunge line (to a chain over the nose if you are really worried) back along the left side of the horse but NOT through any stirrups or surcingle rings where the reins are. If everything goes south I can pull the horse around to me with the lunge line/chain connection. Driving reins through stirrups or surcingle rings won’t give you enough leverage. (And pulling on one driving rein will just spin the horse in circles!! Drop the driving reins if you must, but hold on to the lunge line until the horse is under control. And teach WHOA from the first day!! Also work in an enclosed area until you AND the horse are proficient!! Good luck!

[DMK]

That 3rd line is helpful in the beginning. Also there’s no reason you need to be behind the horse, the 3/4 angle is always a good place to be.

And I’m not a fan of ground driving horses in a halter, but I’m just fine with letting them learn to drag the lines in a halter… once they are solid with that, them you can switch to a bridle in a very controlled settling like a round pen. From there you can move to a larger area. They probably will strep on a line attached to the bit at some point, but if you’ve done all your homework it will be a non event (and they are going to see on something attached to their mouth at some point in their life, so consider this good training for the inevitable!)

[lesson_junkie]

@endlessclimb

In this case, are you long lining in a halter? If with a bit, won’t the lines getting stepped on hurt the horse pretty bad? This is where my major concern lies.

I do long line in a halter, unless the horse is very strong and heavy (I am 5 ft tall and weigh abt 100lbs). I don’t want the horse to think he can drag me. If I need a bit, I stay in the pen until the horse has enough understanding to listen to the bit.

I long line everywhere I trail ride. I am lucky to have trails on the farm, including a creek crossing good for schooling-I can wade right in behind the horse!