Long Lining & Other Stories

Friends often ask me what exactly we do with horses. Unsurprisingly, this usually comes from people who don’t really ride themselves. (Riders tend to know that there is a billion things you can do with horses every day). So, whilst trying not to be too technical for the non-horse-y readers here’s one of the things we do: long lining. The first time I tried it was terribly confusing. The lines got all tangled up and I struggled to manage my hands, the lines, and the horse. Now I absolutely love it. It’s much more fun that the traditional one line longing because instead of standing in the middle relatively idle, with long lining your body movements mirror the horse’s. Or vice versa. In many ways, it feels like a dance. Don’t get me wrong, I am no expert and we continue to learn (some horses freak out with the line going over their hocks and require more or less de-sensitisation) but when it works out well it really feels wonderful. 

 On another note, when I see these photos I realise what a beautiful surrounding we get to work in. In the round pen one tends to forget about these things, you get too engrossed with your horse. I will make an effort to appreciate it, especially since I recently spoke with a friend who was complaining that with winter she never got to see the light of day: it was dark when she arrived to the office and dark when she left.