How to accustom your horse to double lungeing
Training with long lines from the ground has many benefits and is also an enjoyable activity; moreover, it can be done with almost any horse.
Some of its applications include:
◆ Teaching steering and stopping to a young horse before the rider gets on it.
◆ Improving steering in children's horses that are too small for an adult to ride.
◆ Increasing the horse's confidence by placing it in a leading position.
◆ Providing a rich activity for horses that cannot be ridden.
◆ Familiarizing the horse with obstacles or pulling a cart.
Working with long lines from the ground is a very suitable way to improve the steering and stopping of a horse before riding it.
Photo by Jason Irwin I start training with long lines from the ground using a saddle, a bridle with a snaffle bit, and two driving long lines.
Instead of a saddle, a surcingle can also be used, and you may want to have a driving whip in hand to encourage the horse to move forward.
Note: When working with long lines from the ground, I pass the lines from the bridle, through the stirrups, and then bring them back towards myself.
To prevent the stirrups from swinging, I tie them with a piece of rope under the horse's belly.
Before passing the driving lines through the stirrups, tie the stirrups under the horse's belly.
This prevents them from swinging.
Photo by Jason Irwin Before putting the bridle on the horse and attaching the lines to the bit, it is better to get the horse accustomed to the feel of the lines around its hindquarters.
Sometimes a horse may be tempted to flee, suddenly turn, or even kick at it when it first feels the contact of a line on its hindquarters.
To accustom the horse to this sensation, start this phase while the horse is wearing a halter and lead rope, and the saddle is also on it.
It is better to use a halter in this section to avoid inadvertently pulling the bit too much in the horse's mouth.
Assuming you start from the left side of the horse, attach one line to the right D-ring on the right side of the saddle and pass it behind the horse's hindquarters; be careful not to get kicked.
For now, hold the line with a little slack in your right hand and hold the lead rope attached to the halter with your left hand.
First, ask the horse to walk in a circle around you, then create a little tension on the line so that it makes contact with its hindquarters.
Allow the horse to move in a circle with a little tension for a while, then release the pressure and repeat this several times.
When it seems that the horse has accepted this line, you are ready to move on to the next step.
Ready for lunging from the ground When the horse learns to lunge from the ground, it is better to have a second person help you in the first few sessions.
Place a halter under the bridle and ask the second person to move the horse forward while you guide it.
This helps the horse understand what is being asked of it and prevents it from suddenly turning back and getting stuck in the lines.
This can be done with one person, but it will be easier with two.
It is also better to start, if possible, in a small space so that the horse does not have too much room to speed up and gain momentum.
To start guiding, attach the right guiding line to the right D-ring of the bit and pass the line through the right stirrup.
Do the same on the left side.
Take a guiding line in each hand and do not tie them together.
You can leave the remaining lines on the ground behind you or gather their ends and hold them in your hand.
Now, stand at a safe distance behind the horse, away from its hind legs.
At this stage, you can use a voice command, such as "walk," or create a slight wave motion in the lines to encourage the horse to move forward.
This may feel a bit strange for the horse, as it is used to you guiding it from the front most of the time.
For this reason, having a second person present at the start is helpful to give the horse the confidence to move forward.
Initially, do not make any turns or stops; just take the forward movement and move along the perimeter of the space you are in.
When the horse is moving well forward, try to change direction by guiding it from the center of the area and moving out in the opposite direction.
This gives the horse plenty of space to make initial turns.
Again, continue moving in the new direction along the perimeter.
When the forward movement and direction change are going well, you can work on stopping.
It is better not to work on stopping at the beginning of the session, as the horse has more energy and may not be inclined to stand still.
To stop, just gently gather the lines so the horse comes to a stop, then release the pressure.
You can also use the voice command "whoa."
In the first few times you practice stopping, stay in the stop position for only 10 or 20 seconds, then get the horse moving forward again.
The horse may get a bit confused about what to do when standing alone and start to fidget.
Try to start the forward movement again before the horse loses focus.
For this part, your assistance can be effective in keeping the horse calm.
If possible, start working with a helper so that the horse continues to move forward while learning new commands through the lines.
If the horse seems to need a little reassurance, carefully approach its hindquarters and pet it with your hand to help it stay relaxed.
Next, you can also add a few steps backward to the practice; pull the lines and simultaneously release the pressure as the horse moves back.
When all these steps go well, you will no longer need the helper.
To advance the horse's turns, you can practice rollback-like turns toward the fence or wall of the arena.
Drive the horse forward at a distance of 3 or 4 feet from the fence, then ask it to turn sharply toward the fence and continue moving forward in the new direction.
Turning toward the fence will cause the horse to turn faster and tighter, resulting in better quality turns.
Although these turns may be done more quickly, remember to keep your hands soft and light on the lines.
In the early stages of training, moving along the fence helps keep the horse straight.
Adding speed to increase pace, stand on one side of the horse and make it circle around you as if you were lunging.
To canter, use a voice command or gently shake the lines.
When the horse enters the canter, allow it to continue circling around you so you don't have to run behind it.
To move at a speed greater than a walk, let the horse move in a circle around you, similar to lunging.
If you move in a straight line, you must go at the same speed as the horse to keep up.
When you keep the horse on a circle, you no longer need to run behind it.
Also, if the horse speeds up too much and it becomes difficult to stop it, simply bring it onto a smaller circle; this will help reduce its speed.
Once your horse performs well in the grand drive, you can also add work with obstacles or even start training for cart pulling.
The grand drive is a fun way to spend time with your horse and has many benefits that transfer to work under saddle as well.
This article about training the grand drive with a horse was published in the May/June 2025 issue of Horse Illustrated.
Source: Horse Illustrated