dpony
04-04-2007, 09:50 AM
During my time as a hard-core dressage rider, I learned how to longe a horse "correctly" so that the horse is carrying himself appropriately around a circle, responding to commands from the handler, and doing "proper" work to aid his athletic development. I found it enjoyable to work my horse from a perspective where I could watch his body and make corrections in a way that is somewhat different from being on his back.
Now, I thoroughly enjoy working my horses in a round pen, including communicating with them in a way that's more intuitive to them, and that puts me in a leadership role. I always thought that once the horse understood that I was the leader, then asking for longing-type work using the pen instead of a longe line would be a fairly simple transition.
Recently, I've found it not to be so. I know that if I'm longing a horse with a longe line now, I adopt a different persona while doing it--a bit more dictatorial and demanding, more assertive about going properly forward. The goals are just different than in relationship round pen work. Making that transition from "relationship" round pen work to a type of "athletic developement" round pen work seems to confuse my horses now and they, well, maybe just don't enjoy it so much. I try not to be as assertive as my "dressage persona" is with the longe line, but finding the right amount of pressure to use is a bigger challenge than I thought.
One horse in particular would really benefit from doing some athletic work without a rider on his back, so I'd like to be able to make this transition without resorting to a longe line.
Any thoughts on this?
Now, I thoroughly enjoy working my horses in a round pen, including communicating with them in a way that's more intuitive to them, and that puts me in a leadership role. I always thought that once the horse understood that I was the leader, then asking for longing-type work using the pen instead of a longe line would be a fairly simple transition.
Recently, I've found it not to be so. I know that if I'm longing a horse with a longe line now, I adopt a different persona while doing it--a bit more dictatorial and demanding, more assertive about going properly forward. The goals are just different than in relationship round pen work. Making that transition from "relationship" round pen work to a type of "athletic developement" round pen work seems to confuse my horses now and they, well, maybe just don't enjoy it so much. I try not to be as assertive as my "dressage persona" is with the longe line, but finding the right amount of pressure to use is a bigger challenge than I thought.
One horse in particular would really benefit from doing some athletic work without a rider on his back, so I'd like to be able to make this transition without resorting to a longe line.
Any thoughts on this?