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    The USPC Guide to Longeing and Ground Training
    The USPC Guide to Longeing and Ground Training
    The USPC Guide to Longeing and Ground Training
    Ebook153 pages2 hours

    The USPC Guide to Longeing and Ground Training

    By Susan E. Harris

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Longeing and ground training are an important part of horsemanship, both in training the horse and in the education of the rider.

    This book explains the principles of handling and training horses safely from the ground, including leading, teaching good ground manners, and preparation for longeing. It provides an introduction to longeing, equipment, techniques, and longeing for various purposes, including longeing to improve the horse's movement and longeing the rider. Because longeing is an activity that requires skill, knowledge, and safe techniques, The USPC Guide to Longeing and Ground Training is essential to understanding what you will need, what to do, and how long to do it safely for yourself and your horse.

    This guide can be used by Pony Clubbers, instructors, and all horse owners who want to learn about longeing and how to use this technique safely to benefit their horses' training.
    The Howell Equestrian Library
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTurner Publishing Company
    Release dateAug 27, 2007
    ISBN9780470253229
    The USPC Guide to Longeing and Ground Training
    Author

    Susan E. Harris

    Susan E. Harris is an international clinician, riding teacher, equestrian author, and artist from Cortland, New York. She has taught all seats and styles of riding, and has trained, shown, and prepared horses and riders for competition in many equestrian disciplines, including hunters, jumpers, dressage, equitation, eventing, western pleasure and performance, saddle seat, and the pleasure and versatility breeds. Susan directed 5-H Acres School of Horsemanship, a nationally accredited riding instructor school, for 10 years, taught college equine studies and physical education equitation courses, and has been active in training and establishing certification standards for American riding instructors since the 1970s. In 2004 she was honored as a Master Instructor by the American Riding Instructor Association. A Senior Centered Riding Instructor and Clinician, Susan apprenticed with Sally Swift, the founder of Centered Riding®. She teaches clinics in Centered Riding and in Horse Gaits, Balance, and Movement for instructors, trainers, judges, and riders of all levels and riding interests. Susan's demonstrations, "Anatomy in Motion™: The Visible Horse", in which she paints the bones and muscles on a live horse, and "Anatomy in Motion: The Visible Rider™" have been popular attractions at equine expos and clinics across North America and around the world, including EquineAffaire, Equitana Australia, the American Quarter Horse Congress, the George Morris Horsemastership Clinic at Wellington, FL, and others. Susan Harris is the author and illustrator of popular horse books, including Horsemanship in Pictures, Horse Gaits, Balance, and Movement, Grooming to Win, the three U.S. Pony Club Manuals of Horsemanship, and the USPC Guides to Longeing, Bandaging, and Conformation. She writes a regular column in EQUUS Magazine, Commonsense Horsemanship with Susan Harris. With Peggy Brown, she produced two DVDs: Anatomy in Motion™ I: The Visible Horse, and Anatomy in Motion II: The Visible Rider™. Susan designed the art for the Breyer Anatomy in Motion model horse, and has illustrated many popular horse books. Susan's study of equine and human anatomy and movement as an artist as well as an instructor, rider and trainer, has given her a unique perspective on how horses and riders balance and move together. Centered Riding techniques can help riders discover how to use their bodies better for improved balance and harmony between horse and rider. Susan's knowledge of horse gaits and movement and wide experience in various breeds and disciplines enable her to help all kinds of riders and horses improve their balance, comfort, movement and performance. Her friendly and positive teaching style and visual approach help to make learning clear, understandable, and enjoyable for English and Western riders of all ages and levels, from 4-H, Pony Club and pleasure riders to instructors, trainers, and competitors. When not traveling, teaching or writing, Susan enjoys dressage, jumping, and trail riding.

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    • 4/5
      good information given over how to safely longe your horses

    Book preview

    The USPC Guide to Longeing and Ground Training - Susan E. Harris

    ABOUT THE UNITED STATES PONY CLUBS, INC.

    The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. is an educational youth organization that teaches riding, mounted sports, and the care of horses and ponies, and develops in youth the characteristics of responsibility, sportsmanship, moral judgment, leadership, and self-confidence.

    Since its beginning in Great Britain in 1928, Pony Club has become the largest junior equestrian group in the world, with more than 125,000 members in 27 countries. At this writing, the U.S. Pony Clubs have approximately 11,000 members in more than 500 clubs. Members ride mounts of all breeds and sizes, not just ponies; the term pony originally referred to any mount ridden by a young person.

    The U.S. Pony Clubs teach a curriculum which covers balanced seat horsemanship on the flat, over fences, and in the open, along with safety, knowledge and practical skills in horse care and management. The goal is to produce safe, happy, and confident horsepersons who can ride, handle, and care for their horse and equipment competently at their level, with an understanding of the reasons for what they do.

    Pony Clubbers progress at their own pace through a series of levels or ratings, from D (basic) through C (intermediate) to B, HA, and A (advanced). The requirements for each rating are called the USPC Standards of Proficiency. The lower level ratings (D-l through C-2) are tested within the local Pony Club; the C-3 rating is tested at a Regional Testing; and the B, HA, and A levels are national ratings, requiring advanced levels of knowledge, horsemanship, and horse care and management skills.

