Lunging...

KatefromtheBarn · 12-30-2007, 06:59 PM

My trainer has wanted me to start lunging Tequilla when we have time, especially going right (her canter is more unbalanced that direction). I'm not the best at lunging, although I have done it before with the horse I leased before (Moose).

Moose was hard to get moving and basically as soon as I hid the lunge whip behind my back, he stopped. Tequilla, on the other hand, I don't even need a whip to get her to move. I just give her enough line and she's off. The issue is stopping...today, she just wanted to go and go and go, I finally just started slowly "reeling" her in and she slowed to the trot and then the walk. Trot seems impossible right now. She's not out of control, not pulling on the lunge rope at all, she just wants to go and go at the canter only...

I've watched my instructor lunge some of her horses who are more prone to run, and she's still able to move them back and forth from gait to gait and they stop pretty much exactly when she says whoah.

So the question is, how to get a bit more control when lunging...I don't have access to a round pen, so no use suggesting trying that, although I can free lunge in the indoor if I am the only one around (but I really don't know if that matters if I don't have the best skill with lunging with the lunge rope in hand)...

Thanks for the suggestions in advance.

DanielleS · 12-30-2007, 07:08 PM

You could try lunging with a chain over her nose so that she knows a little faster when she needs to stop. But you need to be careful so she doesn't learn to pull against it. I also find that lunging isn't the best way to get a horse to move. I like to lunge them until they understand my voice and that I am the one in control, then I switch to riding them.

Nynx · 12-30-2007, 07:19 PM

My guy was a bit of a jerk about transitioning down, so I got a chain and I loop it through the right lower ring( the one farther from the ears) then the bottom ring, the ring where you usually put a leadrope, the left bottom ring then the top left ring when you are going right. I heard here on HT that putting a chain over the nose can pinch but not release when you release and continue pinching even when you stop pulling.

The way I described still gets their attention. With my Bond, when I wanted him to go down to a walk from a trot (I don't go up till I can go down, ya know?) and he was used to ignoring me, I'd give a good yank on the rope and chain and then gently wave my whip so he knows not to stop. He figured its easier to walk than trot and get his face pulled on.

KatefromtheBarn · 12-30-2007, 07:20 PM

Oh, trust me, she gets riden just about every day. But, one of the issues is that she's not as good going right, and I am also more unbalanced going right, so the lunging is to help her balance so that together we can improve. And we are improving with the riding alone, its just one more thing to help, I hope.

heckyes17 · 12-30-2007, 07:34 PM

my guy did this too, so I just made him run until he didnt want to, and then some, he learned quickly that is was a lot easier to run only when I wanted him too.
another thing is make sure she's on the right lead when lunging her, or else your not helping the problem with her being unbalanced, your only aiding it

KatefromtheBarn · 12-30-2007, 07:44 PM

Luckily she hasn't picked up the wrong lead yet when lunging. So I haven't had to try to figure out how to get her to pay attention enough to switch it. Even when I ride her, if she picks up a wrong lead (which is pretty much always because I have her bent incorrectly) she auto changes it as soon as she hits a curve in the arena (or I correctly bend her), so I don't think it will be an issue when lunging.

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12-30-2007, 06:59 PM
KatefromtheBarn Halter broke Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Western PA Posts: 56	Lunging... My trainer has wanted me to start lunging Tequilla when we have time, especially going right (her canter is more unbalanced that direction). I'm not the best at lunging, although I have done it before with the horse I leased before (Moose). Moose was hard to get moving and basically as soon as I hid the lunge whip behind my back, he stopped. Tequilla, on the other hand, I don't even need a whip to get her to move. I just give her enough line and she's off. The issue is stopping...today, she just wanted to go and go and go, I finally just started slowly "reeling" her in and she slowed to the trot and then the walk. Trot seems impossible right now. She's not out of control, not pulling on the lunge rope at all, she just wants to go and go at the canter only... I've watched my instructor lunge some of her horses who are more prone to run, and she's still able to move them back and forth from gait to gait and they stop pretty much exactly when she says whoah. So the question is, how to get a bit more control when lunging...I don't have access to a round pen, so no use suggesting trying that, although I can free lunge in the indoor if I am the only one around (but I really don't know if that matters if I don't have the best skill with lunging with the lunge rope in hand)... Thanks for the suggestions in advance.

12-30-2007, 07:08 PM
DanielleS Coming two Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Middletown, MD Posts: 1,609	You could try lunging with a chain over her nose so that she knows a little faster when she needs to stop. But you need to be careful so she doesn't learn to pull against it. I also find that lunging isn't the best way to get a horse to move. I like to lunge them until they understand my voice and that I am the one in control, then I switch to riding them. __________________ My horse can inspire tears and cure them with just a look or nuzzle. http://www.freewebs.com/daniellespare/

12-30-2007, 07:19 PM
Nynx Yearling Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 600	My guy was a bit of a jerk about transitioning down, so I got a chain and I loop it through the right lower ring( the one farther from the ears) then the bottom ring, the ring where you usually put a leadrope, the left bottom ring then the top left ring when you are going right. I heard here on HT that putting a chain over the nose can pinch but not release when you release and continue pinching even when you stop pulling. The way I described still gets their attention. With my Bond, when I wanted him to go down to a walk from a trot (I don't go up till I can go down, ya know?) and he was used to ignoring me, I'd give a good yank on the rope and chain and then gently wave my whip so he knows not to stop. He figured its easier to walk than trot and get his face pulled on. __________________ ~:>

12-30-2007, 07:20 PM
KatefromtheBarn Halter broke Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Western PA Posts: 56	Oh, trust me, she gets riden just about every day. But, one of the issues is that she's not as good going right, and I am also more unbalanced going right, so the lunging is to help her balance so that together we can improve. And we are improving with the riding alone, its just one more thing to help, I hope.

12-30-2007, 07:34 PM
heckyes17 Weanling Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Waterton, Alberta Posts: 393	my guy did this too, so I just made him run until he didnt want to, and then some, he learned quickly that is was a lot easier to run only when I wanted him too. another thing is make sure she's on the right lead when lunging her, or else your not helping the problem with her being unbalanced, your only aiding it

12-30-2007, 07:44 PM
KatefromtheBarn Halter broke Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Western PA Posts: 56	Luckily she hasn't picked up the wrong lead yet when lunging. So I haven't had to try to figure out how to get her to pay attention enough to switch it. Even when I ride her, if she picks up a wrong lead (which is pretty much always because I have her bent incorrectly) she auto changes it as soon as she hits a curve in the arena (or I correctly bend her), so I don't think it will be an issue when lunging.