What is the Doppellonge good for?
Quickly moving the horse and letting it run in circles – unfortunately, this is how longe training looks for many. However, the longe and especially the Doppellonge are good for so much more. Lungeing allows you to build muscle from the ground. You can perfectly prepare young horses for the rider’s weight. They learn to carry themselves properly by activating the necessary muscles, and it significantly contributes to a healthy back musculature.
The Doppellonge also enables the horse to work already in position and bend through the bilateral rein effect, and young horses can be introduced to rein aids. Overall, work on the Doppellonge is a very effective alternative to riding.
How do I start?
We start with theory: First, you should get your horse used to the equipment. A longeing girth, cavesson or bridle, as well as longe and whip, should no longer cause stress for your horse. Also, you should definitely show your horse the Doppellonge more closely beforehand and familiarize it with the fact that the lines can touch the back and even the hindquarters. If all that works, you can think about how you want to buckle the Doppellonge. Using the higher rings of the longeing girth resembles the rider’s hand more and allows you to especially challenge position and bend. A lower buckling affects the jaw more and is used more for loosening.
Besides the height, you can also choose between direct and remonten buckling. With direct buckling, the longe runs from the hand over the longeing girth to the bit. This allows a smooth hand change. With remonten buckling, the outer rein runs just like with direct buckling, and the inner rein runs from the hand over the bit ring to the longeing girth. This allows finer influence on the horse’s mouth and especially introduces the horse to position and bend. However, a very fine and careful hand is required here because this buckling can greatly amplify the forces on the bit.
Now you can gradually get used to longeing with the Doppellonge.
What do I need?
The right equipment is of course essential here as well. The basics are a cavesson or a bridle, a Doppellonge, and a longeing girth. The Doppellonge should ideally be 16-18 meters long. The Doppellonge Soft from Covalliero is 17 meters long, feels comfortable in the hand, and the high-quality swivel snap hook ensures a secure and flexible connection to the horse. You can also choose the longeing girth from Covalliero to match. It offers nine practical rings for the most versatile adjustment options for longeing or groundwork. It is also important to pad the longeing girth to prevent rubbing or chafing. For this, you can use a normal Saddle Pad or an optimally fitting longeing girth pad.
If you are just starting work with the Doppellonge, you should first use a cavesson to prevent unnecessary agitation in the horse’s mouth. If you already feel confident with longeing, you can influence more finely and give more targeted aids with a bridle. A longe whip can also be helpful.
Now you should also equip yourself with sturdy footwear and gloves, and then you are perfectly prepared!
Work on the Doppellonge is an effective training that promotes muscle development and enables the building of a healthy posture. Have fun trying it out!