    Besides instruction and ratings, Pony Club offers activities such as combined Training, Foxhunting, Dressage, Mounted Games, Show Jumping, Tetrathlon, and Vaulting, with emphasis on safety, teamwork, and good horsemanship and sportsmanship.

    For more information about the U.S. Pony Clubs, please contact:

    United States Pony Clubs, Inc.

    The Kentucky Horse Park

    Iron Works Pike

    Lexington, KY 40511

    (606) 254-PONY (7669)

    INTRODUCTION

    This book covers basic horse handling, ground training, and methods of longeing the horse and rider. The information contained here is drawn from the United States Pony Club Manuals of Horsemanship (Books One, Two, and Three, covering the USPC D through A Levels) and the USPC Standards of Proficiency. It is written for Pony Clubbers, instructors, and other horsepersons, adults, and young people who want to learn to longe, handle, and improve their horses’ ground manners safely.

    Proper handling, ground training, and longeing are fundamental to safety, effective training, and good horsemanship. Handling is the interface between horse and human; it establishes the relationship between the horse and his trainer. It often has been said that whenever you handle a horse, you are either training him, preserving his training, or spoiling his training, whether you are aware of it or not. The way you handle a horse from the ground, in leading and everyday chores as well as in longeing, influences the way he responds to riding and training under saddle.

    When handling horses, safety must always come first, to prevent accidents to you, your horse, or other people. In this book you will find safety procedures for leading, handling, training, and longeing horses; make it a rule to follow them every time you handle a horse, whether you are training a young horse, working with a problem horse, or simply performing routine tasks, such as grooming, saddling, or bringing in horses from pasture.

    Longeing is a common and convenient method of exercise and training the horse and rider, yet it is too often practiced in a sloppy, incorrect, or even dangerous manner. Because of the potential for injury to the horse, handler, and rider, longeing must be done properly, in a way that is safe and appropriate, by a competent, experienced handler. This is especially important when longeing a rider, because the rider’s safety depends on your skill, competence, and judgment. It’s essential to learn (and to teach your horse) the basic steps first, starting with proper leading and handling, ground manners, and voice commands, before trying to train a horse on the longe line.

    This book explains the equipment, essentials, and safe, step-by-step methods for ground training, learning to longe a trained horse, longeing for various purposes, training the horse on the longe line, and longeing the rider. You will learn where and how long to longe, how to adjust and use longeing equipment, basic control techniques for longeing at all gaits, and how to improve and refine your control on the longe line. Longeing for warmup, exercise, and to improve the horse’s movement and acceptance of the bit are covered, along with methods for teaching a horse to longe and for handling common longeing problems.

    The U.S. Pony Clubs emphasize proper preparation and safe, logical, progressive methods. However, longeing, handling, and ground training are practical skills which cannot be acquired by reading a book. You will need hands-on instruction from a qualified person, and must work within the limits of your knowledge and experience while you are learning. Pony Clubbers learn about longeing at the C Level (intermediate), but should only longe trained horses, under supervision, until they reach an advanced level; this is a good policy for others as well.

    Through correct, safe, and progressive ground work and longeing, working patiently and consistently, with awareness of how the horse moves and responds, you can improve your horse’s training, movement and muscular development, while developing respect, communication, and trust between you and your horse.

    THE USPC GUIDE TO

    LONGEING

    AND

    GROUND

    TRAINING

    CHAPTER 1

    BASIC TRAINING PRINCIPLES

    Horses have developed into the kind of creatures they are over more than 50 million years. The horse’s natural instincts and characteristics, as well as each horse’s individual nature and past experiences, affect the way he responds to training and to new situations.

    THE HORSE’S NATURE AND BEHAVIOR

    Because horses are prey animals, they depend on their keen senses to detect and flee from predators. This makes them easily frightened; a horse’s first instinct is to run from danger. If a horse is frightened and can’t escape, he may defend himself by kicking, striking, or running over anything in his way.

    A horse’s eyes are placed on the sides of his head so he can see all around him. However, he has two blind spots—behind his rump and right in front of his nose. If you come up on him in his blind spots without warning, he may be startled and might try to get away or kick before he knows who you are.

    Horses have social behaviors that govern the way they act with other horses. Horses are herd animals by nature; they prefer to be with other horses. Domestic horses sometimes become attached to their stable as if it were their herd. Every herd has a pecking order; each horse has his own place, from the herd leader to the lowest ranking horse. Higher ranking horses use body language (sometimes biting or other aggressive behavior) to keep the lower ranking horses in their place. Horses react to the behavior of other horses; if one horse shies or takes off running, the others follow suit.

    The horse’s range of vision.

    To train and handle a horse safely and successfully, you must understand his nature and behavior, and you must have his attention, respect, and trust. Your horse should regard you as a trustworthy herd leader, not as a threat or a lower ranking horse. A good trainer projects an attitude of quiet authority that shows he is friendly but expects to be obeyed.

    When working around horses, move slowly and speak quietly to avoid startling or upsetting them. If a horse acts nervous, pat him and talk quietly to him to calm him down. Horses pick up the attitudes of the people who handle them; if you want your horse to be calm, attentive, and responsive, you must behave that way yourself.

    HOW HORSES LEARN

    Horses and ponies do not think

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