Proper Longeing Equipment Proper Longeing Equipment Side reins not only simulate good hands by offering some flexibility while keeping the horse in a frame, but also help prevent an excited horse from drifting sideways and stepping on itself. Side reins should be equal in length on both sides, since lengthening the outside rein does not create proper bending, but rather allows the horse to drift to the outside of the circle. If the horse is correctly fitted in side reins, the elastic in the outside rein will both accommodate the horse's bend and offer enough support to prevent the animal from becoming overly bent. Side reins should be adjusted so that the horse can keep its head slightly in front of the vertical. Never tighten them to the point that they force the horse to bring its head behind the vertical, for this overflexed position makes it difficult for the horse to see where it is going and pulls apart the vertebrae just behind the horse's ears, inflicting pain at that point.
Boots are another important consideration when longeing.
I prefer a 30-foot longe line to the shorter ones. It gives the horse enough room to canter comfortably and allows you to have at least one extra loop left in your hand at all times, so that if the horse bolts, you will not be instantly pulled to the ground and dragged. Although some people slide the small loop at the end of the longe line over their hand and let it rest on their wrist, I prefer to hold the end of the line in my hand, so that I can quickly let go of it if necessary. I decided to do this after witnessing a young girl getting snared in her longe line and dragged face down for about 150 feet through the mud before her horse stopped. It was fortunate she was longeing inside an arena.