Lunging Techniques for fatties!

[Marmite]

I'm asking for help/ideas on a new RS pony. He's huuuuuuuuuge, literally like a square, totally obese. Lunged him lightly today for about 5 mins on each rein on a massive circle so not to put too much strain on his joints, and he was totally puffed out. Only did walk and trot, although he tried to bomb off into canter for a bit of fun and managed about 2 strides before practically falling into trot again.

So I kinda want ideas for what to do with him. Just walking and trotting seems ok, but not very interesting, and I want to get him sweating every session so he's burning those calories! I have honestly never seen such an obese horse, and he had previously been kept out, unrugged in a bare field :rolleyes: :eek:

Was thinking about long lining, but then realised we didnt have another line :rolleyes: :o

Thanks for any advice!

[buttons]

Keep up the gentle lungeing and fit a muzzle!!!

Either that, or find a fitness freak to take him out joging!!

[Marmite]

Either that, or find a fitness freak to take him out joging!!

Haha, that made me giggle. I have an image of said pony huffing and puffing round now, fat jiggling and all :p

He's in at the mo as the horses dont get turn out all the time, just a few times a week, but exercise everyday. His feed is soooooo small, just to shut him up while the others get theirs, and he had the bare minimum of hay. I don't know where the weights coming from :rolleyes:

[CurlyWurlyRach]

little and often for a fattie i think.
when i was on a calorie-loss programme with curly i lunged her in a big circle for 5 mins walk, 5 mins trot and 5 mins walk on each rein twice a day.

[buttons]

You could try giving him some straw to pick at - it helps keep them occupied and eating, but doesn't fatten.

Not really joking about the jogging!! Easiest exercise for a horse is walking in hand - we do it with in-foal mares. The principals of interval training really speed up weight loss - walk for five mins, jog for two, then walk for five etc.
Lungeing can cause quite a lot of strain early on, but he'll soon get fitter - so will you!!

Give it a try!!

[mu0ljk]

I have been walking/jogging out in hand with Sidney! I don't have time to groom/tack up etc a couple of evenings so I grab a halter and long rope, don my trainers and go up the farm track or country lane with him. He seems to enjoy it and it must be doing me some good too! :D

[buttons]

Marrmite - dont be impertinant! Oooops sorry you meant the horse, not me!

[KateWooten]

Can he not be ridden then ? Or is he just too small for you to reasonably exercise ?

You can do a huge amount of fun, active stuff on one line ... send him over a scary tarp, through a small gap, stop, and back-up, forward and back, over a jump, over trotting poles, turn on the forehand, turn on the haunches, flexing head and neck to each side ... Then take it out into 'real terrain' .. up and down a bank... up a bank, stop, turn around and down a bank... walk sideways along a fenceline, shoulder-in in-hand at walk and trot, leg-yield (well, finger yield if you're doing it in-hand)... circling with very fast inside turns to get him rolling back over his hocks ... really, there's no limit to what you can imagine doing on a single line.

[Marmite]

Thanks for the ideas everyone! K Wooten, he can be ridden, but we couldnt find a saddle wide enough :rolleyes: Ended up borrowing a liveries saddle today for my friend to hop on him for ten mins, the YO can fit saddles so it was ok. Did 20 mins lunging and ten mins riding, and he was puffing like a train for about 2 hours afterwards, had to walk him off for about half an hour:rolleyes: Lunging went well though, jogging and walking, tried to leg yield, had a couple of strides of canter. I think we're both gonna lose weight by the end of this :p :D