Lunged Harry today with **pics**

[coss]

The only way i can exercise him at the moment is lunging or inhand walking. today i lunged... he really needs to shift some weight!
All downwards transitions are produced from me changing my body position. i'm working on the upwards, but that is mainly body position and a flick with the whip if needed.

waiting for further instruction
http://file027a.bebo.com/4/large/2007/04/14/16/1359860817a4105270929b923104930l.jpg
he walked calmly
http://file024a.bebo.com/2/large/2007/04/14/16/1359860817a4105081308b658577428l.jpg
and tracked up nicely (although i didn't capture the best pic :rolleyes: )
http://file024a.bebo.com/2/large/2007/04/14/16/1359860817a4105081238b857712757l.jpg
his trot was a little fast at times
http://file024a.bebo.com/2/large/2007/04/14/16/1359860817a4105081040b871796031l.jpg
but sometimes calmer
http://file024a.bebo.com/2/large/2007/04/14/16/1359860817a4105081172b137598284l.jpg
downwards transitions were generally quite through :)
http://file024a.bebo.com/2/large/2007/04/14/16/1359860817a4105081093b971041362l.jpg
and he only spooked and took off once but that is much improved!
http://file024a.bebo.com/8/large/2007/04/14/15/1359860817a4104961001b60708046l.jpg

i currently tryig to upload a vid to photo bucket.. never done it before but hope to put that on soon :)

[coss]

and the vid... excuse the beginning... trying to hold too many things at once
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/th_Rightrein-1.jpg (http://s136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/?action=view&current=Rightrein-1.flv)

[Sammii]

Oh wow, he moves really nicely :)
You look like you're in the middle of nowhere :eek:

Great pictures/vids! :D

[coss]

all my work with him is basically done in 5 acre field... he has improved on the lunge sooooooo much!! when i first tried to lunge when i first got him he pulled the lunge rein out of my hand and took off round that field! :eek: he also did it on another occasion so for him to be that responsive is really nice for me as well as him (we had he crash into the gate and there was a horse shaped dent in it :eek: )... don't want anymore of that!

[coss]

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/images/smilies/bump.gif he really has improved from when i first got him

[Dina]

Awww,isn't he so cute?!:D
Great pics,looks like hes doing well :)

[Casper]

How did you lunge him and take pictures !!! Now thats a skill and a half!!:p

[domane]

He's lovely Coss.... tell me more about this body position - transition thing. How did you teach him that? No voice commands at all??? Impressive!!! :)

[coss]

i did a lot of inhand running with him, i would run and if he went to overtake i would stop.
when i lunge i don't pivot on one foot in the centre i walk a small circle. it encourages the horse to stay out on a circle as you can be slightly closer to them without them spinning in a small circle. if i want him to slow down i pull myself up in posture and stop. if i stop he stops. he was doing some lovely trot to halt transitions but i decided i also wanted smooth transitions so i would hesitate whilst doing my circle which makes him hesitate, if he goes to stop i start walking more positively and he then knows i don't want a complete halt.
taking a photo whilst lunging proved quite tricky especially with my using my body instead of voice as to keep the camera right i kept pausing so i kept having to tell him how good he was. he was only stopping because i'd trained him to :p i don't have to point the lunge whip at him to keep him out anymore (although i used to point it at him to keep him out and he would still fall in :rolleyes: ) so i can have the lunge rein and whip in my left hand whilst my right hand takes the pics. the whip points back or out from my side so if i flick it it rarely goes anywhere near him. i've taught him the whip is not scary. i can crack the whip lightly and he doesn't care (unless being silly) so he has to just react to voice and body.
i'm still working out how my body moves when i want him to go faster :p i just ask with my hand really. if you're standing facing a horse's side and you want them to walk on you would take your hand nearest their head and sort of point in the direction you want them to go, i've just got him working at a greater distance.
unless he's in a blind panic i don't use my voice for downwards anymore but upwards do sometimes need it :D

sorry if that bored you :o

[coss]

Awww,isn't he so cute?!:D
Great pics,looks like hes doing well :)

thankyou... a bit of an improvement from when my dad lunged him... when i say lunged i mean he stood in the middle and harry galloped round and didn't do any transitions, go or stop or buck

[sheryl]

Great pictures!

Thats very brave, lungeing in such a big field, with just a cavesson on:eek:

Well done. He looks lovely.
Isn't it good when they start doing something right for you. I love to see them improve after all your hard work. It makes it all worthwhile:) Such a good feeling!

[kirstie]

Aww great piccies, he looks gorgeous, well done. :)

[Laura+Phantom]

all my work with him is basically done in 5 acre field... he has improved on the lunge sooooooo much!! when i first tried to lunge when i first got him he pulled the lunge rein out of my hand and took off round that field! :eek: he also did it on another occasion so for him to be that responsive is really nice for me as well as him (we had he crash into the gate and there was a horse shaped dent in it :eek: )... don't want anymore of that!

Oh yes, I have one of those, and I lunge in a 3 acre field, P still tries it on occasion. Great pics, he's gorgeous!

[coss]

Great pictures!

Thats very brave, lungeing in such a big field, with just a cavesson on:eek:

Well done. He looks lovely.
Isn't it good when they start doing something right for you. I love to see them improve after all your hard work. It makes it all worthwhile:) Such a good feeling!

thank you :)

just out of interest, what do you lunge in? i do sometimes lunge off his bridle but i find him more responsive off of the cavesson especially if he hasn't been worked in a while.

[coss]

here are the other vids (finally got them uploaded) that i took, you can probably tell he's better on the right.
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/th_Rightrein1.jpg (http://s136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/?action=view&current=Rightrein1.flv)

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/th_Leftrein.jpg (http://s136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/?action=view&current=Leftrein.flv)