Hi Mimi
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I completely understand how you feel because the same things went throug my mind too when I first watched the Long Lining online videos.
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Not trying to be offensive, but I was of the understanding that single line lunging of any kind was not recommended by Monty Roberts because the weight of the line causes the horse to move with his or her head and spine bent in a manner that is opposite to the direction of travel...
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Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong :-)
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I too had learnt a lot of very effective ground work exercises that involved Single Line Lunging, but most of them I have found I can do usinging Long Lining - and the ones that I can't do that way, I don't worry about any more.
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The decision is yours of course - how you work your horse is entirely up to you.
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You are so right when you say that "everyone" uses Single Line Lunging! That is so true. You can go to any horse show and see people warming their horses up this way.
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I had some very strange looks recently when I took one of my horses to his first Western Pleasure Club Day (not a competition - just a club members get-togehter).
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Because he has only been started in the last few months, I wanted to warm him up from the ground before I got on his back. Before I came across Monty Roberts, I would have single line lunged him for a bit. But I saddled him up and put my long lines on and long lined him instead. Needless to say, everyone thought I was quite odd because as you say, no one else does this.
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I have gotten used to Long Lining now, so I don't miss single line lunging any more. But, this decision is entirely up to you - I am not trying to sway you in either direction.
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Good on you for raising this topic, because I am sure that there have been many others who have felt the same way we have when we first came across these lessons.
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Kind regards,
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Gen

Mimi
Gen is correct about horses bending in the wrong direction when single lining. If you watch carefully when a horse is on a single line and the line is under pressure the horse will look to the outside and that makes his neck and spine end up in the wrong direction. That being said if you single line your horse without pressure on the line and he keeps his attention on you, he will be moving in the correct manner. I try to make sure that there is little if any pressure on the lunge line and start the horse at a calm walk with me walking along side him about 8 to 10 feet away. I cluck to him to keep his attention on me as I mover farther away. I guess if I was not so lazy I would use the long line instead, but so far i am still using the single line. I do not lunge my horse very often anymore since I would rather be riding him for his exercise. The brother to my horse (they are still together) you can lunge without a line in the open with no round pen. Don't know why he enjoys it but he does!

Cheers

Thanks Mimi, Dennis and Gen. This one has worried me too so I just don't lunge my horse much anymore. The long line lunging just seems so complicated when I am totally unfamiliar with it and I do not have a round pen to practice in. It is hard when you always have to do everything by yourself too. Thanks Dennis - I tend not to put pressure on the single line lunge so maybe I can continue to do that? Just feel guilty about single line lunging since watching Monty's video so just get on my horses to warm them up but sometimes it would be safer to lunge first.

Hi MaggieF, I can confirm what Miriam says, it is so easy and relaxing to put two long lines on your saddled horse to warm it up. Don't be afraid to try it. Even in the arena or the smaller outside training area. It is much easier if you have a horse who thinks forward by himself and has a nice trott / canter if asked. Imagine that you JUST have to practice the tecnique and after beeing cool with it you do not have to worry anymore if you put too much presure on one single line. If your horse is slow, go to my comment on my slow youngster on long lines and join me in training you horse to go forward on the long lines. You will see from the comments of other students that there are lots of us who still have to lerarn a lot about that great tecnique. Start tomorrow and have fun ! Cheers, VioBerlin

I took Monty's Special Training 2009, He had a beautiful TB who had been single lined lunged alot. When he was sent around the round pen for join-up, with no lead on Monty asked the students to see how this horse carried him self. He carried his head toward the wall of the pen and this created a bend in his spine but it was counter to the bend in the pen. This caused a disunite in the back of his canter and he would drop his head almost to the ground to stretch his spine through all of his gaits. Monty always uses two lines and has always felt really strongly that single line lunging is not good for the horse. Double lines looks and feels akward to you now, just remember the first time you rode a horse, felt akward at first but now it feels like you are one with your horse. Good luck you can do this!!!

