A large amount of the basic danger that comes with horse riding rests in the bent of a horse to change from a meek temperament into an explosive one as fast as the rider saddles up. One effective method to get rid of constrained or excess energy that may all of a sudden burst forth from your horses when taking them out for a horse riding session is to longe them before actually riding them.

There’s a bit more to longeing horses than merely chasing them around a pen though. What you’d need as the equestrian is have your horse follow through the pressure off the longe line; ideally, you will be driving the horse in a position such that your body is behind her shoulder. Proper longeing is crucial to—so check if her nose is tipped to the direction she’s turning to, among other stuff. As for your role as the equestrian leading the longe, it is best to lead the horse through the longe using your right hand if you are going right and vice versa. While driving by standing behind her shoulder, use your free hand to lead. When you want your horse to slow to a stop, step in front of her shoulder where you are.

To make her change the direction she is going, just apply pressure to the halter utilizing the rope—pull using your opposite hand in the other direction. Don’t be deterred when your steed can’t seem to pull this off correctly. Many horses might find the process of turning to be challenging; there are some steeds that like going in one direction too much that they may even defy your cues and fight back when you’re attempting to lead them to switch directions. But with some patience and practice, plus an additional tap on the hindquarters with the rope’s end if needed, such horses would eventually be in a position to change directions smoothly and without incident.

When your horse is at a stage where she is quite happy with changing directions (in a round pen or corral) and you observe her anticipating your cues to do so , you can try to mix it up a bit and turn regularly in different directions within the round pen or small corral.

Naturally, don’t forget to praise your horse and give her a break she deserves when she is doing so well. After the break, drive her again and be more exhaustive this time. When it comes to longeing, there will be a time when you will not even feel a bit like you are actively driving your horses around the pen or corral anymore. You may observe them working round the pen with the tiniest of hints from you on where to go. This suggests that you don’t need to apply as much force or effort, but it’s best to remain an active participator in the longeing. Around ten or 15 minutes of longeing would mentally prepare and loosen up your steed for safe and correct horse riding.

Horses are Heather Toms ‘ passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge thru her 100’s of articles with other horse lovers like all things about horse rugs .