Once the longe line has been threaded through the
bit and attached on the opposite side, untie the thong of the
whip and twist the stock until the thong is completely unwound.
Then, drop a couple of loops of the longe line and quietly back
away from the horse, moving toward its haunches, with the whip
held perpendicular to the longe line. This makes the horse aware
of the whip without having it in such close proximity that the
animal dashes off.
The horse will usually begin to move forward when it sees the
whip, at which point you let a few more loops drop by allowing
them to slide through your hand. If the horse has not begun to
move, slowly bring the whip toward its hocks until it responds by
walking forward. Allow the horse to travel on a large circle,
with about 18 feet of line at the walk and up to 26 feet of line
at the trot and canter.
When starting the horse on the circle, move the whip toward the
hocks as soon as possible without spooking the animal. The whip
should form one leg of a triangular shape made up of the horse's
body, the long line, and the longe whip. If the horse runs wildly
from the whip, drop it on the ground until the animal has worked
off some of its energy. Then, pick it up again.
On the other hand, if the horse ignores the whip and plods
forward, move to a position in line with its rear end and
motivate the animal by flicking the whip toward its hocks. By
moving toward the rear of the horse, you give the animal an open
door through which its forehand can travel.
If it ignores your movement toward its haunches and the motions
of the whip, tighten the circle by slowly taking up a loop or
two, until the horse is close enough to the thong to respect it.
Once the animals is working in a good rhythm, drop the loop or
loops slowly to allow it to move back onto a wider, more
comfortable circle. If it begins to ignore the whip again, bring
it back onto a smaller circle. You can hit the horse lightly on
the hocks with the whip to encourage it forward, but be prepared
to get out of the way when you do, since a horse will sometimes
kick out at the whip. Be persistent in your encouragement with
the whip if necessary, but make sure the animal realizes when you
are moving toward its hocks. Remember that a horse's natural
reaction is to kick anything that surprises it from behind. By
watching the horse's expression, you can tell if the animal is
aware of your movement or is ignoring you.