Mssmith
It is interesting what you say about a horse who has been single linead alot carryin themselves differently....my old TB would always go round the pen with his head to the outside....i had done alot of single long lining with him prior to learning monty's methods! I Never realised what permenant effects it was having on him! He has since died and i have no intentions of single lining my next horse :-)thanks for this insight!
Gen, I'm sure everyone did look at you strangely! I don't know anyone who warms up by long lining either! You are starting a new tradition :-)
Janelle

Hi all,

I just started last weekend with single lunching. This was the first time in my life.... I liked it but it was also very complicated with the rope. I was strugling in the beginning, not to fall over the line and when I wanted to turn the horse in the beginning, the horse had to step over the line.... it was a mess.
Ha... but after a while it went better.
I watched the video's about long lining and I understand what Monty is saying. But for me it was a little bit to much for the first time.
What Dennis is saying about no pressure on the line is exectly what I wanted to mention. My teacher showed me how it worked and I did it afterwords. I could see that when I put my hand up, on shoulder hight the pressure is less on the line and the head is coming more to me. Also the horse seems to be more relaxed and I could see it, his back was more relaxed and he was not jumping like a rabbit with his backlegs.
Next saturday I will start with long lining and see how I am going to struggle with does lines.
Cheers, May

I have been watching carefully a lot of single line lunging. I have seen many horses in perfect equilibrium turning to the old rule that the hands are more important than the tool. (Personally I do only double line lunging.)

Hi all
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Ha ha, yes Janelle I am hoping my new trend takes off ;-)
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Good luck with the longlining May :-) Guaranteed you will get tangled in the lines every now and then. I got myself in all kinds of messes with it when I first started and I still get tangled up now. Practice makes perfect :-)
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You are so right Rudi that the hands are more important than the tool. Never have truer words been spoken.
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Kind regards,
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Gen

Long lining looks like a beautiful dance. Even remedial horses with huge behavior problems seem to relax and trust the experience . Monty and his instructors show how elegant a tool it is. I love to watch them at work. As Monty says "have fun with your horse."

Absolutely. You can vary the training a lot and motivate the horses much more than you be able to do in single line lunging.
Rudi

I have a question,
Would it make any difference if one uses a cavesson with a middle ring.
This is suppose to keep the horse straight.
The reason I ask is, I'm teaching STAR dressage now and the course requires I use a cavesson and later a curb bit. She has never had either on, for training.
I put it on, the cavesson, and she did what was asked of her.
I just worry that I might hurt her.
Does anyone know if the cavesson makes a difference to hurting their spine?
Be safe everyone,
Ronda

Hi Ronda,
I'm totally new to this and researching to get it right with my 2.5 year old. From what I gather the cavesson only adds extra weight to the front point and is just as bad... read in Kelly Marks book it would be better to attach line somewhere further back than the nose, for example the back of the headcollar, and use side reins.

loving reading here btw... it's really helping me learn.
xxx
Helen

Ronda
I hope things look up for you. I am so sorry to hear about your sister, and I hope you feel better after your icy fall.
I am going to share a training secret that my trainer uses when he starts a horse. After the horse has has considerable round pen work, maybe 3 months worth, he takes the baby out and runs next to him. He runs maybe two miles in all and it is always a straight line. This is to train the horse to stay in gait and to track straight. The next part of the training is using a surcingle, but he makes this himself with the lead rope. Using a rope halter he brings the lead line down between the horse front legs to the cinch girth. he then loops the rope around the horse bringing the rope between the line from th head and the body of the horse. This keeps the line in place and and lets him adjust the line to the head so he can start giving the horse a head set. He uses this setup for both running with the horse (slow jog really) and lunging him in the open Since the rope is at his girth you are not putting pressure of his head and he travels in a natural state. When we lunge a horse we do not keep the line tight but rather it almost drags on the ground. We only use the line as a signal rather that a guide Putting pressure on the horse to keep him tracking in a circle is all it takes. Otherwise you are messing with his head and his balance if you keep tugging on the line.
Cheers

Hey Dennis,
I know I cannot run with her and I'm not too clear on the way to do that.
She's such a good little thing I just don't want to mess her up.
I'm going to re-think all of this and maybe email you for more clear instructions, OK?
Be safe,
Ronda

Ronda
Any time I will be happy to help. I really only told about the running part for information only not to suggest that you put on your running shoes and go for a marathon :)

Have a great day
Cheers

Ronda
Any time I will be happy to help. I really only told about the running part for information only not to suggest that you put on your running shoes and go for a marathon :)

Have a great day
Cheers

Hi Dennis,
I sent you an email but it came back. I have a new computer and some of the programs do not seem to be responding well. I will call my IT man and ask if he installed everything.
I'll try again but if you can let me know if you received it I would appreciate it,
Ronda