Learning to Long-line – STALL and STABLE

Long-lining has been on my To Do list for a long time, but to be honest, I have been afraid to do it because it just looks so intimidating and professional horse trainer-ish. But you know, there’s nothing like being stuck on the ground to motivate one to step out of their comfort zone in order to get their horse rideable again. And so here we are.

We are both figuring this out. (Note to self: Close stall doors when long-lining in the barnyard. Ha ha ha!)

After having both stifles injected to relieve soreness and inflammation, the vet gave us a specific rehab schedule to follow in order to build up Siouxsie’s quadriceps muscles. Strong quads are the key to relieving the Intermittent Upward Patella Fixation (IUPF, or sticky stifle) that Sioux suffers from.

As the quads get bigger and stronger, they can function better to pull the sticky ligament out of the way when the stifle (her knee joint) is working. One of the ways to work those muscle groups properly, as well as her core and topline, is to encourage Siouxsie to use proper exercise “form”. Just like if you or I are at the gym and we’re lifting weights, proper form is critical to doing the exercise safely and effectively for muscle development. That’s where the long-line comes in.

In these videos, you’re seeing my very first attempt at the exercise. I opted to use a halter instead of a bridle so that I did not accidentally cause my horse discomfort in her mouth as I learn to manage all that gear. And at first, it feels like a LOT of gear. The principle of ask/release is really what I focused on in this first session. Despite the chaos of, well, me, I tried hard to focus on Ask. Release. Ask. Release. Like everything horses, it’s going to be a work in progress… for a while. 🙂 -HH