lunging problems

[julie biggs]

does anyone have any suggestions i'm at the end of my tether
my horse lunges well except for one thing.......he will only go one way.....which i know is no good for him, i have read books, watched vidios, and they all make it seem so easy. he works well to the voice walking and trotting to command ( although having said that i do have problems getting him from trot to walk, but we do eventually manage it)i have positioned my body slightly in front of him and walked towards the front of him to use body language like monty roberts suggests i'v even stopped him and turned him around myself...he takes a couple of strides in that direction ,then turns around and trots off the other way. i then keep repeating this action and he gets all hot and bothered working his self up into a sweat. he looks exhusted when we finish and i've hardly done anything with him........help!

[Silvia]

Do you use a lunging whip? When he tries to turn round, point the whip at his neck to block the way and tell him to move on. If you catch him on time he won't be able to turn round.
You could also try lungeing him with a rider, or just get someone to lead him for some minutes.
Don't forget to praise him and make a big fuss of him every time he obeys.

[julie biggs]

yes i do use a whip, i.ve tried that but it spooks him, he doesnt like whips or crops, i've never give him reason not too, some horses just don't like them, i think riding him seems a good idea, i'll make my husband get on him while i lunge him.....thanks

[floppy]

will your horse at least walk on the lunge rein int he direction he doesnt like?
maybe you should start off witht he side the hrose doesnt like...walk aroudn in a circle with him attached to the lunge line and as you walking slowly make the lunge liena bit longer and keep walking roudn with him and then eventually stop walking adn let him go round..have you tried that? onyla suggestion...then when he has walked around nicely a couple of rounds stop him..w.alk up to hima dn give him a good cuddle and mayeb a tiny treat...then once he strats going compfortably by himself in walk int he direction he doesnt like then introduce the trot!

[Remmy]

Have you thought about long reining? You would find the outside rein useful to block the turning in before it actually happened and you can praise him for every bit of forward progress that he makes.

Vicki

[Cathy Reynolds]

I'd try long reining. Forget lunging for a bit. Get him going forwards over a number of sessions including maybe out for a walk, then slowly kid him onto the poor rein in curves and serpentines first.

I assume you're using a proper lunge cavesson? When you restart with him on the lunge proper then walk with him and let the lunge out very slowly. This could take weeks - but are you in a rush?

Don't spend more than 15-20 minutes in any one session. Vary it.

Get someone else to lunge him - maybe it's you not him. You may have got yourself into such a tizz he senses it and gets anxious.

Get a trainer in for a couple of sessions to train you.

[julie biggs]

thanks everyone ...theres a few things there that i can try, i like the sound of walking around with him, and the long reining, i do use a proper cavasson and lunge whip and stand in the places monty roberts suggests, so i dont think its me....but who knows. i give em a whirl and let you know....thanks again

[fionahogg]

Which direction does he like to go in? Which side do you lead him from? If, for example, you always lead from the left (like your 'supposed' to, for some bizarre reason) and he objects to lunging on the right rein, then that’s normal horse behaviour. He's saying - hey, I don't ever see you on that side. Where have you come from? This is weird, I'll turn myself round to how it normally is. Make sure you handle the horse equally from both sides.

[Miriam]

I have much the same problem with my mare. It is a nightmare. She will go in one direction for a few minutes and then immediately spins round and if you try to move in front or behind she spins round to face you just as fast. The other side she just spins on. I have been informed that this could be due to the fact that when she was being trained up she was probably lunged on one side only. So I will be taking a few tips too.


Miriam

[jed lewis]

hello julie ,can i advise on ths pproblem alittle .as brief as i can .when a horse is on the lunge he creates the bend by adducting and
abducting ,that is moving his legs towards and
away from the body as the rib cage swings
in between movement from side to side ,as the
rib cage moves from side to side ,]]on the inside
the ribs have to slightly contract ,and the
outside has to exspand, so the legs on the
inside of the bend have a slightly shorter
stride and the outside have a slightly longer
stride ,if your lunge rein is average length
you may need longer ,as he is stiff and
unsupple on left side ,use a school and walk
a larger circle with him rather than asking
him to walk the length of your rein,walk straight lines with him and you should be
behind his shoulder ,then ask for a slight
bend with a tiny flex to the inside as is
inside hind comes forward ,keep the work big
witha small amount of bend work on his good
side first, then in walk go on to hs bad side
stay behind his shoulder and walk a straight
line then atweek on the cavesson as his inside
hind comes forward each stride ,do half the
school then halt and say thankyou .if you stand up and lean to oneside ,see how it catches you
if you are not supple enough to go abit more
but with gentle exersize you can bend easier .
best wishes jed

[floppy]

there is an article in the june '01 issue of Horse&Rider about long reining, shwo syou how to do it and also mentions a book or two you canbuy