Lunge Reins

How long should long reins be?

When long-reining, the handler moves behind the horse, slightly offset, with the hands placed next to the tail or even carried freely. To enable this position to be adopted or changed when changing leads, long reins should be twice the horse's length plus 1.50m. Alternatively, a double lunge can be used. Here, however, it can happen that you have too many loops in your hands, which can be a hindrance to the work. Therefore, the basic rule is that the surplus length of long reins should not be longer than the height of the human's knees. Ideally, the long reins should be made of supple and smooth material, but with sufficient grip so that they do not slip out of the hand. Leather or rubber, for example, are suitable for this. At Kramer Equestrian you can buy SHOWMASTER non-slip long reins with robust leather ends. You can choose between a length of 6m for ponies and 8m for warmbloods.

What should you pay attention to when long-reining?

Long-reining has many advantages for the horse's training. The positive effects are very versatile:

• Muscle building
• Looseness
• Exercise
• Sense of balance
• The horse can be viewed in its entirety
• Difficult lessons can be worked on
• Ideal for horses that are not ridden

First the horse should be accustomed to the new lead position. It must not kick the rein handler behind it or find the feel of the lines along its body frightening. Some horses may also be frightened if voice signals suddenly come from behind to the front. For the first few steps, a helper can lead the horse.
To avoid you or the horse stepping into the lines, the correct length of the long reins is important. Because of the short distance between man and horse, double lunges can be a hindrance, whereas long reins have only a small excess in which the horse cannot get caught.
Long-reining is underestimated by many horse people. Before you use the long reins, the horse should have been finely ridden and worked in hand. Especially the handwork, where you stand directly at the horse's shoulder, lays valuable foundations for the building work with long reins.

How are long reins correctly buckled?

Long reins can be used with a bridle and bit without shanks as well as bitless with a cavesson. If a bit is used, a full cheek snaffle bit is ideal, as it provides a little more guidance and lateral restraint than a normal bit. Then the long reins are buckled into the bit or the cavesson rings like normal reins.
Regardless of whether with or without a bit - with both variants there should be a constant but fine rein connection to the horse in order to be able to execute lessons correctly.
At the beginning of training on the long reins, a lunge roller can be helpful, offering both man and horse security and guidance. Long-reining is also a useful addition to the training of young horses.

How is a double lunge rein correctly buckled?

There are different ways to buckle the double lunge rein, depending on the horse's level of training.
The simplest method is to attach the inner lunge rein to the inner bit ring and pass it through a ring of the lunge roller at the level of the point of shoulder. The outer lunge rein is done in a similar way, but after threading it through the lunge roller ring, it is placed over the back to the centre of the circle. This lunge line allows the horse to be led safely without getting his hind legs caught in the outer lunge rein.
The inner lunge rein can be buckled in reverse order to the first step, whereby the lunge line is first passed through the bit ring and then attached to the girth ring. This offers even more safety and slows down newcomers who push forward strongly.
Only when the horse has become accustomed to the first variation of the lunge rein can the outer lunge rein be loosely placed around the hindquarters in the next step. The lunge rein should then lie centrally between the hock and the stifle. Here it is important to observe the horse's reactions carefully and to respond to them.
Sometimes you can see double lunge reins with deflection pulleys. These allow the double lunge reins to slide more smoothly and quietly through the lunge roller. The lunge rein is not guided through the lunge roller ring but through the deflection pulley, which in turn is attached to the lunge roller. In addition, pulleys offer further buckling possibilities.
You can find more information about lungeing and lunge accessories in our lungeing guide.

What is the minimum length of lunge reins?

In order for a big warmblood to be exercised properly on the circle, the lunge reins should be at least long enough to allow a lungeing diameter of approx. 14m. Furthermore, the lunge length depends on the size of the horse. That is why you can find lunge reins from SHOWMASTER in our online shop that start at 5m, while other lunge reins are up to 8m long. Here you can not only choose colours, but also select a material that suits your taste. We have web lunge reins and soft padded lunge reins made of polyester for a comfortable feeling in the hand.
The double lunge reins also have a minimum length. In order to be able to exercise the horse in a sufficiently large radius, double lunge reins should be approx. 16 to 18m long. At Kramer Equestrian you can buy various double lunge reins with lengths between 16 and 18m. Specially designed styles, such as the double lunge reins by Michael Geitner or Monty Roberts, are significantly shorter.