The Long Winter began in November of 2758 and lasted five months until March of 2759. The Rohirrim were starving and desperate, besieged in their strongholds. Helm's son Hama died on a sortie from Helm's Deep, and Helm himself froze to death on Helm's Dike.

When spring came, Frealaf led a force from Dunharrow and reclaimed Edoras. Frealaf slew Wulf and the Rohirrim drove the Dunlendings out of Rohan. The melting snow caused flooding around the Mouths of the Entwash, and the invaders from the East withdrew. Gondor was at last able to send aid to Rohan. That same year Beren, the Steward of Gondor, gave the stronghold of Isengard to Saruman, believing that the Wizard's presence would help protect Rohan against invasion in the future.

Frealaf, son of Helm's sister Hild, was the first of the Second Line of Kings of Rohan. Saruman attended his coronation and brought many gifts. Rohan began to slowly recover from the effects of the war and the Long Winter.

Frealaf's son Brytta succeeded him in 2798. Brytta was a popular king and was known as Leofa, the Beloved. He was generous and helpful to those in need. During his reign, Rohan was troubled by Orcs who had fled to the White Mountains from the Misty Mountains after the Battle of Azanulbizar against the Dwarves. When Brytta died in 2842, it was thought that the Orcs had been routed from the White Mountains, but Brytta's son Walda was killed by Orcs near Dunharrow only nine years later in 2851.

Walda was succeeded by Folca, who continued to hunt Orcs in the White Mountains until the last of them were cleared out in 2864. After he completed his task, Folca hunted boar in the Firien Wood. He slew the Great Boar of Everholt but was wounded by its tusks and died.

During the reign of Folca's son Folcwine, Rohan finally recovered its full strength and prosperity. Folcwine reclaimed the west-march between the Rivers Adorn and Isen from the Dunlendings.

Under King Folcwine, Rohan's military forces were reorganized. The full muster of the Rohirrim - called the eohere - was reckoned to consist of 100 companies. Each company - or eored - had at least 120 Riders. Thus the full strength of the eohere was at least 12,000 Riders at this time.

In 2885, Folcwine fulfilled the Oath of Eorl by sending troops to help Gondor fight an invading army of Haradrim. The combined forces of Gondor and Rohan were victorious, but Folcwine's twin sons Folcred and Fastred were killed. They were buried together in a single mound on the shores of the River Poros in Ithilien, and Turin II, the Steward of Gondor, sent gold to Folcwine as a compensation for their sacrifice.