Help with lunging

[Sezza]

Hey. Need some help. My tb mare currently has a curious problem when it comes to lunging. She is absolutely perfect (well kinda) going in one direction, and is quite normal. However ask her to go the other way and she point blank refuses. I had my experienced friend lunge her, and this happened, and so my friend got really stuck into her and tried for ages to get her to go around in that direction (and believe me she knows what she is doing), but belle kept trying to turn back around and even reared slightly etc. Its bizzare and neither of us can work it out. She just will not move away going in that direction. She is a bit stiff in her hindquaters due to arthritis but we dont know if that has anything to do with it, or whether its pig headedness (cause she is a stubborn mare), or whether she has been mishandled in some way at some stage. Any ideas???

[Tootsie4U]

Ok, the obvious, have you thought about saddle fit? Are you lunging her in tack? Is she current on her farrier/teeth schedule? Is she a horse that could need a chiro?

Do you lunge her on a line, or freely in a round pen? Does she refuse this direction in each way?

If its not physical - and you must be certain to keep from doing major mental damage - then and only then would I excuse her behavior away to "moody mare syndrome."

Fill us in with that information and maybe we can help further :D

[cvb]

more questions - is this with side-reins or any other kind of lunging aid ? Does the one-sided-ness show up in any other way eg when ridden, when grooming, in the stable etc

When you/your friend lunge do you face the horse ? or face more towards the direction the horse should be going in ?

It seems to be 'traditional' to teach people to lunge so they are facing the horse and make a triangle shape - with them at the point, arm and lunge rein as one side, arm and whip as the other, and horse along the top. Then as the horse goes around your feet need to cross over each other to turn with the horse.

There is another way ! Adopt the traditional position described above - now turn your whole body in the direction the horse is going. So as the horse moves, you will just walk in a small circle rather than crossing your feet over. Now one arm is slightly across your body (the one with the lunge rein). You don't need to turn the full 90 degrees, just enough to not cross you feet. Now you may find it is easier to 'lead' with your lunge rein hand and 'drive' with your whip hand. I also find it easier this way to extend or contract the circle as I just walk a bigger or smaller circle myself. ;)

You can start on the difficult side with the lunge rein quite short and just as if you are leading the horse around. Then gradually increase the distance between you and the horse and decrease the size of circle you walk. This should help you get the horse started in the right direction.

Hope this is useful.

Of course you should check for any underlying issues - goes without saying but I'll say it anyway.

[Tootsie4U]

cvb - my old dressage instructor would have your head! :p According to her, there is no other way than the triangle way. Haha.... :rolleyes:

[larri]

Yup I was taught the triangle way but gradually changed to the far more natural way of walking a small circle with the horse - makes sense as you can change your position in relation to the horse..Ie for more impulsion stay towards the quarters and to slow too much forward movement come to the forehand - stopping becomes a matter of a step towards the forehand to block....soooo much easier and freer for your ned!

Sazza I would turn her loose in a scholl and see how she is - block her with body language to get her turn if she is happy to loose school then she either doesn't "get it" or has pain going on a small circle that way...or is a moody old bag!

Don't forget that horses don't think the same way we do and if you teach something on one rein - they don't remember and transfer it to the other side - you have to teach them from scratch both sides.

[cvb]

someone actually taught me that new method (can't remember who) and it was one of those real light bulb moments.

I had to 'fake it' back to the traditional way when I did my BHSAI :D

Personally I find 'my' way sooooo much easier.

[welshcoblady1]

hello sezza, you mention your has a bit of arthritis ,how ever one reason for her not to wish to lunge , may be the arthritis because when any horse is lunging he has to take his weight on the in side hock and feltlock joint also his stifle, and whilst doing that he has to contract his inside muscles and rib cage ,so he is able to bring his in side hind leg through ,it just may be your horse knows this is going to feel very uncomfortable or hurt.

whilst the inside of the horse is doing all the above ,the outside of the horse whilst on the lunge has to exspand his muscles and ribcage and the out side leg takes slightly longer stride as the out side of the circle is bigger and covers more ground.

if your horse has had arthritis a while she would have developed her frame and muscles to carry her self in such a way that she may muscle atrophy slightly on one side , so set her frame in a small way to help releive the the discomfort of the arthritis , many horses do this for many reasons ,and it goes un noticed untill the horse says i cant do that as it hurts.

if a horse horse hurts it will try to tell you if we dont listen it will tell you louder ,it just may be she hurts on the lunge on that side
but this is only a suggestion .

best wishes .

[Sezza]

Hi. Thanks for all your suggestions. We have just been lunging her with a bridle and lunge line connected to the bit (not really the most effective way but its the best I can do for the moment, no money for proper lunging gear). Anyway will keep trying, and use a few of those suggestions, and see how we go. I am hoping its not pain related, but I may need to get that check out to be sure. Thanks again.

[cvb]

lunge rein through the inside bit ring, over the head, and clipped to offside bit ring ?

[Sezza]

Well yes, thats how I was taught to do it, but my friend just had it clipped to the inside bit.

[cvb]

so does she have the same problem if you have the lunge rein the way I described ? If not, that may be a big hint - to check the bit and her teeth ?

If you just click the rein to the inside bit ring, it does some weird thigns to the way the bit acts and where the pressure is on the horse's mouth. (much harsher).

As a check, you could also try lunging off a headcollar and see whether the behaviour changes (then the lunge rein is actually coming off their chin - which is a little unusual for "english" trained horses). Just try a turn each way and see what happens - I'm not suggesting you lunge this way all the time, might it might help diagnose what is going on.