Training Performance Horses - Reversing On The Lunge Line

Reversing without stopping is the foundation for teaching the rollback on the lunge line. The key is to tug the horse's nose in toward you, while you step around the horse and move toward the hindquarters to drive the horse off in the opposite direction.

To teach rollbacks on the lunge line, ask the horse to walk, then to stop. Tug the horse's nose into the center of the circle so the horse turns inward. As he does, move your position from his hindquarters past his head to his other side, and ask him to move off in the new direction. Work with him at the walk and trot until he changes directions quickly and smoothly. After a few practice sessions, it won't be necessary to stop the horse before changing directions; you'll simply give the verbal command, "reverse" and then begin the physical movement.

To learn more about training horses take the online course Training Performance Horses.
Click here for more information