BENEFITS AND USES OF LONGEING (lungeing)
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Although longeing (lungeing) is generally thought of as a means to either train a young horse or warm up an experienced horse before a ride, the benefits of and uses for longeing (lungeing) are so varied that it should be a part of the training and exercise program of all horses.
101 Longeing and Long Lining Exercises by Cherry Hill
Benefits of Longeing (lungeing):
* Develops obedience to voice commands and body language
* Establishes the foundation for ground driving
* Is a progressive step in the horse’s education. Makes the transition from in-hand work to mounted work
logical and systematic
* Develops added confidence and familiarity between horse and trainer; sets the stage for upcoming learning
*Adds a margin of safety for mounted work
* Allows for familiarity with tack, such as carrying an “inert” snaffle
* Introduces movement principles – balance, rhythm, vertical and lateral flexion, gait extension and collection without interference from a rider
* Is helpful for correcting bad habits such as impure gaits, head tossing, or spooking
* Teaches a horse to work in certain confines
* Allows the horse to develop physically – left/right balance, suppleness, strength of back and loin, tendon and ligament durability without the weight of a rider
* Is valuable for rehabilitation after illness, injury, or pregnancy/lactation; can gain greater exercise effect than with hand walking yet is safer than turnout
* Is good for warm-up and cool-down for any riding horse
Longeing and Long Lining the English and Western Horse, A Total Program by Cherry Hill
* Allows the trainer to observe the horse while the horse is moving which provides a chance to assess ability, soundness, quality of movement, gait purity, way of going, way of approaching obstacles etc.
* Allows the trainer to keep a horse in work when the trainer is pregnant, has a temporary riding impairment, or a schedule crunch
* Provides an exercise alternative for indoor work when the outside footing is too treacherous for riding
* Provides an exercise alternative for use in unfenced areas such as on show grounds
* Can be used for rider longe lessons and self-longe lessons
* Can be used to introduce cavalletti work and jumping
* Can be used to introduce and hone obstacle work
* Is a requirement of the Longe Line Class in horse shows
